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Rawlemon’s Beta.ray is a real spherical solar-concentrator prototype, not simply a photovoltaic panel shaped like a ball. Its transparent lens focuses sunlight onto a much smaller photovoltaic receiver, while a tracking mechanism follows the sun. The concept is technically credible and architecturally striking, but public evidence does not establish it as a widely deployed, independently validated, mass-market replacement for conventional solar panels.
Rawlemon’s current public activity is more visibly focused on its MicroTrack building-integrated modules and the Amortizer.40e solar light and battery product than on a standard, readily orderable Beta.ray generator.
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What is Rawlemon?
Rawlemon is a solar-architecture project associated with German architect André Brößel. According to the company’s history, it was founded around 2009 and developed concentrated solar systems intended for façades, roofs, balconies, solar carports and other architectural applications. Its work combines optics, photovoltaic generation, tracking and, in some designs, heat recovery.
The name most people remember is Beta.ray: a transparent spherical solar collector designed to look more like an architectural object than a conventional rectangular panel. Rawlemon’s later MicroTrack products use related concentrating and tracking ideas in building-integrated modules.
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Short verdict: Beta.ray is a genuine prototype and technology platform. Its strongest potential is in visually sensitive, space-constrained or demonstration projects. The public material does not prove that it is currently a cost-effective household replacement for standard photovoltaic panels.
How the spherical generator works
The system uses the sphere as a ball lens. In early descriptions, the transparent sphere was reported as a water-filled glass lens. The basic process is:
- Sunlight enters the transparent sphere.
- The curved lens bends the rays toward a focal region.
- A small photovoltaic receiver sits at or near that focal point.
- The receiver converts the concentrated light into electricity.
- A dual-axis tracking mechanism adjusts the receiver or optical assembly as the sun moves across the sky.
- In hybrid versions, heat from the receiver can potentially be collected for hot water or another useful thermal application.
This is concentrator photovoltaics, not an energy multiplier. Like a magnifying glass, the sphere concentrates sunlight onto a smaller area; it does not create additional solar energy. A high intensity at the focal point is therefore not the same as producing ten thousand times more total electricity.
The complete system must be assessed as a whole: lens transmission, tracking accuracy, receiver efficiency, heat losses, control electronics, maintenance and the electricity consumed by moving parts all matter.
Designboom’s description of Beta.ray reports the spherical lens, point-focusing receiver and dual-axis tracking approach.
Why use a sphere instead of ordinary solar panels?
The design has several plausible engineering and architectural reasons:
- Appearance: a transparent orb can function as a visual feature, public artwork or architectural element.
- Broad-angle collection: spherical optics can receive light over changing incident angles, although useful output still depends on optical and tracking performance.
- Smaller photovoltaic receiver: concentrating sunlight may reduce the quantity of expensive high-efficiency cell material required.
- Building integration: the concept can be incorporated into façades, curtain walls, balconies, inclined surfaces and solar canopies.
- Hybrid energy: some Rawlemon designs aim to deliver both electricity and useful heat.
These are design and engineering advantages, not proof that a spherical system has a lower installed cost or higher lifetime energy yield than a modern silicon array. The sphere replaces a large area of relatively simple photovoltaic material with optical material, tracking hardware, a receiver, controls and thermal-management equipment.
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Historical coverage described two commonly reported Beta.ray sizes:
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- Beta.ray 1.00: approximately 1 metre in diameter.
- Beta.ray 1.80: approximately 1.8 metres in diameter.
A 2014 report listed launch-era prices of approximately €6,000 and €8,999 respectively. Those figures are historical signals, not current verified retail prices. They should not be used to estimate what a present-day installation would cost.
Rawlemon’s current public shop does not provide a conventional checkout page confirming current stock of a Beta.ray 1.00 or 1.80 unit. Historical prototype coverage and crowdfunding references likewise do not establish mass production or guaranteed delivery.
See the historical pricing report from pv magazine.
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What are the efficiency claims?
