Stories tagged solar power
Here comes the Sun: Scientists announce new breakthroughs in solar energy technology. Photo by S4N7Y from Flickr.com
A company in Massachusetts has developed a process for producing solar power cells using inkjet printers. This could drastically reduce the cost of producing the cells, and increase the number of ways they are used.
Meanwhile in Atlanta, Lonnie Johnson – the man who invented the Super Soaker squirt gun – is working on a solar-powered electrical generator that would be twice as efficient as current models.
Tags : March 29 - April 4 are Nano Days at The Science Museum and other museums areound the country. To celebrate, here's a selection of recent nanotechnology stories in the news:
Japanese doctors are trying to build nano-scale robots to build custom-designed medicines,one molecule at a time.
Pharmaceutical companies are using nanotechnology to deliver more effective anti-cancer drugs.
Researchers at MIT are trying to develop an electric car with a battery using nanowires.
Engineers in California are looking for ways to use nanomaterials to store hydrogen, which may someday power pollution-free cars.
Scientists are using nanotechnology to develop more efficient solar panels.
A successful test run of solar trees in Vienna, Austria may signal the beginning of a new cost-saving and environment-friendly trend in the illumination of city streets.
The World Solar Challenge is a solar
Solar powered race car: Source: Panasonic World Solar Challenge image gallery powered-car race over 3021 km (1,877 miles) through central Australia from Darwin to Adelaide. Started in 1987 by Hans Thostrup, this race was held every three years until 1999 when it was switched to a two year event. It's an energy efficiency challenge, all about creating a balance between sustainable speed and endurance, energy management and strategic planning.
Optional new rules require fewer solar cells
Entrants to the 2007 race chose between racing in the Adventure and Challenge classes.
Challenge class cars were restricted to 6 square meters of solar collectors (a 25% reduction), driver access and egress were required to be unaided, seating position upright, steering controlled with a steering wheel, and many new safety requirements were added. Competitors also had to adhere to the new 130 km/h speed limit across the Northern Territorial portion of the Stuart Highway. Click here see more rules.
Dutch Nuon Solar Team wins again
This year the Dutch Nuon Solar Team scored their fourth successive victory with Nuna4 in the challenge class averaging 90.07 km/h under the new rules, while the Ashiya team with their car Tiga won the race in the adventure class under the old rules with an average speed of 93.53 km/h.
And you thought the Death Star was sinister? Well that never destroyed our planet, so no.
Please contact us if you have questions about the rights on this image.
It seems that everywhere I look, energy is in the news these days. Here are a few more stories that caught my eye recently.
Wind power
Delaware is considering building a massive windfarm in the waters off their Atlantic coast. Experts estimate this could generate enough energy to light 130,000 homes. But some people raise concerns about the damage this might do to migratory birds, ocean shipping, and the natural beauty of the view.
Nano solar panels
We’ve discussed how nanotechnology might revolutionize solar energy elsewhere on this blog. Now come word from Rice University of a breakthrough: an efficient means of creating molecular-sized semiconductors, an important component of high-efficiency solar panels.
Green fuel guide
Ethanol. Biodiesel. Hydrogen. Lots of new fuels are vying to replace gasoline as the automotive energy of the future. Popular Science magazine gives a run-down on the pros and cons of each.
All about CFLs
We’ve had a couple of threads here on Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and the advantages of replacing your regular bulbs with low-energy CFLs. For those who want to learn more, here’s a handy round-up, telling you everything you need to know about these bulbs.
Solar cells reduce your electric bill, but they are also very expensive to buy and install. Are they worth it?: Photo by clownfish from www.flickr.com
Some people are installing solar panels on their homes. These panels generate electricity from sunlight. Using the panels will lower your electric bill, and reduce demand from power plants (which often burn coal).
But, are they worth it?
On April 15, the San Francisco Chronicle said yes. They looked at the costs of buying and installing the panels, and weighed it against the benefits (which include getting a tax rebate). They found that, over 25 to 30 years, the average home would save about $33,000.
So, solar panels are a good idea, right? Not so fast! On April 14, the NY Times reported that solar panels never pay for themselves. Even accounting for electrical savings and tax rebates, they are so expensive that you never make your money back.
Well, the two articles can’t both be right. Right? Well, actually, they both seem correct -- but they are based on two very different scenarios:
- Different tax rebates in the two states.
- More sunshine in California, making the panels more useful.
- The panels are almost twice as expensive in NY than in SF.
- The NY Times assumed that, if you didn’t spend the money on panels, you’d put it in the bank or otherwise invest it, where it can earn money for you. The SF Chronicle did not take this into account.
So, whether or not solar panels are a good financial investment depends on a lot of factors. Whether they are good for the environment is much easier to answer – they produce electricity without pollution.
In the future, the debate may be moot – scientists are working on new types of solar cells that use nanotechnology, which may bring the costs way down.
Photo by clownfish from www.flickr.com
Please contact us if you have questions about the rights on this image.
Robert Curbeam: Astronaut and master mechanic.
Christer Fuglesang: Astronaut and master mechanic.
Astronauts, Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang, were able to fix a stuck solar panel on the International Space Station this Tuesday after a super long fourth space walk. I love this story because of the description of their work on a six and a half hour walk in space.
...spacewalkers spent about five hours poking the partly retracted panel with insulated tools and shaking the storage box to free the stuck sections.
Poking and shaking? So technical. I mean this reminds me of trying to remove the alternator from my old car. I just had to hit it with a hammer and shake it a bunch to get it unstuck. Its good to remember how pedestrian an astronauts' task can really be at times. Now, when I'm poking and prodding at my car I am not in a frigid vacuum. But doing work outside in a Minnesota winter can make you feel that way sometimes.
Solar panels 2.0: photo from D.O.E. via wikimedia
California attracts solar money
At last night's kickoff of the Energy Challenge, Don Shelby said there was going to be a lot of money made because of the global warming crisis. A lot of that money is going to California because of their leadership in legislating solutions to our predicament.
Watch live webcast
The largest solar event in the history of the United States is going on right now in San Jose California. You can experience the latest information as it is presented via live webcasts from about 12:15 till 6 p.m. CST(Oct 17,18).
On behalf of the Solar Electric Power Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association, we welcome you to the webcast of Solar Power 2006, the largest solar event in the history of the United States.
We have seen record levels of venture capital investment, game-changing public policies, industry-wide manufacturing expansions, and broad public interest in the context of a growing energy crisis. (Live and archived webcasts)
Silicon Valley-based SunPower Corporation
An example of what is coming is illustrated in SunPower's announcement yesterday. Gen 2 solar cells, which have a rated power output of 315 watts and boast 22 percent photovoltaic (PV) efficiency -- that's opposed to the 7% to 17% common in most commercial PV systems -- give roughly 50 percent more power per square foot of roof area than the average solar panel, using half as many panels. They will be available in the spring of next year.
Update; I also recommend readingThe Mercury News article: "Solar draws inventors, investors to valley".
Science Buzz and all related activities
Add a new comment