Sandia National Laboratories Archives – The Green Optimistic green tech news, since 2008 Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:47:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 2667534 Clay Could Improve Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Sites’ Safety https://www.greenoptimistic.com/clay-nuclear-storage-20130920/ https://www.greenoptimistic.com/clay-nuclear-storage-20130920/#respond Fri, 20 Sep 2013 19:25:38 +0000 https://www.greenoptimistic.com/?p=41756 One might point to nuclear power as a zero-emissions alternative to fossil-fuel-based power generation, but it does have a couple of very special problems, such as nuclear waste disposal and the ever-present danger of nuclear accidents. We may point to reducing carbon dioxide as the means to curb climate change, which would affect everyone on […]

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]]> https://www.greenoptimistic.com/clay-nuclear-storage-20130920/feed/ 0 41756 Sandia Looking to Reinvent Solar Power with Glitter-Sized Cells https://www.greenoptimistic.com/sandia-glitter-sized-cells-20121228/ https://www.greenoptimistic.com/sandia-glitter-sized-cells-20121228/#respond Thu, 27 Dec 2012 22:10:24 +0000 https://www.greenoptimistic.com/?p=30398 A group of scientist from Sandia National Laboratories have invented tiny photovoltaic cells the size of glitter which could possibly change how solar energy is used and harvested. Despite their size, the cells show remarkable capability to give traditional solar panels genuine competition. The new solar cells made from silicon crystals are likely to be […]

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]]> https://www.greenoptimistic.com/sandia-glitter-sized-cells-20121228/feed/ 0 30398 Sandia Researchers Discovering How Clouds Affect Photovoltaic Farms https://www.greenoptimistic.com/sandia-cloud-photovoltaic-farms-20100930/ https://www.greenoptimistic.com/sandia-cloud-photovoltaic-farms-20100930/#respond Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:06:12 +0000 https://www.greenoptimistic.com/?p=10809 A group of researchers at the Sandia National Laboratories found a new way to predict and prepare for fluctuations in electricity generation due to changes in weather - cold, heat, clouds and airborne dust.

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]]> https://www.greenoptimistic.com/sandia-cloud-photovoltaic-farms-20100930/feed/ 0 10809 31% Efficient Stirling Engines Used to Convert 1.5MW of Arizona Solar Power https://www.greenoptimistic.com/31-efficient-stirling-engines-used-to-convert-1-5mw-of-arizona-solar-power-20100102/ https://www.greenoptimistic.com/31-efficient-stirling-engines-used-to-convert-1-5mw-of-arizona-solar-power-20100102/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:28:23 +0000 https://www.greenoptimistic.com/?p=6012 Stirling engines are known to mankind for about 200 years but they are not so widely used today, except maybe for the pacemakers and long-distance robotic spacecrafts. This will soon change as 60 stirling engines will be used in Phoenix, Arizona, to harvest solar power which will be converted into electricity.

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