http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/solar_energy/ Solar Energy Information. Read the latest news and techniques for efficient solar photovoltaic power, new solar energy systems and more. en-us Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:05:01 EDT Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/solar_energy/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171250.htm Researchers have developed a successful way to grow molecular wire brushes that conduct electrical charges, a first step in developing biological fuel cells that could power pacemakers, cochlear implants and prosthetic limbs. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612122011.htm Engineering researchers in Canada have developed a tiling technique to create flexible solar cell panels. It is being tested on the curved roof of a campus bus shelter to power interior lighting. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612122011.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142400.htm Researchers have developed an "electronic glue" that could accelerate advances in semiconductor-based technologies, including solar cells and thermoelectric devices that convert sun light and waste heat, respectively, into useful electrical energy. Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616103217.htm How much usable energy do wind turbines produce? It is a question that perplexes engineers and frustrates potential users, especially on windless days. A new study provides a formula for answering this vexing question. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616103217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610161004.htm If solar cells were transparent, they could be fitted to windows and building facades. Physical modeling helps in the development of suitable materials for transparent electronics and thus in creating the basis for transparent solar cells. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610161004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605091856.htm Not a plant to be seen, the desert ground is too dry. But the air contains water, and research scientists have found a way of obtaining drinking water from air humidity. The system is based completely on renewable energy and is therefore autonomous. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605091856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605171242.htm A transparent thin film barrier used to protect flat panel TVs from moisture could become the basis for flexible solar panels that would be installed on roofs like shingles. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090605171242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529185935.htm A newly built "Cliffs Cottage" has all the latest technological innovations in sustainable living. Geothermal heating and cooling, two solar technologies, bamboo floors, furniture made from reclaimed wood, even cisterns that collect rainwater from the roof. The home has 3,400 square feet, but is so energy efficient that it can be heated and cooled for less than $75 a month. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529185935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529074958.htm 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 subsidized if it is to compete against the household electricity generated by traditional power plants. Researchers are demonstrating how laser technology can contribute to optimizing the manufacturing costs and efficiency of solar cells. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090529074958.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518103223.htm Cost is one of the main disadvantages of the use of renewable energies. Researchers are aiming to make the development of efficient solar panels easier and cheaper. They propose the use of more economic synthesis methods using sulphur-based compounds (chalcopyrites) as an alternative to the ones used up until now. Thu, 21 May 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518103223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505202912.htm A new concentration solar power module that produces heat, cold and electricity can be integrated to façades or building roofs. Tue, 12 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505202912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507173706.htm America's power grid today resembles the country's canal system of the 19th Century. A marvel of engineering for its time, the canal system eventually could not keep pace with the growing demands of transcontinental transportation. Fri, 08 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090507173706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427102235.htm Solar energy has the potential to improve the living conditions of poor rural households in India as well as contribute to the country's future energy security, according to an expert. A new study, looking at the benefits of solar lanterns on livelihoods of village communities, as well as sustainable use of the environment, has just been published. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427102235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424074208.htm Danish researchers have connected a polymer solar cell plant to an electrical grid in a successful world-first demonstration of how the promising renewable energy technology can be integrated into power systems. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424074208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409151444.htm In the race to renewable energy, organic solar cells are now really starting to take off. They can be manufactured easily and cheaply, they have low environmental impact, and since they are compatible with flexible substrates, they could be used in many applications such as packaging, clothing, flexible screens, or for recharging cell phones and laptops. Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409151444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408145556.htm Engineers have discovered a way to use an ancient life form to create one of the newest technologies for solar energy, in systems that may be surprisingly simple to build compared to existing silicon-based solar cells. The secret: diatoms. Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408145556.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324171552.htm Using two different types of chemical etching to create features at both the micron and nanometer size scales, researchers have developed a surface treatment that boosts the light absorption of silicon photovoltaic cells in two complementary ways. Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324171552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090320173859.htm Scientists have developed new systems for storing electrical energy derived from alternative sources that are, in some cases, 10 times more efficient than what is commercially available. Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090320173859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090320173135.htm Researchers find great promise in a process that could use solar energy to use hydrogen, the third most abundant element on earth's surface, as the ultimate alternative to fossil fuels. This process increase dramatically the efficiency of titania photoanodes used to convert solar energy into hydrogen in fuel cells. Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090320173135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313171318.htm Researchers have created a metamaterial that could light the way toward high-powered optics, ultra-efficient solar cells and even cloaking devices. Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313171318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311124022.htm The concept of delaying global warming by adding particles into the upper atmosphere to cool the climate could unintentionally reduce peak electricity generated by large solar power plants by as much as one-fifth, according to a new study. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311124022.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309105021.htm An analysis of the engineering and economics for a solar water-heating system shows it to have a payback period of just two years. Researchers report on the success of the 1000-liter system operating at a university hostel. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309105021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311103646.htm Through photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars they use for fuel. Scientists want to create an artificial version of photosynthesis to produce liquid fuels for transportation. Chemists have taken an important step towards this goal with the discovery that cobalt oxide nanocrystals can effectively carry out the critical photosynthetic reaction of splitting water molecules. Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090311103646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303082819.htm Chemists have grown a titanium nanostructure that delivers a 33 percent gain in power-collecting efficiency. Part catalyst and part conductor, the novel material could serve clean power applications like water-splitting, where a titanium catalyst has been shown to separate and store hydrogen and oxygen gases. Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303082819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090219152130.htm Researchers report that records from a decade's worth of solar power installations indicate that overall costs have declined significantly because of decreases in associated expenses such as labor and overhead -- most likely because of federal, state, and local support for solar photovoltaic systems. