Articles tagged with Solar Energy
Sandia National Laboratories has received a $1.2 million award to develop a technique combining metal-organic framework (MOF) materials with dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) to improve photovoltaic efficiency. MOFs' structure, versatility, and porosity help overcome DSSC limitations.
A UNL researcher has received a $1.2 million grant to improve the efficiency of solar cells using perovskite technology, aiming for at least 30% efficiency. The project seeks to refine silicon-based cells by overlaying them with perovskite, taking advantage of the material's natural abundance and properties.
The study shows solar energy prices dropping by 12-19% nationwide in 2013, with a projected further decline of 3-12% in 2014. This trend is expected to continue over the next couple of years, helping the nation meet its 2020 targets.
Researchers at Ohio State University have created a solar cell that can store its own power, reducing the cost of renewable energy. The 'solar battery' combines a mesh solar panel with a battery, allowing for efficient charging and discharging using light and oxygen.
Scientists at EPFL have created a method to convert sunlight into hydrogen using perovskite solar cells and nickel-iron catalysts, achieving an impressive 12.3% efficiency rate. This innovative approach eliminates the need for rare-earth metals in producing usable hydrogen fuel, paving the way for efficient energy storage and conversion.
The new epitaxial system produces up to 500 wafers per hour, reducing wafer cost to 13 cents per watt and potentially making solar energy more competitive with fossil fuels. The technology has the potential to create American jobs and stem the flow of solar cell manufacturing overseas.
Scientists from DTU have created a new technique to produce cheap, flexible and versatile double solar cells using roll-to-roll processing. The method uses 3D ptychography to image the layer structure of the tandem solar cell, which converts 2.67% of incoming sunlight into electric energy.
Scientists at DTU Physics successfully captured protein quakes that dissipate solar energy throughout entire protein molecules, validating a long-standing hypothesis. This breakthrough has implications for harnessing solar energy in solar cells and other light-absorption systems.
Researchers at Michigan State University developed a transparent luminescent solar concentrator that can be used on buildings, cell phones, and other devices. This technology absorbs specific nonvisible wavelengths of sunlight and converts it to electricity.
Researchers developed an ab initio method to study hot carriers in semiconductors, providing data for hot carrier dynamics in silicon and other materials. The method found that thermalization under solar illumination is completed within 350 femtoseconds, dominated by phonon emission from hot carriers.
Biophysics researchers at the University of Michigan have identified specific molecular vibrations that help enable charge separation in photosynthesis, a process that converts sunlight into chemical energy. The findings could lead to more efficient solar cells and energy storage systems.
A new study suggests that concentrating solar power (CSP) can provide a substantial amount of current energy demand, particularly in the Mediterranean region. CSP systems can store energy as heat and convert it to electricity only when needed, making them more viable for large-scale energy production. The study also found that CSP coul...
A new report by NREL found that Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects add a value of 5-6 cents per kilowatt hour in California, where renewables will reach 33% by 2020. CSP helps maintain firm capacity and reduces curtailment of variable generation technologies.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are gathering data on consumer motivations to develop sophisticated computer models for predicting solar purchase dynamics. The project aims to increase the nation's share of solar energy in the electricity market by 2030.
Installing state-of-the-art solar panels on a quarter of a million roofs could meet one-sixth of Scotland's electricity demands, easing the plight of one in three households. The report reveals that harnessing energy from the sun on south-facing buildings could have significant economic, environmental and social impacts.
The Banking on Solar working group aims to standardize contracts and underwriting processes, educating banks about the risks and rewards of solar assets. This effort has already begun developing standardized loan documents and underwriting criteria in residential and commercial markets.
Researchers at MIT and City College of New York directly image exciton movement using a new technique, enabling insights into device efficiency and natural energy-transfer processes. The study provides new information on how crystal structure affects exciton diffusion.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of Milano-Bicocca have developed large-area luminescent solar concentrators using 'Stokes-shift-engineered' quantum dots. These concentrated solar cells can generate significant power from sunlight, enabling the creation of transparent photovoltaic windows.
Computer simulations suggest that co-locating crops with solar panels could reduce water usage for solar farms in sunny, arid regions. Agave plants, which thrive at high temperatures and poor soil, are being considered as ideal crops for this approach.
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a method to produce solar energy materials directly from sunlight, reducing production costs and time. This process uses a continuous flow microreactor to synthesize nanoparticle inks that make solar cells by printing.
