A Hybrid Approach to Solar Power

By MATTHEW L. WALD June 22, 2012, 11:24 am

When photovoltaic cells make electricity from sunlight, they collect a lot of heat along the way. And they don’t work as well warm as they do cold.

Four years ago I wrote about a hybrid system that was intended both to make electricity and gather usable heat on residential rooftops. That company, now called Echo Solar, is offering its product around the country.

But the market for such hybrids goes beyond homes, especially if the second product is hot water, which can make steam and then electricity. Now another company, Cogenra, is supplying a hybrid solar electricity and hot-water system for big apartment buildings, dormitories, retirement homes, wineries, food processing plants and, most recently, a dairy, all of which use large amounts of hot water. It has 40 installations worldwide.

To read the entire article go to: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/a-hybrid-approach-to-solar-power/