'Sea urchin'-shaped nanostructures grown in the lab

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers have succeeded in growing sea-urchin shaped nanostructures from minute balls of polystyrene beads using a simple electrochemical process. The spines of the sea urchin consist of zinc oxide nanowires. The structured surface should help increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices. Here »

Graphene organic photovoltaics: Flexible material only a few atoms thick may offer cheap solar power

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT

A research team has produced flexible transparent carbon atom films that the researchers say have great potential for a new breed of solar cells. Here »

Charging up electric car batteries in environmentally-friendly way

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Electromobility makes sense only if car batteries are charged using electricity from renewable energy sources. But the supply of green electricity is not always adequate. An intelligent charging station can help, by adapting the recharging times to suit energy supply and network capacity. Here »

Quantum entanglement in photosynthesis and evolution

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Recently, academic debate has been swirling around the existence of unusual quantum mechanical effects in the most ubiquitous of phenomena, including photosynthesis, the process by which organisms convert light into chemical energy. In a new paper, these ideas are put to the test. Here »

Breakthrough in thin-film solar cells: New insights into the indium/gallium puzzle

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Scientists have made a major breakthrough in their search for more efficient thin-film solar cells. Computer simulations designed to investigate the so-called indium/gallium puzzle have highlighted a new way of increasing the efficiency of CIGS thin-film solar cells. Here »

Reports detail global investment and other trends in green energy

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Investment in green energy in China, most notable in wind energy, leapt 53 per cent in 2009, bucking a trend during the recession that saw global investments dip 7 per cent overall from 2008 levels. However, if spending on solar water heaters (now used in 70 million world households) and total installation costs for rooftop solar were included, renewables investment worldwide increased last year. Here »

Energy yield of ‘cheap’ solar panels raised from 7 to 9 percent

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Researchers have shown how the energy yield of relatively cheap solar panels, made of amorphous silicon, can be considerably raised: from around 7 percent to 9 percent. Here »

Renewables account for 62 percent of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU in 2009

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The "Renewable Energy Snapshots" report, published by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, shows that renewable energy sources accounted for 62 percent of the new electricity generation capacity installed in the EU27 in 2009. The share rose from 57 percent in 2008. In absolute terms, renewables produced 19.9 percent of Europe's electricity consumption last year. Here »

Molecules found in blue jean and ink dyes may lead to more efficient solar cells

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Researchers have discovered a simple process -- employing molecules typically used in blue jean and ink dyes -- for building an organic framework that could lead to economical, flexible and versatile solar cells. Here »

Life of plastic solar cell jumps from hours to 8 months

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:00:00 EDT

A team of researchers has extended the operating life of an unsealed plastic solar cell, from mere hours to eight months. The team developed a longer lasting, polymer coating for the electrode. Prior to the new coating the team's plastic solar cell could only operate at high capacity for about 10 hours. Here »

Scientists discover heavenly solar music

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:00:00 EDT

Musical sounds created by longitudinal vibrations within the Sun's atmosphere, have been recorded and accurately studied for the first time by researchers, shedding light on the Sun's magnetic atmosphere. Here »

Highly efficient solar cells could result from quantum dot research

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Conventional solar cell efficiency could be increased from the current limit of 30 percent to more than 60 percent, suggests new research on semiconductor nanocrystals, or quantum dots. Here »

Towards nanowire solar cells with a 65-percent efficiency

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Researchers want to develop solar cells with an efficiency of over 65 percent by means of nanotechnology. In Southern Europe and North Africa these new solar cells can generate a substantial portion of the European demand for electricity. Here »

'Nanocoax' solves solar cell 'thick and thin' dilemma

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Researchers report developing a "nanocoax" technology that can support a highly efficient thin film solar cells. The nanocoax structures prove to be thick enough to absorb a sufficient amount of light, yet thin enough to extract current with increased efficiency. Here »

Imec significantly reduces cost of germanium-based thermophotovoltaic cells

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers have presented an improved processing technique for germanium-based thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells resulting in significant reduction of cell cost, an essential step to develop a market for thermophotovoltaic applications. The newly developed TPV cells are fabricated on germanium substrates with an optimized surface, specifically designed and manufactured for this application. Here »

Solar panels can attract breeding water insects ... but scientists propose a simple fix

