Clipmarks | Photovoltaics Clips

Solar Will Beat Oil

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:29:06 GMT

clipped by: gingembre
clipper's remarks: This article gives me some hope.

A bit more: "Enough total solar energy shines on the earth during a 40-minute period of time to power the entire world economy for a year. We only need to harness a tiny portion of this sunshine to make a huge difference in the world: environmentally, politically and economically."

Clip Source: www.motherearthnews.com

This Habitat for Humanity house utilizes solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic panels.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels turn sunlight directly into electricity, and production and conversion efficiencies of this hardware are skyrocketing

Industry analysts think the price of photovoltaics will drop to $1 per installed watt by 2010. That’s a magic number because it’s the point at which solar-generated electricity becomes competitive with electricity produced from fossil fuels

Several countries are right on top of this

March 2007, Spain began requiring all new, non-residential buildings to generate a portion of their electricity with photovoltaics

China is poised to become the world’s largest producer of photovoltaic cells this year

Germany now boasts more than 300,000 buildings with solar panels

as fossil fuels become more expensive and politically troublesome, those early “kick-start” subsidies offered by forward-looking governments will look like good investments indeed

Tags: solar power

Sahara Forest Project Will Generate Fresh Water, Solar Power & Crops in African Desert

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:17:21 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: This sounds like a really good idea. I am sure it will cost a fraction of the defense budget of certain countries.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

Last week, a trio of visionaries launched the Sahara Forest Project to combine two innovative technologies, concentrated solar power (CSP) and seawater greenhouses, to produce renewable energy, water and food in the Sahara -the hottest place on earth.

The Sahara Forest Project aims to provide a new source of fresh water, food and renewable energy in hot, arid regions, as well as providing conditions that enable re-vegetating areas of desert. The Sahara is used here as a metaphor for any desert that formerly supported vegetation and could do so again, given sufficient water.

Seawater Greenhouses have been built in some of the hottest regions on earth, Abu Dhabi and Oman for example, where they create freshwater from seawater, while providing cooler and more humid growing conditions

Concentrated solar power is increasingly seen as one of the most promising forms of renewable energy, producing electricity from sunlight at a fraction of the cost of photovoltaics.

Tags: renewable energy, fresh water, sahara

Alternative Energy News

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:09:40 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator
clipper's remarks: This site is an open source for news and information about renewable energy technologies. Browse the articles and press releases, the latest news, discussion forums, and mix-up of other media from sources like Flickr and YouTube. Our goal is to raise awareness about clean energy sources using any means necessary. Got an idea? Contact us.

Clip Source: www.alternative-energy-news.info

Alternative Energy News

Clip Source: www.alternative-energy-news.info

Latest News

Sandia National Laboratories - Renewable Energy

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:42:34 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator

Clip Source: www.sandia.gov

The purpose of the Renewable Energy Technologies Division at Sandia National Laboratories is to develop commercially viable energy technologies based on solar, wind, and geothermal resources that become significant domestic and international energy supplies, with a primary focus on the utility sector.

Sandia's photovoltaic programs are part of the National Center for Photovoltaics, which unites much of the photovoltaic work in the United States into a working partnership.

Concentrating Solar Power and Sun Lab

Operating as Sun•Lab, a virtual laboratory comprising CSP groups at Sandia and NREL, Sandia's work focuses on three types of concentrating solar power systems: parabolic troughs, power towers, and dish/engine systems.

The Solar America Initiative

Related Links
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Mexico Renewable Energy Program

Distributed Energy Storage

Energy Storage Systems

NSTTF

Tags: sandia national laboratories, renewable energy, commercially viable, technology, solar, wind, geothermal

Solar US Cities

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:24:52 GMT

clipped by: Lubaska

Clip Source: www.inhabitat.com

12 New Solar America Cities Chosen

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 12 new Solar America Cities, bringing the number from 13 to 25 in total, and moving along the $2.4 million initiative to provide up to $200,000 per city to build solid solar infrastructures. The announcement came at the New Frontiers in Energy Summit 2008 in Denver, Colorado, which is among the 2008 Solar America Initiative (SAI) cities. The overall program goals are to facilitate adoption of solar technology by individuals and businesses and to make solar electricity from photovoltaics a cost-competitive energy choice by 2015.

The newly selected Solar America Cities are Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Knoxville, Tennessee; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota; Orlando, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and three cities in California including San Jose, Santa Rosa and Sacramento.

Tags: usa, cities, solar energy

China's Fuel Efficiency Kicks America's Butt

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 06:16:49 GMT

clipped by: Rasmus

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

The Toronto Star reported an alarming factoid earlier this month:

No gasoline-powered car assembled in North America would meet China's current fuel-efficiency standard.

