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Life & fun · January 6, 2025

Optics Challenge – Design a solar concentrator for a non-round sun

Hi, I help run an academic conference on Nonimaging Optics (optics for optimal energy transfer in solar concentrators or illumination systems). This year, we are hosting a design challenge, and I thought it could be fun for some in the HN crowd to participate. Maybe some of you have ideas for completely different design approaches than what we typically see on the field. The challenge: Design an efficient "solar concentrator" for a sun shaped like the letters "XX" (instead of our regular round sun). The challenge is set up so that the ideal geometry would be 100% efficient*. However, we…

Optics Challenge – Design a solar concentrator for a non-round sun launched on January 6, 2025 with 10 votes, #1,608 of 6,141 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.

Visit nonimaging-conference.org ↗Alternatives

In plain words

The Optics Challenge invites participants to design a solar concentrator optimized for a non-circular sun shaped like the letters "XX." Hosted by an academic conference on nonimaging optics, the competition tests creative approaches to energy transfer and optical design using a web-based simulation tool. Participants can test designs directly in the submission portal without specialized software, with the highest simulated efficiency winning. The theoretical maximum efficiency is 100%, though practical limitations mean all entries will score below that threshold.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Upload, test and submit your design for the Nonimaging Optics Design Competition 2025.

Stay informed about abstract submission deadlines, conference updates, and other important announcements by subscribing to our newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our newsletter platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices. In this portal, you can test your concentrator designs for the Nonimaging Optics Design Competition 2025 . Note: The submission deadline has passed, but you can still test your designs. The challenge: Design a reflective solar concentrator with the highest possible…from nonimaging-conference.org

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hi, I help run an academic conference on Nonimaging Optics (optics for optimal energy transfer in solar concentrators or illumination systems). This year, we are hosting a design challenge, and I thought it could be fun for some in the HN crowd to participate. Maybe some of you have ideas for completely different…

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