New Nano-Hybrid Capacitors Can Store Much More Energy Than Normal Ones
Nippon Chemi-Con Corp has been developing a new type of capacitors called "nano-hybrid capacitor" and plans to launch the first samples on the market by April 2011. These new capacitors generation will be introduced as replacement to the normal electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) and will have an energy density several times higher than that of a EDLC.
Wide-Band Solar Cell Harvests Ultraviolet, Visible and Infrared Light
A group of Japanese researchers led by Saki Sonoda, associate professor at the Kyoto Institute of Technology, have built a prototype of a solar cell that can harvest ultraviolet, visible and infrared light as well. This wide-band solar cell could offer tremendous increases in efficiency.
Efficiently-Arranged Vertical Axis Wind Turbines Could Offer 2 Times The Power of Classic Ones
It looks like the CalTech guys are not the only ones involved in such inventions, as a company called "Wind Harvest International" says they can double the ourput of large horizontal axis wind farms by placing one-megawatt VAWTs between them, in a way that would boost their power output.
NREL Building PDIL: Six Automated Robots Helping Solar Industry's R&D
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has built a robot that will help the R&D of thin film solar cells, analyzing possible defects faster and more accurate than any other existing system. It is called the PDIL (Process Development and Integration Laboratory).
Harvesting Energy From Small Vibrations for Use in Pacemakers and Implants
University of Michigan researchers, at their Engineering Research Center for Wireless Integrated Microsystems, have just created highly efficient some energy-harvesting devices that use the energy from surrounding arbitrary, non-periodic vibrations.
New Quaternary Semiconductor Alloy Could Gear Up Development of Solar Cells
Cun-Zeng Ning and Alian Pan, from Arizona State University, have discovered and fabricated the first quaternary semiconductor nanowire materials, by alloying two binary semiconductors (ZnS + CdSe) - Zinc Sulfide and Cadmium Selenide, and obtained ZnCdSSe.
Zinc Oxide Crystal Acting as Piezoelectric Material To Get Hydrogen From Water
A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have just discovered that crystals of zinc oxide, if submerged, absorb its vibrations and act like a piezoelectric material, developing areas of strong negative and positive charges.
First Solar Signs Agreements With Major Energy Utilities to Provide Solar Power
First Solar Inc. has recently announced that it will start working on a huge photovoltaic project called Desert Sunlight in Southern California. The facility will produce 550 MW from solar power, of which 300 MW will be sold to California's Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and 250 MW to Southern California Edison (SCE).
Stolen Electrons from Green Alga Demonstrate New Kind of Organic Solar Cells
WonHyoung Ryu at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, working with overseas colleagues from Stanford, found an interesting way of hybridization between a green alga, Chlamydomonas, and gold nanowires, to directly collect the electrons produced through photosynthesis by the plant.
North Carolina to Have 100% of Its Power Coming from Off-Shore Wind Turbines
According to a new study made by the University of North Carolina (UNC), the North Carolina state could have 100% of its power coming...
