Inexpensive hydrogen for automotive or jet fuel may be possible by mimicking photosynthesis, according to a Penn State materials chemist, but a number of problems need to be solved first. "We are focused on the hardest way to make fuel," said Thomas Mallouk, Evan Pugh Professor of Materials Chemistry and Physics. "We are … Continue reading
Solar cells are made from semiconductors whose ability to respond to light is determined by their band gaps (energy gaps). Different colors have different energies, and no single semiconductor has a band gap that can respond to sunlight's full range, from low-energy infrared through visible light to high-energy … Continue reading
Ultra-thin solar cells can absorb sunlight more efficiently than the thicker, more expensive-to-make silicon cells used today, because light behaves differently at scales around a nanometer (a billionth of a meter), say Stanford engineers. They calculate that by properly configuring the thicknesses of several thin layers of … Continue reading
Empa 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. Processes which … Continue reading
It has never been easier to change your electricity provider to a green power supply. Nevertheless, there are degrees of green power, and you can normally choose between a mixture of regular and green and 100% renewable energy. No matter what your ethics are with regard to the source of the power you use, its price will … Continue reading
Many households are considering of converting their home energy to be solar powered for the purpose of cutting down their electricity bills while saving our planet with this environmental friendly power source. But, not many are taking their action to make the real conversion to a solar-powered home because they are still … Continue reading
Offering a view of the garden and an adjacent field, it looks like any other window. But this window offers an additional feature: it also produces electricity. The facades of the house, too, harness solar energy to supply the occupants with electrical power. This is what the domestic power supply of the future could look … Continue reading
Sunflowers track the sun as it moves from east to west. But people usually have to convert sunlight into electricity or heat to put its power to use. Now, a team of University of Florida chemists is the latest to report a new mechanism to transform light straight into motion – albeit at a very, very, very tiny … Continue reading
Solar electricity has a bright future: It is renewable and available in unlimited quantities, and it does not produce any gases detrimental to the climate. Its only drawback right now is the price: the electric power currently being produced by solar cells in northern Europe must be subsidised if it is to compete against … Continue reading
A concentration solar power module that produces heat, cold and electricity and that can be integrated to facades or building roofs constitutes the new patent obtained by the University of Lleida. This system has been developed by Daniel Chemisana, member of the research group in Agrometeorology and Energy for … Continue reading