Two companies are being recognized by a trade association for overcoming obstacles to build an expensive geothermal power plant in Utah. The Geothermal Energy Association is giving an award to developer ENEL Green Power North America and manufacturer Ormat Technologies Inc. for taking over the old Cove Fort power plant site north of Beaver. It […]
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Solar Cell Degradation Observed Directly for the First Time
With the help of DESY’s X-ray light source PETRA III, researchers of Technische Universität München have, for the first time, watched organic solar cells degrade in real time. This work could open new approaches to increasing the stability of this highly promising type of solar cell. The team headed by Prof. Peter Müller-Buschbaum from the […]
Triboelectric Generators Capture Wasted Power
With one stomp of his foot, Zhong Lin Wang illuminates a thousand LED bulbs – with no batteries or power cord. The current comes from essentially the same source as that tiny spark that jumps from a fingertip to a doorknob when you walk across carpet on a cold, dry day. Wang and his research […]
Research team finds way to make solar cells thin, efficient and flexible
Converting sunshine into electricity is not difficult, but doing so efficiently and on a large scale is one of the reasons why people still rely on the electric grid and not a national solar cell network. But a team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Central Florida in […]
A New Way to Make Solar Cells Thin, Efficient & Flexible
Converting sunshine into electricity is not difficult, but doing so efficiently and on a large scale is one of the reasons why people still rely on the electric grid and not a national solar cell network. But a team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Central Florida in […]
Researchers Develop World’s Highest Quantum Efficiency UV Photodetectors
Researchers from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed the world’s highest quantum efficiency ultraviolet (UV) photodetector, an advance in technology that could aid in the detection of missiles and chemical and biological threats. The development of UV photodetectors has been driven by numerous applications in the defense, commercial, and scientific […]
Molex & University of Illinois Support Etho Team in China Solar Decathlon 2013
Etho passive solar home design features geo-thermal mechanical system, solar PV arrays, Molex VLM lighting and a home automation system that monitors net-zero achievements developed by UIUC Molex Incorporated and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (UIUC) partnered to support the Etho Team in the China Solar Decathlon 2013, August 2-13, Datong, China. The […]
Eco-Friendly Construction Giant Faces Attacks
An eco-friendly building rating system that has powered a green arms race across the nation now faces a challenge from policymakers and an upstart rival. LEED, the longstanding king of green construction and renovation projects, has become a de facto brand in cities such as Portland, Ore., where sustainable growth has been the rage for […]
Electricity from Waste Heat with More Efficient Materials
Thermoelectric materials can convert waste heat directly into electricity. Tommi Tynell, M.Sc. (Tech.), who is a doctoral candidate at the Aalto University School of Chemical Technology, has developed hybrid thermoelectric materials which combine useful properties from different types of materials. He found that by adding organic layers between layers of zinc it is possible to […]
Obama to Feds: Boost Renewable Power 20 Percent
Saying the government should lead by example, President Barack Obama is ordering the federal government to nearly triple its use of renewable sources for electricity by 2020. Obama says the plan to use renewables for 20 percent of electricity needs will help reduce pollution that causes global warming, promote American energy independence and boost domestic […]