Biosolar breakthrough promises cheap, easy green electricity

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:22:22 EST

Scientists are turning the term "power plant" on its head. A team of researchers has developed a system that taps into photosynthetic processes to produce efficient and inexpensive energy.
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New tool determines value of solar photovoltaic power systems

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:49:49 EST

Consistent appraisals of real estate outfitted with photovoltaic installations are a challenge for the nation's real estate industry, but a new tool addresses that issue.
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In solar cells, tweaking the tiniest of parts yields big jump in efficiency

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:45:45 EST

By tweaking the smallest of parts, engineers are hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that solar cells convert into electricity.
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Researchers' refinement increases solar concentrator efficiency

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:30 EST

Researchers have discovered that changing the shape of a solar concentrator significantly increases its efficiency, bringing its use closer to reality.
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Transparency limits on transparent conducting oxides identified

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:15:15 EST

Computational materials researchers have used cutting-edge calculations to determine fundamental optical transparency limits in conducting oxide material tin oxide.
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Nano research could impact flexible electronic devices

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:19:19 EST

A new discovery shows that the flexibility and durability of carbon nanotube films and coatings are intimately linked to their electronic properties and could impact flexible electronic devices such as solar cells and wearable sensors.
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Greenhouses and solar power: Crop testing with a special photovoltaic panel for greenhouses

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:38:38 EST

A new photovoltaic module allows electricity to be generated without greenhouse crops being affected by over-shading.
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Keeping electronics cool: Findings on modified form of graphene could have impacts in managing heat dissipation

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:29:29 EST

An engineering professor has made a breakthrough discovery with graphene, a material that could play a major role in keeping laptops and other electronic devices from overheating.
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Paint-on solar cells developed

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:13:13 EST

Imagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light -- electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside. Scientists have just created an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy.
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Towards artificial photosynthesis for solar hydrogen generation: Algal protein gives boost to electrochemical water splitting

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:20:20 EST

Water splitting in photo-electrochemical cells to yield hydrogen is a promising way to sustainable fuels. Scientists have now made major progress in developing highly efficient electrodes – made of an algal protein, thus mimicking a central step in natural photosynthesis.
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Discovery of a 'dark state' could mean a brighter future for solar energy

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:16:16 EST

The efficiency of conventional solar cells could be significantly increased, according to new research on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion.
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New solar-powered classroom brings science to schools in developing countries

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:31:31 EST

An innovative project is using solar generators to provide IT resources and 'hands-on' science for students in developing countries.
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Building a sustainable hydrogen economy

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:10:10 EST

The concept of the hydrogen economy (HE), in which hydrogen would replace the carbon-based fossil fuels of the twentieth century was first mooted in the 1970s. Today, HE is seen as a potential solution to the dual global crises of climate change and dwindling oil reserves. A research article suggests that HE is wrong and SHE has the answer in the sustainable hydrogen economy.
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Giant super-Earths made of diamond are possible, study suggests

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:05:05 EST

A planet made of diamonds may sound lovely, but you wouldn't want to live there. A new study suggests that some stars in the Milky Way could harbor "carbon super-Earths" – giant terrestrial planets that contain up to 50 percent diamond. But if they exist, those planets are likely devoid of life as we know it.
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'Fool's gold' aids discovery of new options for cheap, benign solar energy

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:56:56 EST

Pyrite, better known as "fool's gold," was familiar to the ancient Romans and has fooled prospectors for centuries -- but has now helped researchers discover related compounds that offer new, cheap and promising options for solar energy. These new compounds, unlike some solar cell materials made from rare, expensive or toxic elements, would be benign and could be processed from some of the most abundant elements on Earth.
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Nanoparticle electrode for batteries could make grid-scale power storage feasible

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:19:19 EST

Researchers have used nanoparticles of a copper compound to develop a high-power battery electrode that is so inexpensive to make, so efficient and so durable that it could be used to build batteries big enough for economical large-scale energy storage on the electrical grid -- something researchers have sought for years.
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New material can enhance energy, computer, lighting technologies

