Optical Networking, Redefined.
September 9, 2016

Merging Fiber Optics and Solar Energy

Solar energy is an efficient source of renewable energy that continues to grow in popularity. Solar energy continues to develop and grow with an increasing number of end-users installing solar panel configurations in their homes.

New developments in the solar industry suggest that these trends will continue to grow, especially as solar cells continue to become more efficient. In a recent article, experts discussed research in which solar energy conversion efficiencies of 19.3% were claimed. The article noted that these conversions were far from optimized, and that even greater efficiencies were possible.

As the solar industry continues to grow, the use of fiber optics for controlling solar cells and harvesting energy will be of great interest to companies looking to maximize efficiency in solar energy production and control.

In July 2015, NASA released a summary of a technological concept related to the use of fiber optics in solar cells. This new fiber optic material will allow fiber to enable electricity generation from unused light. This combination of fiber optics with solar cells will allow for a new type of technology to rise, and will likely play strongly into the development of IoT.

As solar and other renewable energy sources continue to grow as the main contributors of the world’s energy supply, fiber optics will play an important role in maintaining control and efficiency in the process. The merging of these technologies will likely result in a cleaner, cost effective, and more efficient worldwide energy supply.