Researchers in China have developed a convenient way to selectively prepare germanium sulfide nanostructures, including nanosheets and nanowires. These nanostructures show outstanding photoresponsive behavior, indicating their potential use in solar energy conversion systems and optoelectronics.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new system that selectively filters light waves based on their direction of propagation. The technique, which uses a stack of ultrathin layers with precise thickness control, could improve efficiency in solar photovoltaics, detector systems for telescopes and microscopes, and display screens.
A Stanford University study finds that wind farms can afford lots of grid-scale storage to support up to three days of uninterrupted power. In contrast, the solar industry can only afford about 24 hours of energy storage due to the high energy required for manufacturing solar panels.
The report analyzes state demographics and policy characteristics to contextualize the impact of various solar policies on photovoltaic installations. Four peer groups reveal different policy effectiveness based on demographic factors such as median household income and community interest in renewable energy.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have created semi-transparent, colored photovoltaics that can generate electricity while maintaining their color. The cells are 10 times thinner than traditional solar cells and have a nearly 100% quantum efficiency, making them suitable for use indoors and in densely populated cities.
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab researchers present on topics including improved climate models, synthetic biology for better biofuels, emerging materials for photovoltaics, and efforts to detect Dark Matter. The presentation highlights the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and exploring innovative solutions.
A new NREL report finds that the value of delivered energy from dry-cooled tower and parabolic trough CSP plants, integrated with thermal energy storage, are quite similar. This technology allows for dispatching solar thermal energy like conventional thermal generation, enabling CSP to respond to changes in supply or demand.
Researchers at EPFL have developed a high-efficiency, scalable method for creating solar-powered water splitting devices using molybdenum sulfide and copper(I) oxide. The new catalyst preserves optical transparency, stability under acidic conditions, and reduces maintenance costs.
Dr. Ben Kroposki, NREL director of Energy Systems Integration, named an IEEE Fellow for his leadership in renewable energy systems integration. NREL analysts also received honors for their work on energy-efficient computing and data sharing.
Two NREL reports show that soft costs, including financing and installation costs, now account for up to 64% of the total price of residential solar energy systems. Researchers found that supply chain costs, labor, customer acquisition, and corporate costs are among the largest contributors to these costs.
Researchers used ultrashort laser pulses to study how bacteria and algae efficiently gather light, suggesting that quantum interactions play a subtle role in energy transfers. The exact mechanism remains unclear, but understanding the role of quantum coherence may help develop more efficient solar technologies.
A new form of high-performance solar photocatalyst has been developed by combining TiO2 with metallic oxides, enhancing visible light absorption and efficient utilization of the solar spectrum. The material demonstrates 27 times larger photocatalytic activities than a single-layer TiO2 film.
A recent study published in Nature Chemistry shows that singlet fission can be controlled by interacting molecules, leading to a doubling of current in solar cells. The researchers used laser experiments and chemical methods to slow down the process and observe key intermediate steps.
The SAPC working group has developed three standard contract templates for residential and commercial solar power projects, with the goal of increasing consumer transparency and private-sector investment. The contracts cover residential leases and commercial power purchase agreements, allowing developers to increase business opportunit...
A new multi-terminal multi-junction architecture for inexpensive PV electricity generation has been proposed by Clemson University researchers. This design aims to exceed current efficiency limitations of 25% using silicon solar cells and thin-film materials abundant in Earth's crust.
The ASU group, in collaboration with Georgia Tech, has developed a new approach to growing InGaN crystals, promising to move photovoltaic solar cell technology toward record-breaking efficiencies. The technique, called metal-modulated epitaxy, allows for the growth of ideal crystals with uniform composition and lattice alignment.
Scientists have developed a new solar panel design that improves efficiency by up to 22% using aluminum studs, which bend and trap light inside the absorbing layer. This technology has the potential to make thin and flexible solar panels available at competitive prices, powering everything from domestic appliances to portable electronics.
The report identifies strategies to overcome market barriers and decrease soft-costs in four key areas: customer acquisition, permitting, inspection, and interconnection, installation labor, and financing. NREL aims to reduce residential solar costs by $0.65/W and commercial solar costs by $0.44/W by 2020.
