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Tag Archives: solar energy
One voice: Paul Krugman, fracking and solar energy
At best, when an individual such as Paul Krugman (International Trade Economist, Nobel Prize winner in economics and columnist for the New York Times) opine in a public forum, it’s an insightful piece of analysis, a useful expression of sentiment, or an effective way of providing sorely needed background on important issues. Occasionally, however, important [...]
Posted in Commentable Also tagged alternative energy, energy industry, fracking, Krugman, natural gas, New York Times, Nobel Prize, solar panels, solar power 1 Comment
Synthetic biology: Improve photosynthesis
Eighteen blue-ribbon scientists from all over the world agree: We need to improve on Mother Nature. Oh? Well, yes. Nature only extracts energy from the Sun in a couple of band gaps (otherwise known as colors), mostly green, some blue. We can do better than that. We can engineer plants to absorb photons from the [...]
Posted in News: Synthetic Biology Also tagged algae, alternative energy, band gap, biomass, color, photosynthesis, photovoltaic, synthetic biology Leave a comment
New solar heat technology: Make electricity and hot water
Solar panels that directly capture energy from the sun and convert it into electrical energy are well known and recognized as a major source of alternative energy. Solar panels that make hot water are popular in some parts of the world (China, Europe, Brazil, India) and the technology is well known. Solar panels that use [...]
Posted in News: Alternative Energy Also tagged alternative energy, Chen, flat-panel, MIT, Seebeck, solar panel, thermoelectric, water heater 6 Comments
Potential windows: Transparent solar panel material
“Roll up the windows, honey. The battery needs charging.” Transparent solar cells could have many uses, which puts them on the alternative energy research agenda. One approach, described in the journal Chemistry of Materials [Structural dynamics and charge transfer via complexation with fullerene in large area conjugated polymer honeycomb thin films] developed by a research [...]
Posted in News: Alternative Energy Also tagged alternative energy, buckyball, fullerene, polymer, semiconductor, solar panel, water deposition Leave a comment
The PETE process: Solar heat + light = more electricity
Using the light from the Sun to generate electricity is commonplace. So is generating electricity through heat, as in steam turbines. Combining solar light and solar heat to generate energy is an obvious juxtaposition, but until now undemonstrated as a feasible technology. That’s why the proof of concept testing on a concept called PETE (photon [...]
Posted in News: Alternative Energy Also tagged alternative energy, cesium, gallium arsenide, PETE, silicon, thermal energy Leave a comment
Progress toward graphene solar cells
Traditionally solar cells are made from either silicon or a ruthenium compound. Unfortunately, ruthenium is relatively rare (a rare Earth element) and will not ‘scale’ to produce the enormous quantities needed for solar energy production. Silicon is what is used now, but silicon is relatively expensive to manufacture correctly. So scientists have been looking for [...]
Posted in News: Alternative Energy Also tagged graphene, graphene sheets, nanotechnology, side group, solar cells, solvent Leave a comment
Microtelecom – where few phones have gone before
It’s called synergy, combining the technology of solar cells with the technology of a low wattage cell-phone base station. It’s also called ‘microtelecom’ – a telephone network built with minimal requirements for energy, technical knowhow, and money. An example is the work of VNL in Haryana, India, which is rolling out its ambitious “WorldGSM” cellular [...]
Posted in Impact: Communications Also tagged cell-phones, communications, GSM, microfinance, microtelephone Leave a comment
Microsolar: Potentially a small revolution
Even for sober science, the word revolutionary gets thrown around far too much. Solar energy gets its share of hyperbole. So the notion that microphotovolatic cells – tiny solar cells about the size of decorative glitter – could revolutionize the solar energy industry might be yet another hyperstretch. Then again, the option to use micro-cells [...]
Posted in News: Alternative Energy Also tagged alternative energy, MEMS, microphotovoltaic cells, silicon wafers, solar cells Leave a comment
Citigroup: Solar energy profit-ready for large consumer companies