Q: Is the dish dangerous?

A: Anything that produces a substantial amount of energy, from cars to wind turbines, is potentially dangerous. However, the focal point is highly localized to the area near the receiver. As a result, stray light should not blind birds or pilots flying overhead. The system is being designed with a number of safety features. We recommend a fence and/or additional safety precautions to minimize risks.

Q: Can you put solar panels on the end of it?

A: Normal solar panels cannot handle that much sunlight. However, there is a special class of concentrated solar cells (cPV) that is being developed to be used in conjunction with concentrated solar thermal systems. These cells are highly efficient and show tremendous promise.

Q: Can the system be used to generate electricity?

A: Yes, the system is designed so that it can be used with a number of different complementary technologies. We are in the process of evaluating several possible routes, so that we can deliver the most efficient and reliable energy to our customers. If you believe that your company has a complementary product that would work well for our system, please E-mail Us.

Q: Are you going to use these in the developing world?

A: Because of the simplicity of the design, and use of widely available materials, the dish has a huge potential to address the energy problems of the rapidly developing third world. However, in order to get the business off the ground, we are focusing on large US installations in the short term.

Q: Will birds suffer from glare?

A: Fortunately, the birds will not suffer from glare because all of the light is captured onto the receiver (the black coil that is located on the long aluminum post shooting out from the dish). This way birds are not irritated by the glare. Furthermore, birds avoid the mirrored collector because as they approach the dish their image is reflected in each strip of mirror, thus frightening them away, so that they do not fly into the mirror. Actually, the birds quite enjoy the dish - on the MIT dish, several robins have made it a habit to sit on the edges of the frame to look at themselves in the mirror. Really, the only problems we've had with birds are the messy accidents they drop on the dish when flying overhead and even then it's really not so bad because it gets washed away with the rain. Furthermore, we predict that the frame may eventually make a great location for birds to nest in as it is protected from the elements and shields them from predators.

Q: Are you selling dishes to residential customers?

A: We are in process of developing a product for individuals. However due to resource limitations, we cannot offer dishes to residential customers at this point in time. However, if you would like to join our waitlist, please fill out this form: Residential Customer Form. We will notify you when a residential product becomes available. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you are interested in a larger installation, please contact us by filling out this form: Industrial Customer Form.