Solarati

A six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat is being developed to gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A six-inch robotic spy plane modeled after a bat is being developed to gather data from sights, sounds and smells in urban combat zones and transmit information back to a soldier in real time.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

A cheap alternative to silicon solar cells can be found in dye-sensitized solar cells. This type of cell imitates the natural conversion of sunlight into energy by, for instance, plants and light-sensitive bacteria. Researchers have now succeeded in substantially improving a process in this type of solar cell, which is similar to Graetzel cells.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Researchers report an advance toward the next generation of plastic solar cells, which are widely heralded as a low cost, environmentally-friendly alternative to inorganic solar cells for meeting rising energy demands. Plastic solar cells, fabricated from bulk heterojunction materials comprising semiconducting polymers and fullerenes, have already demonstrated promising performance.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Learning how to control the movement of electrons on the molecular and nanometer scales could help scientists devise small-scale circuits for many applications, including more efficient ways of storing and using solar energy. A theoretical chemist has been researching theoretical techniques used to understand the factors affecting electron movement.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Researchers are developing a new, eco-friendly technology that could generate as much electricity as 50 wind farms. They are investigating ways of painting solar cells onto the flexible steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Steel forged railroads, skyscrapers and the automobile industry. Now it may help solar energy become cheaper and more widely available. Scientists now report an advance in replacing the single most expensive component of a cutting-edge family of solar cells with less costly material. These so-called “nanostructured dye solar cells (DSCs)” are a relatively new family of photovoltaic devices. Their simple manufacturing methods are hoped to lead to lower production costs compared to conventional solar cells. Traditionally, DSCs are deposited on conductively coated glass sheets which accounts for more than 30 percent of the material costs.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Scientists have developed new sensitizers that should help an inexpensive type of solar cell to be more efficient. The sensitizers are based on the dye indoline.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites