IBM/Airtight solar PV with 80% efficiency

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2687236/ibms-solar-concentrator-can-produce-energy-clean-water-and-ac.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This would seem like a natural fit next to a supercharging station.

I wonder if something like that could eventually be miniaturized, even to the point of a rooftop gadget for cars to finally satisfy all those people who are constantly asking "why don't they put solar panels on the roof?"

Wasn't Solyndra based on concentrators? (without the water cooling)

Very good read. I am a bit annoyed that they seemed to switch back and forth talking about the smaller "looks like a sunflower" systems and the much larger system that looks more like a greenhouse. Confusing to me to figure out how much energy each is producing etc.

The 80% efficiency is a bit misleading as well (that is what got me reading). It is not 80% PV efficient; rather they are saying they can harvest about 80% of the available energy. Most of this is in the form of the hot water. What you do with hot water after heating is up to you - and they mix that all in too suggesting using the heat to clean water and/or run A/C units. Well - those processes are highly inefficient I imagine (cooling from heat is definitely expensive and not a very efficient process, thus generally reserved for waste heat from industrial processes).

Concentrating the power would have benefits, but this seems like a rather complex system and I wonder if it could be manufactured in such a way to become economically viable once maintenance and everything is considered.

Sure glad to see continued research and prototyping in the area of solar though, I do believe solar should be a major part of any energy plan for the country (world actually).