Fri, 28 May 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Solar power might be nature's most plentiful and benign source of energy, but shiny dark solar cells can lure water insects away from critical breeding areas, scientists warn. Applying white grids or other methods to break up the polarized reflection of light, however, makes mayflies and other aquatic insects far less likely to deposit eggs on the panels thinking that they are water, the group discovered. Here »

Semiconductor manufacturing technique holds promise for solar energy

Mon, 24 May 2010 11:00:00 EDT

Thanks to a new semiconductor manufacturing method, the future of solar energy just got brighter. Researchers have developed a more efficient, lower-cost method of manufacturing compound semiconductors such as gallium arsenide for many electronic device applications, including solar cells. The group deposits multiple layers of the material on a single wafer, creating a layered stack of gallium arsenide thin films, then transfers one layer at a time to another substrate -- glass, plastic or silicon. Here »

Solar power manufacturing makes good business sense for governments, study finds

Fri, 21 May 2010 02:00:00 EDT

Canadian and provincial governments could spend $2.4 billion to build a large scale solar photovoltaic manufacturing plant and then give it away for free and still earn a profit in the long run, according to a financial analysis. Here »

Mapping system for photovoltaic surfaces to improve performance of solar panels

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

A group of researchers in Spain has designed a new mapping system for the study of photovoltaic surfaces. The system can detect, at the micrometric level, all the defects existing in a solar panel. This should have a significant influence on the overall performance of these photovoltaic cells. Here »

Sunlight with cooling factor

Thu, 06 May 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, using the power of the sun for refrigeration is proving to be an original energy concept. In Tunisia and Morocco, research scientists are using solar energy to keep perishable foodstuffs such as milk, wine and fruit fresh. Here »

Storing green electricity as natural gas

Wed, 05 May 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Renewable electricity can be transformed into a substitute for natural gas. Until now, electricity was generated from gas. Now, a German-Austrian cooperation wants to go in the opposite direction. In the future, these researchers and entrepreneurs would like to store surplus electricity – such as from wind power or solar energy – as climate-neutral methane, and store it in existing gas storage facilities and the natural gas network. Here »

Purple bacteria best for harvesting solar energy

Wed, 05 May 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Purple bacteria seem to have the best structural solution for harvesting solar energy. A physicist thinks its cellular arrangement could be adapted for use in solar panels and other energy conversion devices to offer a more efficient way to garner energy from the sun. Here »

U.S. could eliminate CO₂ emissions from coal in 20 years, experts say

Sun, 02 May 2010 11:00:00 EDT

The United States could completely stop emissions of carbon dioxide from coal-fired electric power plants -- a crucial step for controlling global warming -- within 20 years by using technology that already exists or could be commercially available within a decade. That's the conclusion of an article by a group of scientists, engineers, and architects. Here »

Purple pokeberries hold secret to affordable solar power worldwide

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Pokeberries -- the weeds that children smash to stain their cheeks purple-red and that Civil War soldiers used to write letters home -- could be the key to spreading solar power across the globe, according to researchers. Here »

Roof Integrated Solar Energy

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Putting solar panels onto houses and offices once seemed good for the environment but a nuisance for architects. Now buildings can easily be green and beautiful, says a Spanish and German EUREKA partnership, which found a way to make photovoltaic film virtually invisible. Here »

Solar energy: Cheaper solar concentrator with fewer photovoltaic cells

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EDT

A new solar concentrator design from an electrical engineering Ph.D. student could lead to solar concentrators that are less expensive and require fewer photovoltaic cells than existing solar concentrators. Here »

House with an edible wall: Runs on sun, wind, rain and wastes

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Students and researchers are constructing a house to run on solar power, as well as harness wind, rain and the building's wastes. Its also features include an edible wall. Here »

Advance made in thin-film solar cell technology

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers have made an important breakthrough in the use of continuous flow microreactors to produce thin film absorbers for solar cells -- an innovative technology that could significantly reduce the cost of solar energy devices and reduce material waste. Here »

Engineers generate electricity by tapping into algae cells

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Engineers have generated electrical current by tapping into the electron activity in individual algae cells. Photosynthesis excites electrons, which can then be turned into an electrical current using a specially designed gold electrode. This study could be the first step toward carbon-free electricity directly from plants. Here »

Solar power in Ontario could produce almost as much power as all U.S. nuclear reactors, studies find

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:00:00 EDT

Solar power in southeastern Ontario has the potential to produce almost the same amount of power as all the nuclear reactors in the United States, according to two new studies. Here »

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