Rawlemon and earlier media coverage have used several different performance figures. They should not be treated as interchangeable:
| Claim | Source and caution | What must be clarified |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 35% greater efficiency | Historical company and media claim | Baseline technology, test conditions, and whether this means cell, module or annual energy efficiency |
| Up to four times more energy on cloudy days | Historical reported claim | The comparison system, weather conditions and measurement period |
| Up to 99% transparency | Historical design claim | How transparency was measured and how the receiver and frame were counted |
| 47% or 47.2% performance | Current Rawlemon first-party claim | The exact module configuration, metric and rated conditions |
| Up to 60% combined output | Current Rawlemon first-party claim | How much is electricity, how much is useful heat, and what system boundary is used |
| 157 Wp on 0.33 m² | Current advertised MicroTrack specification | Certification, production status and real annual energy yield at the proposed site |
A statement such as “35% more efficient” is incomplete without identifying the comparison. It might refer to power density, annual energy, a particular older panel, a laboratory configuration or combined electrical and thermal output. Cell efficiency, module efficiency, annual kilowatt-hours, cost per watt and lifetime energy are different measures.
Before accepting a performance claim, a project owner should request the baseline panel, test location, irradiance, temperature, tracking assumptions, DC or AC measurement point, test duration, parasitic energy use, degradation data and independent laboratory report.
Rawlemon refers to testing associated with the German Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, or ZSW. ArchDaily also reported claimed results for a MicroTrack prototype, including comparisons with dual-axis systems and diffuse-light performance. However, the publicly accessible material does not provide enough protocol detail to make those comparisons independently reproducible. These figures should therefore be attributed rather than presented as universally established results.
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Does it work in cloudy weather or moonlight?
Rawlemon’s early descriptions said the optical system could collect diffuse daylight and even concentrate moonlight. Diffuse light can be useful because it is scattered across the sky, but concentration systems generally perform best when sufficient directional light reaches the lens.
Moonlight is reflected sunlight and is vastly weaker than direct sunlight. A sphere may concentrate it optically, but the resulting electrical output would be correspondingly tiny. Moonlight should therefore be treated as an experimental optical capability, not a meaningful nighttime power source without measured output data.
The claim of four times more energy on cloudy days is also not a general rule. A valid comparison would need to identify whether the baseline was a flat PV panel, a conventional concentrator or a dual-axis system, as well as the cloud conditions and measurement period.
Engineering disadvantages
Heat at the receiver
Concentrating sunlight onto a small receiver creates substantial thermal loads. A real installation may require heat sinks, cooling, thermal-transfer fluid, protective controls or automatic stow behavior. Heat can become useful hot water only if the building has the appropriate plumbing, storage and demand.
Tracking and moving parts
Dual-axis tracking can keep the receiver aligned, but it adds motors or actuators, sensors, controls, seals and failure points. Storm protection, power loss, calibration and servicing all matter. A fixed silicon panel is less visually distinctive but mechanically simpler.
Optical safety
A focused beam can heat surfaces, damage components, create glare or present a fire hazard if the receiver is misaligned or the lens is damaged. Any installation would need a controlled focal path, shielding, safe-access procedures and documented optical-safety measures.
Weather, dirt and durability
A large transparent optical element must withstand wind, hail, thermal expansion, UV exposure, condensation, dirt, mineral deposits and accidental impact. If liquid is used inside the lens, leakage and fluid degradation also become relevant. A buyer should request wind-load ratings, hail testing, weather-resistance documentation, cleaning requirements and long-term field data.
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Diffuse light and shading
Cloud, dust, snow, nearby buildings and partial shading can reduce useful output. A spherical design may capture light from more directions than a fixed panel, but that does not guarantee better annual production in every climate.
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Rawlemon’s newer products
MicroTrack
MicroTrack is Rawlemon’s building-integrated direction: compact concentrating modules intended for façades, windows, balconies, roofs and solar carports. The company advertises two-axis tracking, transparent architectural integration, optional thermal use and a displayed configuration rated at 157 Wp on 0.33 m². It also presents a solar-carport concept reaching 4.1 kWp.
These are specialized building products, not plug-and-play replacements for rooftop PV. Structural integration, electrical certification, grid connection, local servicing and installation responsibility must be confirmed for the specific project.
