How to maximize the sun is the subject of a collaboration between Central Hudson and Prism Solar Technologies of Highland.
The two companies are working on a three-year project to test Prism Solar”™s patented holographic film against a pair of other methods for collecting sunshine and converting it to electricity. ?The $190,000 test will see the two companies install, monitor and compare three solar systems of equal peak power ratings, each using a different design: a holographic solar system with bifacial cells ”“ Prism”™s optimized module design; a holographic solar system with mono-facial cells; and a conventional crystalline silicon solar system.
The companies anticipate that the two holographic systems will generate more electricity than the conventional photovoltaic system under all lighting conditions.?Prism Solar”™s holographic film replaces most of the silicon cells required in a solar module, creating a module costing about  half the cost of a conventional one, while producing 20 to 40 percent more energy per watt by selecting the most useful wavelengths of light and concentrating them onto solar cells. Holographic modules also allow cells to operate near peak efficiency in low-light conditions, which is especially important in regions such as the Northeast.?“
Central Hudson is studying this technology to gain a better understanding of the characteristics and electric generating capabilities of solar installations using holographic film, and from an economic development prospective, promote a local firm involved in manufacturing and marketing a product that has the potential to expand the use of renewable energy,” said James P. Laurito, president of Central Hudson. ?“This opportunity to partner with Central Hudson comes at a critical point for Prism Solar to meet its manufacturing goals and bring this game-changing new technology into the photovoltaic market,” said Rick Lewandowski, Prism Solar”™s president and CEO.
The three 2.5 kilowatt solar systems will be installed at Central Hudson”™s Coldenham substation in Orange County in early fall. A weather monitoring station will also be installed to measure sun and cloud conditions, sun angle and other factors that can influence electric generation. Electrical output and weather data will be transmitted to Prism and used to analyze the relative effectiveness of the three panels.
