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Yearly Archives: 2010
Google Improving Mirror Technology For Making Solar Concentrators 2x Cheaper
Besides its search engine activities, Google focused on producing alternative energy technologies, or improving the existing ones. So is the case now, when Google developed a new mirror technology that could help solar companies like eSolar or BrightSource make cheaper and better solar thermal plants.
BPP Backpack Hydroelectric Generator Provides Up to 500W of Mobile Power
The Bourne Energy company, located in California, has developed a human-portable hydroelectric generator that produces up to 500W of renewable energy and weighs about 30 pounds. The Backpack Power Plant (BPP) can generate clean energy from any stream deeper than 4 feet.
European Countries To Hit Renewable Energy Targets by 2020
The analysis, which assessed all forms of renewable energy, found that while 13 of the 27 European Union (EU) countries are going to meet their targets for renewable energy capacity, 8 are set to exceed it and the remaining 6 are expected to fall short.
Nanotube Ink-Treated Office Paper Could Make Batteries More Potent
Yi Cui, a researcher from Stanford and his team have succeeded making office paper into an electrode by dipping it into nanotube ink. The resulted dipped paper becomes a strong, flexible and highly conductive material that could be incorporated into lightweight batteries or serving as an electrode in high-energy ultracapacitors. The nanotube-treated paper can store much more energy than classic batteries.
MIESC's Printable Battery at International Rechargeable Battery Expo
Printable batteries have long been sought after, but only recently scientists have been able to figure out a way to make them in a viable technological process. Mie Industry Enterprise Support Center (MIESC) has built a prototype lithium storage battery in the form of a sheet, by using only printing technology.
PlanetSolar: The World's Biggest Solar-Powered Multi-Hull Vessel Released
The world's biggest vessel powered entirely by solar energy has been unveiled in Germany. Measuring about 31m in length, the new catamaran called PlanetSolar is able to achieve a top speed of about 25 km/h (15 knots) and can carry 50 people.
Bacteria Colony Reacts with Seawater and Mud to Produce Electricity
Until now, scientists haven't been able to provide the reasons of just how bacteria generate electric networks that serve as long distance communication systems. They have known just that it can produce electric energy when mixed with seawater and mud, leading to the development of microbial fuel cells.
Hertz Car Rental Service Using Electric Nissan LEAF in Their Future Offer
Hertz, a worldwide car hire company, plans to buy electric cars and make them available for renting in Europe and the U.S. within the next two years. Teaming up with Nissan, they will start their electric car hire service with LEAF, Nissan's first electric car available to the public.
IBM's Efficient Thin Film Solar Cell Made of Cheap Materials
They managed to increase the efficiency with almost 40% of their solar cells, from 6,7 percent to 9,6 percent. To reduce even more the costs, these solar cells are build with an inexpensive ink-based process.
New Flexible Silicon Solar Cells Use 99 % Less Material With Same Efficiency
CalTech researchers discovered a new way to make silicon solar cells that not only use 1 percent of the material needed to make conventional cells, but which are also thin and flexible, making them suitable for a much larger palette of uses in all kinds of applications. And let's not mention the fact that the price will be considerably lower, respectively.
