Solarati

Researchers have found irrefutable proof that the so-called avalanche effect by electrons occurs in specific, very small semiconducting crystals. This physical effect could pave the way for cheap, high-output solar cells. One possible improvement could derive from a new type of solar cell made of semiconducting nanocrystals (crystals with dimensions in the nanometre size range). In conventional solar cells, one photon (light particle) can release precisely one electron.

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Solar water heating has a massive potential to reduce households’ greenhouse gas emissions but red tape and uncertain grants mean this is almost entirely untapped, according to a new report.

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IBM researchers have achieved a breakthrough in photovoltaics technology that could significantly reduce the cost of harnessing the Sun’s power for electricity.
By mimicking the antics of a child using a magnifying glass to burn a leaf or a camper to start a fire, IBM scientists are using a large lens to concentrate the Sun’s power, [...]

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Scientists have improved the efficiency of an important type of solar cell from 21.9 to 23.2 percent (a relative improvement of 6 per cent). The efficiency improvement is achieved by the use of an ultra-thin aluminum oxide layer at the front of the cell, and it brings a breakthrough in the use of solar energy a step closer. The costs of applying the thin layer of aluminum oxide are expected to be relatively low.

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Electrical engineers have created experimental solar cells spiked with nanowires that could lead to highly efficient thin-film solar cells of the future. The new design increases the number of electrons that make it from the light-absorbing polymer to an electrode.

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Thanks to nanostructures that scatter and channel light, electrical engineers are working toward thin-film “single junction” solar cells with the potential for nearly 45 percent sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiencies. This new effort aims to break the theoretical limit of 31 percent efficiency for conventional single junction cells.

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Blackberries, blueberries, oranges and grapes — chemistry students are loading up on their fruits these days, but it has nothing to do with the food pyramid. The students are using the fruit to produce solar energy. Actually, they are using the dye from the fruit in a process to create solar cells.

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Blackberries, blueberries, oranges and grapes — chemistry students are loading up on their fruits these days, but it has nothing to do with the food pyramid. The students are using the fruit to produce solar energy. Actually, they are using the dye from the fruit in a process to create solar cells.

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ACCIONA Energy will build two thermal solar power plants (50 MW capacity each) in Palma del Río (Córdoba, southern Spain). The facilities represent an investment close to 500 million euros (about $750 Million) and their entry into service is planned for 2010. The plants will produce 244 million kilowatt-hours per annum, equivalent to the electricity [...]

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A team of students led by a chemical engineering professor are working with a New Jersey inventor to advance a new solar thermal collector. The engineering students pointed out that this is the first truly new solar thermal system in more than three decades, and the company stated that it is unique among renewable energy technologies as it is cost effective without any government subsidies.

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