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This solar panel printer can make 33 feet of solar cells per minute

This solar panel printer can make 33 feet of solar cells per minute
Whatever oil and gas true believers want to think, the world is doing this solar power thing. It’s getting cheaper and cheaper to make solar panels, and the panels are getting more and more effective. For example: A team in Australia just built a gigantic printer that spits out solar cells at a rate, Gizmodo reports, of about 33 feet every minute. It’s not even particularly complicated technology, according to the researchers. [The printer system] utilizes only existing printer technology to embed polymer solar cells (also known as organic or plastic solar cells) in thin sheets of plastic or steel at a rate of ten meters per minute. This particular type of cell isn’t the most efficient, but it’s the type that lends itself to uses where you need a little flexibility — solar windows, bags, or tents, for instances. Related:  Panneaux solairesInventions

Zoom sur des films solaires autocollants | Chauffage Electrique Aterno Il sera peut-être bientôt possible de coller des cellules solaires adhésives sur nos fenêtres, téléphones portables, et sur tous les appareils susceptibles d’être alimentés par l’énergie solaire. En effet, une équipe de chercheurs au Laboratoire national des énergies renouvelables ( NRE ) a mis au point un dispositif utilisant des films solaires « détachables et applicables » sur de nombreux supports. Les scientifiques sont parvenus à mettre au point ces films autocollants en constatant que des couches de moins d’un micron d’épaisseur pouvaient être retirées du substrat d’une cellule en silicium en trempant ces dernières dans de l’eau à température ambiante. Ils ont ensuite exposés ces films à une température de 90°C pendant quelques secondes et ont observé qu’ils pouvaient être fixés sur n’importe quelle surface, puis retirés, comme des autocollants. Les chercheurs essaient désormais d’améliorer les performances de ces nouveaux films solaires autocollants.

Wilson Solar Grill Stores the Sun's Energy For Nighttime Grilling Many of us will be firing up our grills this weekend for some well-deserved barbecue time. After all, barbecuing is one of America’s greatest pastimes, but it certainly isn’t one of our most environmentally friendly. Whether you prefer charcoal, wood chips or propane, grilling releases emissions and contributes to poor air quality. Wilson’s technology harnesses the sun and stores latent heat to allow cooking times for up to an amazing twenty five hours at temperatures above 450 degrees Fahrenheit. “There are a lot of solar cookers out there,” says Wilson, “but surprisingly not many using latent-heat storage as an attribute to cook the food.” A group of MIT students are working with the technology to develop a prototype solar grill. + Solar Grill on Barbecue Lovers Via Treehugger Images ©Derek Ham

Unlocking nature's quantum engineering for efficient solar energy (Phys.org)—Quantum scale photosynthesis in biological systems which inhabit extreme environments could hold key to new designs for solar energy and nanoscale devices. Certain biological systems living in low light environments have unique protein structures for photosynthesis that use quantum dynamics to convert 100% of absorbed light into electrical charge, displaying astonishing efficiency that could lead to new understanding of renewable solar energy, suggests research published today in the journal Nature Physics. The research resolves an important mystery in the newly-emerging field of quantum biology – the origins and longevity of the quantum, wave-like properties that transport energy during the early stages of photosynthesis, phenomena unexpectedly observed in molecular complexes extracted from a variety of plants, algae and bacteria. Explore further: A new key to unlocking the mysteries of physics? Quantum turbulence

MIT creates solar cell from grass clippings A researcher at MIT, Andreas Mershin, has created solar panels from agricultural waste such as cut grass and dead leaves. In a few years, Mershin says it’ll be possible to stir some grass clippings into a bag of cheap chemicals, paint the mixture on your roof, and immediately start producing electricity. If you remember high school biology classes, you will hopefully remember a process called photosynthesis, whereby plants turn sunlight into energy. Mershin has found a process which extracts the photosynthesizing molecules, called photosystem I, from plant matter. Photosystem I contains chlorophyll, the protein that actually converts photons into a flow of electrons. These molecules are then stabilized and spread on a glass substrate that’s covered in a forest of zinc oxide nanowires and titanium dioxide “sponges.” So far so good — now time for the reality check. Read more at MIT

Solar panel roads 'could solve energy crisis' Asphalt roads and car parks would be torn up and replaced with glass solar cell panels capable of generating enough power to support local communities, under the scheme. A US firm is currently working on a prototype panel that could be embedded into existing roads, having won a $100,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation. The panels would also be covered with a mosaic of small lights, which could be illuminated to provide road markings and warning messages to drivers. They could also be embedded with heaters to keep the road clear by melting snow and ice. With each 12 ft by 12 ft panel capable of producing 7.6 kilowatt hours of power each day, the company Solar Roadways calculates that resurfacing the entire US interstate highway network would meet the country's energy needs three times over. A four-lane, one-mile stretch of road made from the panels could generate enough power for 500 homes, it claims.

This solar power system makes electricity and clean water at the same time Most solar power systems are either photovoltaic or thermal — they work by collecting either electrical energy or heat energy. And they often use up tons of water. This system, designed by engineers in Switzerland, collects both electrical and thermal energy. And it desalinates water at the same time. The High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal system — or HCPVT , which is pronounced by hiccuping and then blowing a raspberry — works on a basically the same principle as those giant fields of mirrors that concentrate sunlight at the tops of really, really tall towers. Only the HCPVT uses really small mirror facets and concentrates the energy in teeny tiny photovoltaic chips. That’s the electrical energy part. This is all about equivalent to patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time.

