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Design proposal could double space solar cell efficiency
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Design proposal could double space solar cell efficiency
7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Pennsylvania PA (SPX) Jun 07, 2023
When it comes to supplying energy for space exploration and settlements, commonly available solar cells made of silicon or gallium arsenide are still too heavy to be feasibly transported by rocket. To address this challenge, a wide variety of lightweight alternatives are being explored, including solar cells made of a thin layer of molybdenum selenide, which fall into the broader category of 2D
Quantum visualization technique gives insight into photosynthesis7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Urbana IL (SPX) Jun 07, 2023
Systems obeying quantum mechanics are notoriously difficult to visualize, but researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed an illustration technique that displays quantum features in an easy-to-read diagram called a coherence map. The researchers used these maps to study the quantum mechanisms that underlay photosynthesis, the process by which plants and some bacteri
Turning up the heat7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Oak Ridge TN (SPX) Jun 07, 2023
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists found that a small tweak created big performance improvements in a type of solid-state battery, a technology considered vital to broader electric vehicle adoption.
These batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of a potentially flammable liquid. When the battery charges or operates, ions move between electrodes through the electrolyte between them.
Huge lithium mine gets key greenlight in Portugal7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Lisbon, Portugal (AFP) May 31, 2023
Portugal's environmental protection agency gave a green light Wednesday for a massive lithium mine that could become western Europe's biggest and give a boost to the continent's growing electric car industry.
The southern European nation is thought to have the continent's largest reserves of lithium, a vital raw material to produce the batteries that power electric vehicles.
With lithium
The next generation of solar energy collectors could be rocks7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Washington DC (SPX) May 31, 2023
The next generation of sustainable energy technology might be built from some low-tech materials: rocks and the sun. Using a new approach known as concentrated solar power, heat from the sun is stored then used to dry foods or create electricity. A team reporting in ACS Omega has found that certain soapstone and granite samples from Tanzania are well suited for storing this solar heat, featuring
France opens its first electric car battery factory7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Billy-Berclau, France (AFP) May 30, 2023
France launched its first factory for electric vehicle batteries on Tuesday, taking a big step in its race to build up a sector dominated by China.
The plant in Billy-Berclau is the first in a clutch of factories that are due to open over the next three years in a northern corridor billed as a "Battery Valley" for the rapidly growing industry.
The "gigafactory" is owned by Automotive Cel
France to open its first electric car battery factory7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Billy-Berclau, France (AFP) May 30, 2023
France will launch its first battery factory for electric cars on Tuesday, taking a big step in its race to build up a sector dominated by China.
Building up the battery industry is at the heart of President Emmanuel Macron's "reindustrialisation" plan for France, with a clutch of factories set to emerge in the north of the country over the next three years.
The "gigafactory" opening in
The NEM 3.0 Debacle: A Dark Cloud Over California's Solar Industry7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 26, 2023
The sunny state of California, revered for its burgeoning renewable energy industry, now finds itself in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. The catalyst for this predicament is the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0 policy, which has brought the solar industry to its knees, even outpacing the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector
Controlling crystal lattices of hybrid solar cell materials with terahertz light7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Berlin, Germany (SPX) May 26, 2023
To overcome global energy challenges and fight the looming environmental crisis, researchers around the world investigate new materials for converting sunlight into electricity. Some of the most promising candidates for high-efficiency low-cost solar cell applications are based on lead halide perovskite (LHP) semiconductors. Despite record-breaking solar cell prototypes, the microscopic origin o
Solar investment outshines oil: IEA7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Paris (AFP) May 25, 2023
Investment in solar power is expected to overtake oil for the first time this year as clean energy spending outpaces that for fossil fuels, the IEA said in a report Thursday.
While that is a welcome development, the International Energy Agency warned that investment in fossil fuels is rising when it should be falling fast to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
"Clean energy is moving fas
Small-scale proton exchange membrane fuel cells7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
Shenzhen, China (SPX) May 25, 2023
Increasing awareness of emerging environmental and climate change effects has expedited the global commercialization of clean energy. Naturally, the demand for powering up several small-scale and low power devices has increased. However, the small-scale storage of electricity has encountered bottlenecks, encouraging the possibility of generating electricity from hydrogen, using fuel cells.
Jaguar to pick UK over Spain for battery plant: BBC7 Jun 2023 at 12:04pm
London (AFP) May 24, 2023
The Indian owner of carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is set to select Britain over Spain to for a giant battery plant employing up to 9,000 people, the BBC reported Wednesday.
