Aug
29
Cutting Photovoltaic Solar Cell Cost By 75%
August 29, 2012 | 3 Comments
A new solar technology developed at RTI International (Research Triangle Institute) could make solar energy more affordable. RTI researchers have developed a new solar technology that could make solar energy more affordable by as much as 75% and thus speed-up its market adoption. RTI’s solar cells are formed from solutions of semiconductor particles, known as […]
Jul
23
Can UCLA Save Solar Panels?
July 23, 2012 | 2 Comments
In the face of a string of intensely demoralizing federally backed alternative energy projects with Solyndra taking over a half billion dollars alone – solar panels seem to lead the way into a dead end. Except that China’s solar industry is very much alive and competitive. The technology advances usually start in the U.S. But […]
Nov
15
Energy Gathering Antennas Reach Further Into the Light Spectrum
November 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment
A solar panel composed of nano-antennas instead of semiconductors, made by adapting classic metallic antennas to absorb light waves at optical frequencies, has been announced by Tel Aviv University’s Department of Physical Electronics from its innovative new Renewable Energy Center. We have a prior work to consider that harvests the infrared from nearly four years […]
Jul
20
Rooftop Solar Is Better Than Thought
July 20, 2011 | 1 Comment
The quiet underside of rooftop solar now has some story to tell with hard research numbers in hand. Jan Kleissl, a professor of environmental engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering leading a team of researchers can show roof mounted solar panels aren’t just providing clean power; they are cooling your house, […]
Jun
28
100 Percent of Sunlight Capture For Solar Panels
June 28, 2011 | 3 Comments
Currently solar panels come in two main forms, photovoltaic panels to harvest visible light for electricity production and thermal panels to harvest the infrared spectrum for heat. In a paper published in Nature Photonics, University of Toronto Engineering (UTE) researchers report a new solar cell that may pave the way to inexpensive coatings that convert […]