Picture This

What it's not: The newest addition to the Lite-Brite family of electronic toys

What it is: Organic solar concentrators, which collect and focus different colors of sunlight. Solar cells can be attached to the edges of the plates. By collecting light over their full surface and concentrating it at their edges, these devices reduce the required area of solar cells and, consequently, the cost of solar power. Stacking multiple concentrators allows the optimization of solar cells at each wavelength, increasing the overall power output.

Photo courtesy of Donna Coveney