ZenithSolar's 3rd Generation Solar CHP Delivers 72% Efficiency
A few days ago, the Israel-based energy company ZenithSolar has officially unveiled its 3rd generation Solar Z20. Being installed in Kibbutz Yavne in central Israel, the solar energy generator is a combined heat and power system, able to deliver 72% efficiency.
Why Old Lithium Ion Batteries Die: Ohio Researchers Find Explanations
Because they're proposed to be used in hybrid and electric cars in the near future, it's an important issue to deal with if we want to have lower maintenance costs and, generally speaking, greener batteries, because of prolonged lifetime. Some Ohio State University researchers did an experiment to see why the batteries lose their original capabilities.
Batteries As Small As Sand Grains In Development at UCLA
Yet another chapter is about to be written in the history of lithium ion batteries. Present in almost any device from earpieces to electric cars, there is a need to use them in micro- or nano-sized devices. A DARPA-funded project aims at creating the smallest lithium ion batteries ever, as small as a grain of sand.
MIT Researchers Developing Cheap Paper-Thin Solar Cells
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has recently shown the latest results of the research projects made by Italian oil company Eni, regarding paper-thin solar cells. These could be used as window covers, to harvest solar power.
Researchers Believe Zinc Batteries Could Revolutionize Electric Vehicles
According to the researchers, zinc batteries could soon revolutionize electric vehicles. Researcher John Cooper is convinced that the common metal zinc is the future of transportation. "It's a power source for refuel able electrical vehicles you can use 24/7 if you wish," Cooper said.
Oerlikon Solar to Produce Silicon Thin Film Modules at $0.70 Cents Per Watt
According to Oerlikon Solar, the new equipment will help in mass-producing low cost thin film silicon solar modules. This will be possible because of the thinner silicon layer requirements, reducing material costs.
NIF Reports Partial Achievement of Nuclear Fusion: The Real Thing Planned For 2013
The National Ignition Facility is a 3-stadiums-wide building, and a part of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, whose main interest is to make nuclear fusion possible. On Sep. 29, the $3.5 billion laser machine inside the NIF has proved the theory was right by firing its 192 laser beams on a tiny frozen hydrogen pellet, producing the fusion of some tritium and deuterium atoms.
New Quantum Dot-Enabled Solar Cells Doubling Output Current With Same Lighting Conditions
Cost-efficient and energy-efficient solar cells could be right around the corner. These so-called "third-generation" photovoltaics begin to emerge nowadays and dismiss a theory stated in 1961 by William Shockley and Hans Queisser, who showed that there is a theoretical 31 percent limitation in what regards the maximum efficiency for a single solar cell.
New Plastic Sheet From 3M Could Replace Glass in Future Thin Film Solar Cells
A new plastic film from 3M could revolutionize the way solar panels are built and seriously affect their cost-effectiveness and market share. The company says it can replace the classic glass and is more protective to solar cells than glass is, making the solar power investment worthwhile.
MIT's New Water Desalination System Powered by Solar Energy
A group of researchers from MIT's Field and Space Robotics Laboratory (FSRL) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering found a new way to combat the lack of potable water from disaster zones and remote regions.