That's mainly because:

Their standard is much higher than ours is currently.
Their standard is a minimum-allowable efficiency standard, not a "fleet-average" standard like ours.
Our lame car companies don't make their (relatively few) most efficient vehicles in this country.

As for our much-hyped new 35-mpg (average) standard -- it will take us in 2020 to where the Chinese are now (but not even to where Japan and Europe were six years ago). If we don't rescind it, that is. So whether you believe in human-caused global warming or peak oil, America remains unprepared to capture the huge explosion in jobs this century for clean, fuel-efficient cars.

Oh, and by 2010, China will be the world leader in wind turbine manufacturing and solar photovoltaics manufacturing.

Tags: fuel efficiency, cafe, global warming, china, climate change

Thin Film Photovoltaics

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:16:22 GMT

clipped by: Naomi-K

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Honda announced its plan to begin mass production in 2007, of an independently developed thin film solar cell composed of non-silicon compound materials, which requires 50% less energy, and thus generate 50% less CO2, during production compared to a conventional solar cell. A mass production plant with annual capacity of 27.5 megawatts will be established at Honda’s Kumamoto factory.

Solar Cell Breaks Conversion Record

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:15:46 GMT

clipped by: Socratoad

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Superefficient, Cost-Effective Solar Cell Breaks Conversion Records

A tiny solar cell doubles the efficiency of common photovoltaics' conversion of sunlight to electricity by capturing the energy from a broader spectrum of light.


	Image: COURTESY OF SPECTROLAB
	SOLAR EFFICIENCY: New solar cells capture more of the energy in sunlight by layering semiconducting material on top of germanium wafers, pictured here.

A tiny chip similar to the solar cells carried by many satellites and other spacecraft today--including the surprisingly long-lived Mars Rovers--has shattered previous records for maximum efficiency in producing electricity from sunlight. "This is the photovoltaic equivalent of the four-minute mile," affirms Larry Kazmerski, director of the Department of Energy's National Center for Photovoltaics in Colorado. "This is a disruptive technology that eventually could provide us, at least in the Southwest, with cost-competitive electricity fairly quickly."

The specifics: a germanium wafer is spun at high speeds and subjected to various gases that encourage the growth of layers of semiconducting material such as gallium arsenide. "We have somewhere between 20 and 30 layers of semiconductor material," explains David Lillington, president of Spectrolab, Inc., which developed the new cell. The resulting layers in one single solar device respond to different spectra of light. The top layer, for example, captures the energy of blue light while the middle layer absorbs green and the bottom uses red. Such triple-junction solar cells are specially tuned to work with concentrated light, in this case the wattage of 240 suns.

Tags: solar cells, environment

Italian Solar Train

Tue, 25 Oct 2005 18:57:09 GMT

clipped by: Johnoppy
clipper's remarks: on time and good or you

Clip Source: treehugger.com

:: Italian Trains Get Solar Boost

The first solar-power-assisted trains in Europe are from Italy. "The PVTRAIN project, partly funded by the EU, has been under development since 2003, and involves 10 prototype units: 5 carriages, 3 cargo wagons and 2 locomotives." The solar panels on the roof do no help power the wheels, but they provide energy for air-conditioning, lighting and safety systems, which helps make the trains more efficient by freeing the engine from having to create power for that electrical load. "The panels on a rail car can deliver approximately 1.36 kW of peak power. In the development and testing from July 2003 to May 2005, the solar panel system generated a total of 1,017.41 kWh." If the experiment is successful, solar-assisted trains could be produced on an industrial scale.

Tags: solar, alternative energy, photovoltaics, environment

Nanowire Generates Its Own Electricity

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:38:47 GMT

clipped by: splendidus

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2007) — Harvard chemists have built a new wire out of photosensitive materials that is hundreds of times smaller than a human hair. The wire not only carries electricity to be used in vanishingly small circuits, but generates power as well.

Commercial solar cells, he said, have efficiencies around 20 percent, compared with 3.4 percent for his nano-solar cells. One avenue of future research, Lieber said, will be to explore ways to boost efficiency of the nanowire photovoltaics. If they can reach 10 to 15 percent, he said, their lower cost of production — they can be made from relatively inexpensive materials and don’t require clean rooms to produce — may make them useful in larger-scale applications.

“It will have to be unique to be an economically viable application, some place where you want durability and flexibility, where if it gets destroyed, people don’t care,” Lieber said.

Tags: nano, technology, wire, electricity

Photovoltaics

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:12:34 GMT

clipped by: BobbyDelray

Clip Source: www1.eere.energy.gov

The U.S. Department of Energy works to provide clean, reliable, affordable solar electricity for the nation through its research programs in photovoltaic (PV) energy systems. The following pages explain the "how's" and "why's" of PV. Whether you are a student, builder, consumer, engineer, or researcher, there is something here for you.

