Cevital Planning to Build $8 Billion Solar Power Complex in Sunny Algeria
Cevital, one of Algeria's largest private companies, is seeking foreign investors to help build an $8 billion solar power complex to export renewable energy to Europe.
Solar Panels Glare Could Create Negative Chain Effects for Surrounding Ecosystems, Researchers Say
We have to realize that we're not alone on Earth and that our actions compete with those of the (other) animals, and while we're seeking to make our lives more and more unnaturally comfortable, we destroy the very ecosystems that sustain our growth. Such can be the case with the light that solar panels reflect, as Michigan State University scientists say.
Irish Company Proposes Alternative Energy Backup Systems for Mobile Telephony Operators
Cinergy, an Irish company, wants to equip cell phone companies in developing countries with alternative energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels. Because in countries like Africa, Asia and Latin America mobile networks are expanding quickly, the local power grids often don't keep up with the loads and the operators need diesel backup generators.
New Layering Technology Makes Ultra-Efficient Solar Cells Available Not Only for Satellites
Silicon is hardly the most efficient material for use in solar cells, but it is used because it's cheaper to make silicon solar cells. Gallium arsenide, for example, is a much more efficient semiconductor than silicon, but has a high manufacturing cost. Now, a team of scientists from the University of Illionis, devised a technology that builds gallium arsenide solar cells in a much cheaper fashion, making them more cost-efficient.
Close Competition for Most Efficient Concentrator Solar Cells from U.S.-Based Spire Corporation
Spire Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Spire Corporation based in Massachusetts, has announced that they have matched world's record 41.1 efficiency for a concentrator solar cell (the sources don't mention it, but that's probably the one achieved by Fraunhofer researchers we talked about a week ago).
HP Developing Flexible Solar-Powered Wristwatch For The U.S. Army
HP has started the development of a next-generation wristwatch for the U.S. Military. The wristwatch called â€Ã…“Dick Tracy†may eliminate the need for soldiers to carry backup batteries and cumbersome technological gear.
Fraunhofer Researchers Developing 41.1% Efficient Solar Panels
They used Fresnel lenses situated 10 cm apart from stacked layers of solar cells. The metamorphic triple-junction solar cells consist of gallium indium phosphide, gallium indium arsenide and germanium semiconductors. The efficiency of these cells is dazzling: 41.1 percent - higher than ever before. The two scientists even for the 2010 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize.
Solar Powered Windows From Pythagoras Solar Both Transparent and Productive
Some solar energy adopters wish to use their solar panels in the classic manner - installed on a roof or in their backyard. Still, there are situations where installing a flat solar panel is near to impossible, due to space limitations in places like corporate buildings or where aesthetics matters.
Optical Fibers Mounted Upright on Organic Solar Cells Doubling Their Efficiency
Right now organic solar cells, although cheap, are too inefficient to compete with silicon-based ones. A team of researchers from Wake Forest University in North Carolina have developed a practical method of doubling the efficiency of organic (or dye-sensitized) solar cells by adding a layer of upright optical fibers acting as sunlight traps.
By Increasing Transmittance to 99%, New Anti-Glare Treatment Makes Glass Perfect for Solar Cells
Their newly-invented treated glass features a transmittance of at least 97 percent, which could be good for using in solar panels. The company says that the use of their glass could enhance the efficiency of solar cells by 2 to 3 percent.
