Solar Energy News

August 24, 2016

Bubble-wrapped sponge creates steam using sunlight
Boston MA (SPX) Aug 23, 2016
How do you boil water? Eschewing the traditional kettle and flame, MIT engineers have invented a bubble-wrapped, sponge-like device that soaks up natural sunlight and heats water to boiling temperatures, generating steam through its pores. The design, which the researchers call a "solar vapor generator," requires no expensive mirrors or lenses to concentrate the sunlight, but instead relies on a combination of relatively low-tech materials to capture ambient sunlight and concentrate it as heat. Th ... read more

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Class AAA LED solar simulator supports testing and development of PV devices Innovations in Optics, Inc. introduces the LumiSun-50 high power, multi-wavelength LED Solar Simulator that meets Class AAA solar simulator requirements of IEC 60904-9 for spectral match, uniformity ... more		SLAC, Stanford gadget grabs more solar energy to disinfect water faster In many parts of the world, the only way to make germy water safe is by boiling, which consumes precious fuel, or by putting it out in the sun in a plastic bottle so ultraviolet rays will kill the m ... more		New high-temperature device captures a broader solar wavelength spectrum The photovoltaic (PV) cells in traditional solar cells convert sunlight efficiently within a narrow range of wavelengths determined by the material used in the PV cells. This limits their efficiency ... more
				Material for polymer solar cells may lend itself to large-area processing For all the promise they have shown in the lab, polymer solar cells still need to "get on a roll" like the ones employed in printing newspapers so that large sheets of acceptably efficient photovolt ... more		Tiny high-performance solar cells turn power generation sideways University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have created high-performance, micro-scale solar cells that outshine comparable devices in key performance measures. The miniature solar panels could power ... more

Transition from Operations to Decommissioning by Preparing a Safe, Cost-Effective Shut Down and Waste Management Strategy

New PV200 Combines Solar PV Tests With I-V Curve Analysis A brand new concept in solar PV test instrumentation combines accurate I-V curve analysis with essential electrical testing for the fast and effective commissioning, O and M and diagnostic testing o ... more		NREL technique leads to improved perovskite solar cells Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), devised a method to improve perovskite s ... more		AI tool accelerates SAR image analysis with automated object detection Fossil energy 'significant' driver of climate-fuelled heatwaves: study Asteroid tells secrets of Earth's 'far wetter' building blocks		Making a solar energy conversion breakthrough with help from a ferroelectrics pioneer Designers of solar cells may soon be setting their sights higher, as a discovery by a team of researchers has revealed a class of materials that could be better at converting sunlight into energy th ... more
				Installation of 2nd MW-scale sun2live solar power plant in Antigua has commenced The Caribbean twin-island state Antigua and Barbuda is moving closer to achieving its target in regard to operating the greenest electricity sector in the whole of the region. After the commis ... more		Rocky Mountain Institute Issues RFP to Bring Solar Power to Rochester Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), in partnership with ROCSPOT, a Rochester, New York-based community organization, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop at least 16 megawatts (MW) of sol ... more

2nd Integrated Air and Missile Defense - Securing the Complex Air Domain: Requirements for Sustainable, Global, and Reliable Solutions to Next Generation Air & Missile Threats - 28-30 September, 2016 | Washington D.C.

The World's Largest Commercial Drone Conference and Expo - Sept 7-9 - Las Vegas

Decision by Australian Energy Regulator protects solar users against unfair costs A decision by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) will protect solar users in South Australia against discriminatory charges proposed by SA Power Networks. Clean Energy Council Policy Manage ... more		ORNL optimizes formula for cadmium-tellurium solar cells Solar cells based on cadmium and tellurium could move closer to theoretical levels of efficiency because of some sleuthing by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. ... more		NASA blocks Chinese citizens from working on space programs Black hole explosion may soon reveal origins of matter in the universe Surviving hostile Venus conditions with new alloy and sensor technologies		Michigan utility opens second campus solar farm A Michigan utility company said Monday it started operations at a solar power plant in the western part of the state, its second facility on a college campus. ... more
Spectrolab produces higher efficiency space solar cell Boeing subsidiary Spectrolab has begun manufacturing a higher-efficiency space solar cell providing new opportunities for the aerospace industry to develop lighter and less expensive spacecraft. ... more		DOE SunShot Initiative support new ASU solar research projects Two new solar research projects at Arizona State University will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the SunShot Initiative announced this week. Both projects, funded under the Small ... more		Sports stadium harnesses power of the sun Bristol's Ashton Gate stadium has reduced its carbon emissions by 20% - thanks to a new solar-powered stand completed by EvoEnergy. The 460-panel, 117 kWp PV system was installed as part of a major ... more		PV Energy equips public schools in Antigua and Barbuda with solar power The Government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) fosters the development of renewable energies to gain independence from polluting diesel generators and disturbing power cuts. Therefore, GOAB has conclu ... more

	Ukraine sees solar power as Chernobyl's future Imagine one of the largest solar farms ever at the site of the world's worst man-made nuclear disaster that struck Chernobyl in modern-day Ukraine and sowed panic across Europe. ... more		Russia's First Solar-Powered Satellite Completes Test Flight A prototype of Russia's first solar-powered atmosphere research satellite has successfully completed a 48-hour non-stop flight, the deputy head of the Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projec ... more

Chinese defence minister tells US counterpart containing China 'futile'

China chides 'economic pressure' over Trump threat of Russian oil tariffs

Russian drones in Poland put NATO to the test

Low-carbon movement expected in North America		Videos reveal birds, bats and bugs near Ivanpah solar project power towers		Breakthrough solar cell captures CO2 and sunlight, produces burnable fuel		Tesla reaches $2.6 bn deal to buy SolarCity		Watering solar cells makes them grow ... in power
Molten storage and thermophotovoltaics offer new solar power pathway		Solar panels blaze at water park in Taiwan heatwave		Solar Impulse 2: Flying the flag for solar power		Solar plane completes epic round-the-world trip		Serendipitous observation may lead to more efficient solar cells and new gas sensors

The future of perovskite solar cells has just got brighter - come rain or shine

New discoveries about photosynthesis may lead to solar cells of the future

CleanFund to installers sell more solar to commercial building owners

Solar plane nears end of historic round-the-world trip

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