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:47:47 EST

Researchers have created a new compound crystal material that promises to help produce advances in a range of scientific and technological pursuits. The material, called erbium chloride silicate, can be used to develop the next generations of computers, improve the capabilities of the Internet, increase the efficiency of silicon-based photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy, and enhance the quality of solid-state lighting and sensor technology.
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Why solar wind is rhombic-shaped: Temperature and energy equipartition in cosmic plasmas explained

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:39:39 EST

Why the temperatures in the solar wind are almost the same in certain directions, and why different energy densities are practically identical, was until now not clear. With a new approach to calculating instability criteria for plasmas, researchers have solved both problems at once. They were the first to incorporate the effects of collisions of the solar wind particles in their model. This explains experimental data significantly better than previous calculations and can also be transferred to cosmic plasmas outside our solar system.
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A light wave of innovation to advance solar energy: Researchers adapt classic antennas to harness more power from the sun

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:59:59 EST

Engineers are developing a solar panel composed of nano-antennas instead of silicon semiconductors. They say that through the use of these antennas, a much higher conversion rate from light into usable energy can be achieved -- and could lead to a more cost-effective way to harvest and utilize "green" energy.
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Engineers solve energy puzzle: How energy levels align in a critical group of advanced materials

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:10:10 EST

Materials science and engineering researchers have demonstrated for the first time the key mechanism behind how energy levels align in a critical group of advanced materials. This discovery is a significant breakthrough in the development of sustainable technologies such as dye-sensitized solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes.
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Hybrid power plants can help industry go green: Affordable solar option for power plants

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:04:04 EDT

Researchers have developed a technology that combines the conventional fuel used in today's power plants with the lower pressures and temperatures of steam produced by solar power. His new "hybrid" power plant is a potentially cost-effective and realistic way to integrate solar technology into existing power plants.
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Astrobiologists discover 'sweet spots' for the formation of complex organic molecules in the galaxy

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:00:00 EDT

Scientists have compiled years of research to help locate areas in outer space that have extreme potential for complex organic molecule formation. The scientists searched for methanol, a key ingredient in the synthesis of organic molecules that could lead to life. Their results have implications for determining the origins of molecules that spark life in the cosmos.
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Solar power could get boost from new light absorption design

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:55:55 EDT

Researchers have developed a new material that absorbs a wide range of wavelengths and could lead to more efficient and less expensive solar technology.
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Solar energy: Solar concentrator increases collection with less loss

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:55:55 EDT

Converting sunlight into electricity is not economically attractive because of the high cost of solar cells, but a recent, purely optical approach to improving luminescent solar concentrators may ease the problem, according to researchers.
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Taking the pulse of charge-separation processes: Self-organization gives rise to more efficient organic solar cells

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:14:14 EDT

Organic solar cells have the potential to convert sunlight into electrical energy in an economical and environmentally friendly fashion. The challenge is that they still work less efficiently than inorganic semiconductors. Ultrafast measurements on hybrid cells now reveal a route to double their efficiency.
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New record voltage for organic solar cells opens the tech to consumer electronics

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:15:15 EDT

Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. They have achieved and demonstrated a record voltage for organic photovoltaic cells that means these highly flexible, low cost solar cells can now be devolved for commercial uses in a wide range of consumer electronics.
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Redox flow batteries, a promising technology for renewable energies integration

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EDT

Today there is a wide variety of energy storage technologies at very different stages of development. Among them, the Redox Flow Battery (RFB) is an innovative solution based on the use of liquid electrolytes stored in tanks and pumped through a reactor to produce energy. Researchers are currently working in the development of high performance RFBs.
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Mobile electrons multiplied in quantum dot films

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated that several mobile electrons can be produced by the absorption of a single light particle in films of coupled quantum dots. These multiple electrons can be harvested in solar cells with increased efficiency.
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New Saudi Arabias of solar energy: Himalaya Mountains, Andes, Antarctica

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:35:35 EDT

Mention prime geography for generation of solar energy, and people tend to think of hot deserts. But a new study concludes that some of the world's coldest landscapes -- including the Himalaya Mountains, the Andes, and even Antarctica -- could become Saudi Arabias of solar.
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Cheaper yet efficient thin film solar cells created

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:33:33 EDT

Researchers in Singapore have exploited advanced nanostructure technology to make a highly efficient and yet cheaper silicon solar cell.
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