72 A grade 3x6 solar cell kit for DIY solar panel DIY solar cells are the cheapest way to generate electricity from the sun for small projects. Building panels from solar cells is highly educational - both electrically and mechanically - and provides days of fun in the sun for those of us who like to build for the sheer pleasure of it. They are also versatile, as you can customise your voltage/current to suit your needs in a way that is impossible with pre-assembled panels. PV cells have a rated lifetime of +20 years if they are maintained and housed correctly. We recommend that you mount the cells effectively to ensure a long lifetime, low corrosion and cracking. If you are looking for bigger installations please don't hesitate to contact us, we also have a wide range of solar panels, inverters, batteries and much more available at very competitive prices. Average Power (Watts): 1.8 W Average Current (Amps): 3.6 Amps Average Voltage (Volts): 0.55 V (up to 0.6 v in sunny conditions) Dimensions: 3 inches x 6 inches, or 80 mm by 150 mm

Green sulfur bacteria Green sulfur bacteria are nonmotile (except Chloroherpeton thalassium, which may glide)[1] and occur in spheres, rods, and spirals.[citation needed] Photosynthesis is achieved using bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c, d, or e, in addition to BChl a and chlorophyll a,[1] in chlorosomes attached to the membrane.[citation needed] They use sulfide ions, hydrogen or ferrous iron as an electron donor and the process is mediated by the type I reaction centre and Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex. Elemental sulfur deposited outside the cell may be further oxidized. By contrast, the photosynthesis in plants uses water as the electron donor and produces oxygen.[1] Chlorobium tepidum has emerged as a model organism for the group; although only 10 genomes have been sequenced, these are quite comprehensive of the family's biodiversity. A species of green sulfur bacteria has been found living near a black smoker off the coast of Mexico at a depth of 2,500 m in the Pacific Ocean. Phylogeny[edit] See also[edit]

This glass sphere might revolutionize solar power on Earth German architect André Broessel, of Rawlemon, has looked into his crystal ball and seen the future of renewable energy. In this case it’s a spherical sun-tracking solar energy-generating globe — essentially a giant glass marble on a robotic steel frame. But this marble is no toy. It concentrates both sunlight and moonlight up to 10,000 times — making its solar harvesting capabilities 35 percent more efficient than conventional dual-axis photovoltaic designs. André Broessel was a finalist in the World Technology Network Award 2013 with the globe’s design and afterward produced this latest version, called Betaray, which can concentrate diffuse light such as that from a cloudy day. André Broessel’s latest invention looks like something out of a superhero movie. In reality, though, it’s a stand-alone solar energy generator. But Broessel’s invention may be more than just aesthetically pleasing. “We can squeeze more juice out of the sun,” Broessel says. Source: NewsDiscovery

Renewable Energy and Electricity | Sustainable Energy | Renewable Energy - World Nuclear Association (Updated 24 August 2017) There is widespread popular support for using renewable energy, particularly solar and wind energy, which provide electricity without giving rise to any carbon dioxide emissions. Harnessing these for electricity depends on the cost and efficiency of the technology, which is constantly improving, thus reducing costs per peak kilowatt, and per kWh. Utilising electricity from solar and wind in a grid becomes problematical at high levels for complex but now well-demonstrated reasons. Technology to utilise the forces of nature for doing work to supply human needs is as old as the first sailing ship. As electricity demand escalated, with supply depending largely on fossil fuels plus some hydro power and then nuclear energy, concerns arose about carbon dioxide emissions contributing to possible global warming. Today we are well advanced in meeting that challenge, while also testing the practical limits of doing so. Demand for clean energy Rivers and hydro electricity

Les panneaux solaires chinois taxés à 47% Mise à jour du 12/06/2013 : La Commission européenne a finalement décidé de mettre en oeuvre des droits anti-dumping provisoires de 11% pendant 2 mois sur les panneaux solaires photovoltaïques chinois. Cette mesure « transitoire » servira à éviter une éventuelle rupture d’approvisionnement. Par contre, la taxe sera bien portée à 47% dès le 6 août 2013. Bruxelles a déclaré une guerre commerciale à la Chine : après une vaste enquête sur les pratiques de la Chine jugées anticoncurrentielles, la Commission a en effet proposé aux 27 pays membres de l’Union de taxer de manière temporaire les importations de panneaux solaires chinois à hauteur de 47% en moyenne ! Cette mesure sera soumise aux députés européens qui devraient la voter d’ici la fin du mois. Cette proposition est née pour faire face à l’importance de la Chine sur le secteur solaire en Europe. Une bataille difficile C’est une bataille difficile que s’apprête à mener Bruxelles puisque la Chine est son deuxième partenaire commercial.

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New additive offers near-perfect results as nucleating agent for organic semiconductors (Phys.org) —Pixie dust may be the stuff of fanciful fiction, but for scientists at UC Santa Barbara's Department of Materials, a commonly used sugar-based additive has been found to have properties that are near magical. By adding minute amounts of it during the fabrication of organic semiconductors, they have been able to dramatically increase yield and control crystallization, which could, in the near future, make the technology not only cheaper and more accessible, but also enhance its performance. Results of their study are published in the recent issue of the journal Nature Materials. "We have developed a new method to utilize low-cost, environmentally friendly materials from the commodity chemical industry to control the performance of organic semiconductors," said Michael Chabinyc, associate professor of materials. "The electrical properties of organic semiconductors depend critically on the way in which molecules pack together—the crystallinity.

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