Jul
17
A Much Improved Heat Energy Harvesting Thermoelectric Cell
July 17, 2013 | 1 Comment
A small team of Monash University researchers working under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Center of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) has developed an ionic liquid-based thermoelectric cell. Thermoelectric cell technology is based on harnessing the thermal energy from the difference in temperature between two surfaces and converting that energy into electricity. The Aussie’s breakthrough […]
Jul
16
Dye Based Solar Cells Catch Up to Silicon Cells
July 16, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Dye-sensitized solar cell efficiency has been raised to a record 15% with a new fabrication process developed by Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) scientists in Switzerland. The scientists show in a paper published in Nature they have developed a state solid version of the Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) that is fabricated by a […]
Jul
15
EPA Gets Another Shot at Regulating CO2
July 15, 2013 | 1 Comment
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated a three-year deferral put in place in 2011 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that temporarily exempted paper and wood product manufacturers and ethanol producers from curbing the release of greenhouse gases, specifically CO2. The Appeals Court’s decision cited the U.S. Supreme Court […]
Jul
12
An Atomic Level Look at Lithium Ion Batteries
July 12, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Today lithium ion batteries are the leading energy storage of almost all things tech, from cell phones to tablets to electric vehicles and even airliners. It’s because they are a proven technology, light, long lasting and powerful. But lithium-ion technology isn’t perfect, yet. To store more power in lithium ion batteries scientists are experimenting with […]
Jul
11
Strange and True – Fungus can Power Electricity
July 11, 2013 | 2 Comments
In a new concept for biofuel cells Sabine Sané, doctoral candidate in the research training group Micro Energy Harvesting at the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) of the University of Freiburg, has found a way to make a species of tree fungus useful for the production of electricity. The idea is so innovative and unique […]