The broadcaster, citing sources familiar with the matter, added that the boss of JLR owner Tata Motors was expected to fly into Britain next week to finalise the deal and meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The factory
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Texas Emerges as Solar’s Latest Hotspot As Legislative Threats Emerge
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Texas Emerges as Solar’s Latest Hotspot As Legislative Threats Emerge
16 May 2023 at 1:51pm
by Ryan ReganCalifornia has long been the state where the solar industry has shined the brightest across residential, commercial, and utility-scale markets. That fact largely remains true today, but Texas is emerging as an ascendant solar energy powerhouse that is poised to give a major lift to national renewable energy generation goals. Texas Solar Capacity Hits Peak […]
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Solar Manufacturing Growth Picks up in U.S.6 Feb 2023 at 7:04pm
by Ryan ReganManufacturers of solar panels, inverters, and related solar energy components have overwhelmingly been based in China over recent decades as few countries around the World could compete with China’s combined natural resource and low-cost manufacturing advantages. While China’s supply chain stranglehold is likely to persistent for some time, recently announced investments by solar manufacturers in […]
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Floating Solar Panels Sail Forward7 Dec 2022 at 3:43am
by Ryan ReganAs solar energy has become more mainstream, solar panels have found their way onto more and more unique places, from theme parks to airports to old landfill sites. Floating solar panels offer an even more creative use for solar that fundamentally alters conventional assumptions about solar generation opportunities. How Do They Work? Solar panels themselves […]
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NIMBYism Threatens to Stymie Solar Progress27 Oct 2022 at 5:32pm
by Ryan ReganThe solar industry has arguably never been in a better position in the wake of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). A rise in NIMBY-inspired land-use policies, however, is threatening to disrupt some of that optimism. A Worrying Trend The passage of the IRA is a seminal moment for the solar industry that […]
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IRA Passage Ushers in New Era of Stability for Solar Industry13 Sep 2022 at 5:50pm
by Ryan ReganIt only took Congress 34 years, but a federal law to meaningfully address the harmful effects of climate change – the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – finally passed the body and was signed into law by the President just weeks ago. The first congressional hearings on climate change were held way back in 1988, and […]
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Global Heat Wave Puts Solar Panels to the Test2 Aug 2022 at 5:27pm
by Ryan ReganJuly was a scorcher of a month, with many countries and prominent cities across the world experiencing record-breaking temps. You may think that this was good news for the world’s solar industry as the Sun was seemingly working in overdrive, but in fact, blazing temps can greatly complicate solar generation efforts. This year’s hot summer […]
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Rooftop solar: Good for the economy, good for the grid27 Jul 2022 at 4:29pm
by Rebecca SnowSolar continues to create jobs, investment, economic development and grid resilience while reducing energy costs for utilities, businesses, industry and consumers. It reduces the environmental impact on air, water and carbon. And amazingly, it can be placed atop your house. Guest Post by Tim Echols, Originally posted in the Athens Banner-Herald Tim Echols is Vice-Chair of the Georgia Public Service […]
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Solar Panels Helping Old Landfills Embrace a Greener Future30 Jun 2022 at 12:53pm
by Ryan ReganAs the solar industry has matured over recent decades, solar panels have found their way onto more and more unusual places. Cars, lakes, airports, and Disney World are just a few examples. Although notably less sexy than those examples, solar arrays placed on capped landfills are definitely becoming “a thing” that continues to gather more […]
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The Rise of Agrivoltaics3 Jun 2022 at 6:18pm
by Ryan ReganOnce upon a time, a common argument by solar energy skeptics was that expansive solar farms would overtake large swaths of American farmland, to the eventual detriment of American farmers seeking to grow crops or raise livestock. The industry has grown and matured in such a way that not only rebuffs this concern but shows […]
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The Solar Powered Cars are Coming…Sort of4 May 2022 at 6:26pm
by Ryan ReganThe electric vehicle and solar energy markets are both simultaneously growing at record clips, which begs the question, why haven’t cars powered entirely by the sun taken root as the next big thing? On the surface, the prospect of a car powered by an infinite and free power source that is never “off” sounds like […]
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Cleaning Innovations Key to Solar PV Efficiency2 Apr 2022 at 1:30pm
by Ryan ReganThe efficiency of a solar energy system’s individual PV panels and the amount of sun exposure that said panels receive play a pivotal role in the system’s over ability to harness solar energy. Keeping the surface of the solar panel clean is critical to achieving optimal efficiency and getting the most out of your system. […]
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Putin’s War Accelerates Clean Energy Push8 Mar 2022 at 3:10pm
by Ryan ReganPutin’s ill-advised military invasion into Ukraine has had a galvanizing effect across the world as country after country repudiates the war and pledges to arm or otherwise support Ukrainians fighting for their country. The economic impact of the war is still unfolding, but it is clear that the impact in Russia will be historically debilitating. […]
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