Smartphones may feel glued to our hands, but the next leap in convenience could be power that moves with us—built right into what we wear. Think jacket fibers that harvest sunlight or a watchband that tops up on a stroll. Researchers outline a new approach to flexible, fabric-integrated rechargeable batteries in a paper in the ACS journal Nano Letters, pointing to a future where wearables spend less time tied
Researchers in Germany have developed bio-based photovoltaic solar cells by embedding the two proteins from plants responsible for photosynthesis into complex molecules developed in-house. The proteins used are photosystem 1 and 2. This procedure created an efficient electron current. In leaves, photosystems 1 and 2 utilize light energy very efficiently. Converting carbon dioxide into oxygen and biomass requires this high level of efficiency. However, the bio-based solar cell developed by
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Energy Projects reports that in October 2013, almost all newly added U.S. power capacity came from renewables. Solar, biomass, and wind projects together brought 694 MW online—99.3% of the 699 MW installed that month—while oil-fired generation contributed the remaining 5 MW. Breaking it down: twelve solar facilities accounted for 504 MW (72.1% of new capacity), four biomass projects added 124 MW (17.7%),
According to the International Energy Agency, China is the number one country for renewable energy production. Their current course of renewable energy expansion is projected to surpass the European Union, the United States, and Japan combined. The IEA released its annual World Energy Outlook on Tuesday. The report predicted that China will account for nearly half of the increased global power generation by 2035. Meeting this
For many years scientists and engineers have been trying to provide low-cost solar energy by developing a cheap solar cell that is both highly efficient and at the same time simple to build, enabling it to be mass produced. Now, the team led by Empa researcher Ayodhya N. Tiwari has made a major leap forward: the researchers are presenting a new manufacturing technique for CIGS solar cells, in which tiny
Wednesday brought significant change to the residents of a remote Norwegian village of Rjukan as the ingenious solar mirror system designed to bring natural light to their mountain valley was unveiled. The valley is plagued with darkness for six months every year. They hope that these three giant mirrors will change that. Hundreds of villagers attended the unveiling, proudly sporting sunglasses as they sought to catch the first rays
Producing hot water using solar panels is standard practice. However, researchers from Madrid Universities Carlos III and Politecnica hypothesize that solar panels may be capable of providing large offices with both heat and air conditioning. The researchers intend to incorporate solar collectors into a gas-based cogeneration system with an absorption machine. This method will reduce energy expenditure and CO2 emissions if the project succeeds. This idea isn't wholly new.
Solar power thrives in sunny climates, but what happens when winter blankets panels in snow? That’s the question Michigan Technological University’s Keweenaw Research Center (KRC) is tackling in a new two-year research effort. The project aims to measure how snowfall influences photovoltaic output and to identify practical strategies to reduce snow-related energy losses. To study the problem, international engineering firm DNV GL has installed a test bed of solar
Harvard Business School’s new executive education building, Tata Hall, now hosts an 80-kilowatt rooftop solar array. Massachusetts-based Solect Energy Development, LLC designed and installed the system, which uses ET Solar AC modules paired with SolarBridge microinverters. The project advances Harvard University’s sustainability pledge to cut campus greenhouse-gas emissions by 30% from 2006 levels by 2016, while accounting for continued growth. Read More in Solardaily.com
A new and promising technological advancement used to monitor the environment and even conduct surveillance is small robotic birds. But, for all the promise these little marvels show, there is one significant drawback that their creators struggle to overcome, which is the amount of time the little birds can keep themselves airborne. The birds are lightweight and relatively small, allowing little room and resources for a robust battery or