Amortizer.40e
Amortizer.40e is not the same product as the large spherical Beta.ray generator. Rawlemon presents it as a solar-powered light object and power bank with advertised specifications of:
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- 720 Wh lithium-ion battery
- Up to 1,120 lumens
- Ten USB-C outputs rated up to 100 W
Rawlemon’s page has displayed an early-bird price of €799 including shipping within Germany, with a €100 deposit and €699 balance. The listed promotional period ended July 31, so price, availability, delivery, warranty and certification should be rechecked directly rather than assumed from the historical page.
Beta.ey
Beta.ey was an earlier, smaller solar charger and atmospheric lamp. Designboom reported a miniature dual-axis tracker, a 1 × 1 cm multijunction cell, a 27.5 Wh battery, USB charging and RGB lighting. The reported ability to recharge a phone up to 1.5 times was historical product information, not evidence that Beta.ey remains available today.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Beta.ray available to buy today?
The safest answer is not as a clearly documented, widely available consumer product. Rawlemon remains publicly active and promotes MicroTrack applications and newer products, but the current public shop does not clearly show a standard Beta.ray spherical generator with ordinary retail checkout, verified stock and published installation documentation.
Anyone considering a purchase or building project should request:
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- Delivery territory and lead time
- Independent electrical, structural and optical-safety documentation
- Grid-connection approval where applicable
- Warranty, degradation and replacement-cell terms
- Tracker, battery and thermal-system specifications
- Wind, hail, fire and weather-resistance ratings
- Installation, cleaning and servicing requirements
- Insurance and structural-load requirements
- Deposit, cancellation and refund terms
A preorder page is not the same as a completed commercial installation, and historical pricing is not a current offer.
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How it compares with conventional solar
| Option | Where it is strongest | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional flat silicon PV | Lowest-risk, mature and widely serviceable electricity generation | Opaque appearance and less architectural transparency |
| Building-integrated PV | Façades, glazing, roofing, shading and architectural cladding | Higher design and installation complexity than standard rooftop PV |
| Dual-axis tracked PV | Projects seeking more solar alignment with familiar PV hardware | Trackers add cost, maintenance and storm-related failure modes |
| Photovoltaic-thermal systems | Buildings with substantial hot-water demand | Requires plumbing, storage and a useful thermal load |
| Solar carports with ordinary PV | Large covered parking areas and EV charging | Less visually novel than an optical system |
For a normal home whose priority is the lowest cost per watt, predictable installation and extensive warranty data, conventional rooftop PV remains the stronger baseline. Rawlemon becomes more interesting where transparency, visual identity, limited usable area, combined heat and electricity or demonstration value justifies specialized equipment.
What a construction project should evaluate
Architects, contractors and building owners should compare the complete installed system, not just the photovoltaic cell area. Include the lens or façade assembly, structural support, tracker, receiver, wiring, inverter, thermal loop, controls, access equipment, cleaning, insurance, maintenance and replacement parts.
Ask for an annual kilowatt-hour estimate for the actual site, including shading and local weather. Compare it with standard PV on the same roof or façade area. If heat is included, value only the heat the building can actually use; combined electrical-and-thermal percentages should not be compared directly with electrical efficiency alone.
The system is most defensible where:
- Architectural transparency has meaningful value
- A visible solar installation is part of the design brief
- Roof or façade space is constrained
- Both electricity and heat can be used
- The owner accepts specialized maintenance
- The project is a landmark, demonstration or research installation
It is less attractive where the site is heavily shaded, dusty, snowy or cloudy, where no useful heat demand exists, or where a standard PV array can fit easily and local installers cannot service the equipment.
Bottom line
Rawlemon’s spherical generator is an inventive application of concentrating photovoltaics: a transparent ball lens focuses sunlight onto a tracked, high-performance receiver, potentially combining electricity with useful heat while functioning as architecture.
The design is real, but its most ambitious claims—such as 35% higher efficiency, fourfold cloudy-weather performance, 47% or 47.2% module performance and 60% combined output—are configuration-specific first-party or media-reported claims unless supported by a detailed independent test report. The public evidence also does not establish Beta.ray as a widely available, mass-market product.
For most cost-focused solar projects, conventional PV remains the practical benchmark. For a carefully engineered façade, public installation or design-led building where appearance and integration matter, Rawlemon’s approach may be worth investigating—provided the buyer verifies performance, certification, availability and lifetime maintenance before committing.
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