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090219152130.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225161420.htm The ability of plants to turn sunlight into energy through photosynthesis has been successfully mimicked by scientists to produce a new generation of solar cells. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225161420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226082350.htm With a new 3D-model for energy simulation scientists are studying the 'physical mystery' of the Voyager spacecraft. Over 30 years ago the spacecraft detected particles in solar wind which were 'hotter' than they should have been according to the existing theory expounded by the mathematician Andrey Kolmogorov in 1941. Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226082350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225223324.htm Scientists have engineered an approach that is leading to improved performance of plastic solar cells (hybrid organic solar cells). Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225223324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218091939.htm Solar cells today are made from expensive materials such as crystalline silicon or exotic thin films of rare elements like cadmium and tellurium. A new study finds that unconventional solar cell materials, such as iron pyrite -- fool's gold -- may be a better deal if photovoltaics are expected to meet energy demands of the future. These materials are more abundant and cheaper to extract, which can offset their somewhat lower efficiency. Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218091939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218095842.htm Diamond-like carbon films are helping probe the far boundaries of the solar system as part of a NASA mission to study how the sun's solar wind interacts with the interstellar medium -- the matter that exists between the stars within a galaxy. Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218095842.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090210125531.htm Scientists have shown that carrier multiplication -- when a photon creates multiple electrons -- is a real phenomenon in tiny semiconductor crystals and not a false observation born of extraneous effects that mimic carrier multiplication. The research shows the possibility of solar cells that create more than one unit of energy per photon. Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090210125531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090210134817.htm Dispersed wind farms and solar panels on people’s homes are posing new challenges for managing power grids that were designed when all electricity was generated in centralized plants. A new semantic web technology promises a solution. Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090210134817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212112736.htm Japanese researchers have developed a new process to capture light energy -- they "plug" a molecular "wire" directly into a biological photosynthetic system to efficiently conduct the free electrons to a gold electrode. Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212112736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204170548.htm The discovery that butterfly wings have scales that act as tiny solar collectors has led scientists in China and Japan to design a more efficient solar cell that could be used for powering homes, businesses, and other applications in the future. Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204170548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121215012.htm Researchers are developing plastic solar cells for portable electronic devices. The prototype, a cell measuring eight square inches (50 square centimeters), is expected to achieve 8 percent efficiency and to have a lifetime of at least three years. Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121215012.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093351.htm 'Smart' fridges that run on renewable electricity and are capable of negotiating the most energy efficient way to keep food cold have been developed by researchers in Australia. Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090115164518.htm Inexpensive solar cells, vastly improved medical imaging techniques and lighter more flexible television screens are among the potential applications envisioned for organic electronics. Recent experiments may bring these closer thanks to new insights into ways molecules absorb and move energy. Sun, 18 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090115164518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090107092724.htm A way to make wind power smoother and more efficient that exploits the inertia of a wind turbine rotor could help solve the problem of wind speed variation, according to new research. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090107092724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223172705.htm Deriving plentiful electricity from sunlight at a modest cost is a challenge with immense implications for energy, technology and climate policy. A new article describes a relatively new approach to solar cells: lacing them with nanoscopic metal particles. The method helps solar cells harvest light more efficiently. Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223172705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210171908.htm Biofuels, nuclear energy and coal are the worst choices for energy alternatives to petroleum products and wind, solar, geothermal, tides and waves are the best, according to results from the first quantitative, scientific evaluation of the proposed, major, energy-related solutions that assesses not only their potential for delivering energy for electricity and vehicles, but also their impacts on global warming, human health, energy security, water supply, space requirements, wildlife, water pollution, reliability and sustainability. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210171908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124165132.htm New ways of squeezing out greater efficiency from solar photovoltaic cells are emerging from computer simulations and lab tests conducted by a team of physicists and engineers. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124165132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201101151.htm Scientists are working toward a biofuel-driven, zero-carbon home energy system. It works by burning vegetable oil to power a generator and provide electricity for the home. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201101151.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126133435.htm Currently solar cells are difficult to handle, expensive to purchase and complicated to install. The hope is that consumers will one day be able to buy solar cells from their local hardware store and simply hang them like posters on a wall. A recent study has shown that the dream is one step closer to reality. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126133435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118161601.htm Researchers have shed light on a basic process that could improve future solar cells. They have now directly measured the rate of hole transfer between identical porphyrin compounds in their ground states. These results are key to understanding the fundamental processes underlying charge separation and have applications for improving the efficiency of solar cells. Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118161601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126091621.htm Scientists from leading European research institutions in the field of solar-to-fuel energy conversion call for unified action and substantial support for novel clean fuel technologies as well as a paradigm change in Europe's current energy policy. This is crucial if Europe is to maintain its environmental stability and economic development. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126091621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120162704.htm Scientists have developed photovoltaic multi-junction solar cells which are able to convert 39.7% of the energy of sun light into electricity. This is the highest percentage ever reached in Europe, according to researchers. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081120162704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119171324.htm Scientists have made electronics that can bend. They've made electronics that can stretch. And now, they've reached the ultimate goal -- electronics that can be subjected to any complex deformation, including twisting. Researchers have improved their so-called "pop-up" technology to create circuits that can be twisted. Such electronics could be used in places where flat, unbending electronics would fail, like on the human body. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119171324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113111343.htm Engineers in Spain have developed an algorithm that can optimize hybrid electricity generation systems through combined use of renewable energies, such as photovoltaic and wind power, and non-renewables, such as diesel. Their study envisions storing the energy in batteries or hydrogen tanks. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081113111343.htm