Increased interest for sensor networks in various applications are forcing research groups to come up with ways to power the individual sensor modules remains a sticking point in these sorts of applications. While wiring and batteries can be viable solutions for small-scale projects, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute came up with tiny solar cells that… »
There are various attempts to transform windows and glazed facades into means able to generate electricity, thus providing a potentially cheap and easy to implement power-generating opportunity. Researchers from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) are developing luminescent solar concentrators – a type of windows fitted with a thin film of material that absorbs sunlight… »
Although it has been referred as “fool’s gold” throughout the history, dating to times of ancient Rome and tricking prospectors for centuries, yellow-toned mineral pyrite found its use as an inexpensive and promising option for solar energy. Oregon State University (OSU) researchers discovered related compounds that use the advantages of the material without the downsides… »
Excitons, which are created by light, play a central role in the plastic solar cells energy harvesting. Researchers from Lehigh University have developed an imaging technique that enables direct observation of light-emitting excitons as they diffuse in rubrene – a new generation of single-crystal organic semiconductors that is being explored for its extraordinary electronic properties…. »
The idea of reversibly storing solar energy in chemical bonds is gaining a lot of attention these days. A group of researchers from MIT have developed a novel application of carbon nanotubes which shows potential as an effective approach to store solar energy for use whenever it’s needed. The method simplifies the process by combining… »
An Oxford company has developed new solar cell technology that is manufactured from cheap, abundant, environmentally benign and non-corrosive materials, and the ability to be scaled to any volume. The solar cells can be printed onto glass or other surfaces, and they are available in a range of colors. That makes them ideal for new buildings… »
University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sunswift solar car has been developed for almost 15 years, and its current version – Sunswift IVy – managed to set a new Guinness World Record as the world’s fastest vehicle powered by the sun. The car smashed the world solar car speed record at the HMAS Albatross navy… »
Researchers explored the thermo-chemical approach to capture solar energy since the 1970s, but nobody could find a chemical that could reliably and reversibly switch between two states, absorbing sunlight to go into one state and then releasing heat when it reverted to the first state. Such a compound was discovered in 1996, but it included… »
