IBM cools solar farm

Heat has long been a major problem for semiconductors. Years of research produced technological leaps that have enabled computer chips to diminish in size, increase performance, and withstand the heat generated by packing circuits in impossibly cramped space. Now, IBM is applying years of experience in semiconductors to cooling solar cells.

IBM said that its liquid-metal cooling technique, adapted from high-powered computers’ chips, could relieve roughly 75% of the heat generated by a concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) system. Through the use of lenses and mirrors, CPV arrays magnify light onto solar cells to convert light to electricity. More light generates more electricity, and consequently – more heat.