SMART ANGLE
Novel way to boost solar panel's output
LIKE many nations worldwide, a booming population and continuously depleting natural resources has seen Bangladesh struggle to meet the energy needs of its 160 million people. Encouragement from the government in the form of policy support and implementation programmes such as IDCOL's (Infrastructure Development Company Limited) Solar Home System has seen solar power become the most reliable source of alternative energy, particularly in rural areas of the country.
Driven by demand and policy support, the energy-deprived people have found solar power an affordable and suitable option compared to the out-of-reach national grid. Nowadays, many houses in the rural areas have rooftop solar panels. These panels are mainly for illuminating solar light bulbs, running small fans and operating small televisions.
While studying at the University of Calgary, Canada, I met two young inventors who have recently come up with a solution to the unfulfilled desire of solar power users. Bruce Gao and Matt Privman, two undeniable geniuses, have invented an application called SimplySolar, which is capable of increasing the efficiency of solar panels to produce up to 40% more electricity. The application does the same job as expensive solar panel trackers but at a fraction of the cost.
As a recipient of the inaugural Schulich Leadership Scholarship, Bruce is currently studying Honors Neuroscience, while Matt, like me, is a recipient of the Schulich Engineering scholarship – the largest scholarship of such category in Canada.
The idea and need for the app came during a vacation Bruce spent volunteering at an orphanage in China. "I noticed that the children around me were huddled together for warmth because the orphanage did not have adequate heating," Bruce explained. After discovering that the rooftop solar panels needed to be moved to trap more sunlight, Bruce went to a wifi hotspot, and created an algorithm which could move the panels.
"Using the algorithm, an angle was produced, which the orphans and I used to align the solar panels. After a while I noticed that the hot water faucet finally worked and the room was considerably warmer," he said.
Upon returning to Calgary, he approached his classmate, Matt, to help develop an application which would be able to help align solar panels by providing a step by step guide. "About a week later, we had an app that accepted GPS coordinates, date and time and ran the data through Bruce 's code and output two angles which aligned a solar panel directly with the sun for the information given." Matt said.
The application launched is currently available in both Android and iOS. Using mobile phones, the application, when used with the provided scheduling tool, enables solar panels to manually track the sun by providing diagrams and visual instructions.
While juggling their academic obligations, the cofounders saw SimplySolar become associated with United Nations Practitioner's Network and Light Up The World Foundation. The app currently has 921 active installations in Africa and China.
The team believes that if the app were to be used here, users would not only be able to power more household appliances such as TVs and fridges, but it would also stimulate the work economy. If an entire area or village has just one person with a low-end smart phone, the owner will be able to charge others for using the app.
Matt suggests, the technicians of solar panel providers in Bangladesh can own the application and use it to set up solar panels or maybe even distribute it to clients. The link for downloading the application can be provided to companies affiliated with SimplySolar who can then give it to their clients.
Currently available for free on the respective app stores with no maintenance cost involved and the rising demand for clean energy, it is undoubted that, if used properly, the application can benefit the people of this country.
The writer is studying chemical engineering specializing in energy and environment at the University of Calgary. She can be contacted at mayesha@solarsquared.com
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