Solarati

Scientists have created the first silicon solar cell to achieve 25 percent efficiency following a revision of the international standard.

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Researchers have created a new material that overcomes two of the major obstacles to solar power: it absorbs all the energy contained in sunlight, and generates electrons in a way that makes them easier to capture. Chemists combined electrically conductive plastic with metals including molybdenum and titanium to create the hybrid material.

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Scientists have developed a method to stabilize the nanomorphology of organic solar cells resulting in a lifetime improvement of at least a factor 10. With these stabilized solar cells, efficiencies were achieved comparable to state-of-the-art organic solar cells. This breakthrough paves the way to commercial organic solar cells with an operational lifetime of over 5 years and efficiencies of over 10%.

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Better house envelopes, more efficient energy supply systems, and use of biofuels for heating buildings would reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Europe. Buildings account for 36% of Sweden?s energy consumption, and many homes are still heated with electricity. Existing houses therefore have a key role to play in reducing the use of electricity in Sweden.

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Nanotechnologies can be used to develop sustainable energy systems while reducing the harmful effects of fossil fuels as they are gradually phased out over the next century. This optimistic scenario is coming closer to reality as new technologies such as biomimetics and Dye Sensitized solar Cells (DSCs) emerge with great promise for capturing or storing solar energy, and nanocatalysis develops efficient catalysts for energy-saving industrial processes. Europe is ready to accelerate development of these technologies, as delegates heard at a recent conference, Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy.

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Researchers are hoping to achieve higher solar cell efficiency involves using special coatings on solar cells that split light into colors like blue and red, which scientists estimate will increase efficiency by 50 percent.

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Engineers have just developed one of the world?s most advanced Smart Electricity Meters. The smart meter monitors energy consumption, giving information not just through a traditional power reading, but in a user-friendly way by displaying animated graphics of money on a large clear screen on the meter.

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