Solarati

Engineers in Spain have developed an algorithm that can optimize hybrid electricity generation systems through combined use of renewable energies, such as photovoltaic and wind power, and non-renewables, such as diesel. Their study envisions storing the energy in batteries or hydrogen tanks.

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Researchers have shed light on a basic process that could improve future solar cells. They have now directly measured the rate of hole transfer between identical porphyrin compounds in their ground states. These results are key to understanding the fundamental processes underlying charge separation and have applications for improving the efficiency of solar cells.

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Scientists have induced electrons in the nanocrystals of semiconductors to cool more slowly by forcing them into a smaller volume. This has the potential to improve satellite communications and the generation of solar power. Slowing down the cooling of these electrons — in this case, by more than 30 times — could lead to a better infrared laser source and increase the bandwidth of communication satellites. It also could lead to more efficient photovoltaic devices.

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Researchers in China and Switzerland are reporting the highest efficiency ever for a promising new genre of solar cells, which many scientists think offer the best hope for making the sun a mainstay source of energy in the future. The photovoltaic cells, called dye-sensitized solar cells or Gr?tzel cells, could expand the use of solar energy for homes, businesses, and other practical applications, the scientists say.

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Scientists are developing composite materials based on semiconductor nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes for use in efficient light emitting diodes and photovoltaic devices.

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Some of the tiniest solar cells ever built have been successfully tested as a power source for even tinier microscopic machines — for example, an inch-long array of 20 of these cells, each one about a quarter the size of a lowercase “o” in a standard 12-point font.

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Researchers have developed a measurement technique that will help scientists and companies map nanomaterials as they grow. The discovery could help create superior nanotechnologies and lead to the development of more efficient solar panels and increased magnetic data storage.

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Researchers have discovered and demonstrated a new method for overcoming two major hurdles facing solar energy. By developing a new antireflective coating that boosts the amount of sunlight captured by solar panels and allows those panels to absorb the entire solar spectrum from nearly any angle, the research team has moved academia and industry closer to realizing high-efficiency, cost-effective solar power.

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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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