Researchers from UCLA and international partners use a unique alignment of six spacecraft to measure the release of magnetic energy close to Earth. They discover that this energy is stored in Earth's magnetosphere and released through a process called magnetic reconnection, which powers Earth's auroras and radiation belts.
A new report from NREL and MIT reveals that China's dominance in solar manufacturing is largely due to its production scale advantages, including access to capital and supply chain benefits. The study suggests that these advantages can be replicated in the US with innovative technology and scale-up.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created a new mechanism for extracting energy from light, increasing efficiency by 3-10 times compared to conventional methods. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient solar cells and optoelectronic devices.
Scientists developed a solar steam technology that sterilizes medical and dental instruments, disinfects human waste, and purifies dirty water. The device uses sunlight to generate steam, eliminating the need for electricity or fuel.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new connection between stacked solar cells that can handle high-intensity solar energies without losing voltage. This breakthrough could improve the overall efficiency of solar energy devices and reduce production costs.
A new NREL report provides detailed land-use data for solar power plants, showing that a large fixed tilt photovoltaic plant requires an average of 2.8 acres for solar panels to generate 1 gigawatt-hour per year. The study found that small single-axis PV systems require on average 2.9 acres per annual gigawatt-hour, while concentrating...
The new device achieves a conversion rate of 7.3%, nearly double the original 4% rate, due to its two-layer design and novel materials. Researchers envision solar-powered windows and smartphone displays that can generate energy while maintaining transparency.
Engineers at Oregon State University have developed a new process for making thin-film solar cells using ethylene glycol and CZTS, a compound with excellent optical properties. The approach could lead to lower costs and wider adoption of solar energy.
The Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) is a new research center that aims to boost clean energy technologies on a smarter grid. The facility will house experimental laboratories and outdoor test beds, including a petascale supercomputer, to support large-scale modeling and simulation. Advanced Energy Industries has already sign...
Researchers at the University of Delaware have developed an inexpensive catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels for powering cars, homes, and businesses. The catalyst uses solar energy to convert CO2 into carbon monoxide, a valuable commodity chemical with many industrial applications.
Researchers at NIST have improved the performance of solar-powered hydrogen generation by developing a new photoelectrochemical cell design that is stable, efficient and economical to produce. The device has an efficiency of 2.9%, significantly higher than previous results.
Saudi Arabia is working with the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to set up networks for measuring solar radiation in varying meteorological conditions. The partnership aims to train Saudi engineers and install over 50 monitoring stations to gauge the best spots for solar power plants.
The grant aims to improve solar energy system efficiency and reduce costs in West Michigan. Researchers will collect data on residential and commercial solar installations to better understand the region's unique conditions.
Concordia University's NSERC Smart Net-zero Energy Buildings Strategic Network has received $1 million in new funding from Natural Resources Canada. This grant will support research and testing of progressive technologies to create net-zero energy homes and commercial buildings.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new material approach that enhances visible light absorption in titanium dioxide, leading to increased solar cell efficiency. This breakthrough has significant implications for clean energy production, waste water purification, and other applications.
University of Chicago researchers engineer small molecules that support long-lived quantum coherences, mimicking photosynthetic systems. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of recreating quantum mechanics in man-made compounds.
A team led by UNC Charlotte researcher Deborah Strumsky is forecasting optimal energy investments using novel methods from network theory, performance curve analysis, and ecological systems. The project aims to provide a detailed picture of the solar technology ecosystem, influencing technological progress and informing policy decisions.
The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has launched an initiative to build an open-source database of real-world performance from solar facilities. The Open Solar Performance and Reliability Clearinghouse (O-SPaRC) aims to provide critical data on the long-term performance of residential and commercia...
Researchers at EPFL created a nanowire solar cell that captures up to 12 times more light than traditional flat solar cells, producing more energy with lower costs.
The global solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is making positive strides in reducing its energy debt, with electricity generated by all installed PV panels likely surpassing energy used to manufacture new modules. Continued technological advances and efficient conversion of sunlight into electricity are key factors driving this progress.
The Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group aims to standardize power purchase agreements and develop robust datasets to assess performance and credit-default risk. This effort is expected to attract additional investors to the solar asset class, potentially lowering the cost of solar energy.
Researchers at SISSA have simulated a catalyst that mimics nature's process of producing 'green' fuel from sunlight. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, uses Ru4-POM to oxidize water and produce hydrogen, paving the way for cost-effective and efficient energy storage.