V3Solar’s spinning solar cells claim to generate 20 times more electricity than flat photovoltaics  

Inhabitat has an article on some interesting CPV (concentrating solar photovoltaic) technology claiming to generate 20x as much power as a regular solar panel (presumably per unit of area occupied rather than per area of silicon) - V3Solar’s spinning solar cells generate 20 times more electricity than flat photovoltaics.

The V3 Spin Cell was developed through collaboration with industrial design team Nectar Design. The company believes that the Spin Cell could be a game-changer in its market. On their website V3 explains that if one places a 20x solar concentration on a flat, static solar panel then “the temperature quickly reaches 260 degrees F, the solder melts within ten seconds, and the PV fails. With the same concentration on the Spin Cell, the temperature never exceeds 95 degrees F.”

The one meter-diameter cones feature a layer of hundreds of triangular photovoltaic cells positioned at an angle of 56 degrees, encased in a “static hermetically-sealed outer lens concentrator.” The photovoltaic cone spins with the assistance of a “small amount” of its own solar-generated power which feeds a Maglev system, intended to reduce the noise generated by the cones as well as any required maintenance.