Our goal is to ensure that photovoltaic energy systems make an important contribution to the energy needs of our nation and the world. In these pages, you will learn about DOE's R&D in photovoltaic energy systems, and much more. You will also find out—

How PV works
Why PV is important
How and why PV is used
How DOE is supporting research of solar energy
How you, the consumer, can use PV and other solar energy technologies
How builders can incorporate solar into their building plans
How students, educators, and trainers can learn more about PV

Tags: photovoltaic, solar, energy

Majoring in Renewable Energy

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:06:56 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Majoring in Renewable Energy

AS business and industry are taking more interest in renewable energy, academia is not far behind. Anticipating increased demand for new technical and design skills, colleges and universities across the nation are offering degree programs in the field.

The Oregon Institute of Technology has developed the country’s first four-year undergraduate degree program in renewable-energy systems. This year the program is training 50 students and will graduate its first class.

The institute’s degree requires basic knowledge in engineering, electrical circuits, motors and generators, thermodynamics, heat transfer and the language of computers. Then come specialized courses in photovoltaics (solar energy research and technology), wind, biomass (the recycling of biological material), hydropower and geothermal energy development.

Tags: renewable energy, college degree, college, alternative energy, solar

Solar Cell Production Jumps 50 Percent in 2007

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:49:39 GMT

clipped by: JICWyllie

Clip Source: www.earth-policy.org

Production of photovoltaics (PV) jumped to 3,800 megawatts worldwide in 2007, up an estimated 50 percent over 2006. At the end of the year, according to preliminary data, cumulative global production stood at 12,400 megawatts, enough to power 2.4 million U.S. homes. Growing by an impressive average of 48 percent each year since 2002, PV production has been doubling every two years, making it the world’s fastest-growing energy source.

A key force driving the advancement of thin-film technologies is a polysilicon shortage that began in April 2004.

The top five PV-producing countries are Japan, China, Germany, Taiwan, and the United States. (See data.) Recent growth in China is most astonishing: after almost tripling its PV production in 2006, it is believed to have more than doubled output in 2007.

Germany has been the leading market for PV installations since it overtook Japan in 2004. In 2006, Germany, adding 1,050 megawatts

Tags: energy, solar, i-supply, i-increase, i-acceleration

Mitsubishi Unveils One Electric and Two Diesel Concept Cars at Tokyo Motor Show

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:03:25 GMT

clipped by: shankargallery
clipper's remarks: wheel motors and photovoltaics together

Clip Source: www.greencarcongress.com

Mitsubishi Unveils One Electric and Two Diesel Concept Cars at Tokyo Motor Show

Effective use of energy is achieved by installing an auxiliary photovoltaic generator on the roof,

The two in-wheel motors produce 20 kW of output and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque each; the rear motor, 47 kW of power and 180 Nm (133 lb-ft) of torque. Maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph), and the vehicle has a range of 200km (124 miles) in the 10-15 cycle.

Tags: wheelmotors, photovoltaic

New Electric Car - Mitsubishi

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:35:46 GMT

clipped by: katura
clipper's remarks: This one will go into production 2009...

Clip Source: www.inhabitat.com

i-MIEV SPORT: Mitsubishi Launches New Electric Sports Car

One of the most innovative electric sports cars by Mitsubishi, the i-MIEV Sport, was just shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show. This cute and sporty beetle-esque electric car comes with optional photovoltaics for solar power, and will be powered by a pack of Li-ions that will allow drivers to go about 100 miles before needing to recharge. While concept electric vehicles are released every year that never make it into production, this snappy little vehicle gives us hope for the future, because it will go into production in 2009.

Tags: new, car, electric, environment

Clipmarks | Photovoltaics Clips

Solar Will Beat Oil

Sahara Forest Project Will Generate Fresh Water, Solar Power & Crops in African Desert

Alternative Energy News

Alternative Energy News

Latest News

Categories

Green Collar Jobs

Harnessing the Power of Highways

Turning Airborne Carbon Into Fuel

Space-based Solar Power

Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

The Toyota Bus-Train

Affordable DIY Solar Heating System

Wind Turbine Concept Inspired by Jet Engines

The Triac: An Affordable Electric Car

Are Rising Oil Prices a Blessing in Disguise?

Sandia National Laboratories - Renewable Energy

Distributed Energy Storage

Solar US Cities

12 New Solar America Cities Chosen

China's Fuel Efficiency Kicks America's Butt

Thin Film Photovoltaics

Solar Cell Breaks Conversion Record

Italian Solar Train

Nanowire Generates Its Own Electricity

Photovoltaics

Majoring in Renewable Energy

Solar Cell Production Jumps 50 Percent in 2007

Mitsubishi Unveils One Electric and Two Diesel Concept Cars at Tokyo Motor Show

Mitsubishi Unveils One Electric and Two Diesel Concept Cars at Tokyo Motor Show

New Electric Car - Mitsubishi