Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland are developing low cost solar cells made with zinc, a cheap and abundant material. Zinc is an uninteresting gray in its natural state, but the team has figured out a way to use it for creating colorful dyes, which could lead to … [continued]
by Marcia Goodrich of Michigan Technological University The coolest new nanomaterial of the 21st century could boost the efficiency of the next generation of solar panels, a team of Michigan Technological University materials scientists has discovered. Graphene, a two-dimensional honeycomb of carbon atoms, is a rising star in the materials … [continued]
We recently wrote about smog-eating paint developed in the Philippines — why not discuss smog-eating architectural panels as well? Alcoa has created architectural panels that clean themselves and the air around them. The product, EcoClean, will first be used commercially at the new Electronic Recyclers International (ERI) facility in Badin, N.C. … [continued]
As far as I’m aware, we haven’t written about dye-sensitized solar cells in years. But I ran across this article below on a potential breakthrough in the dye-sensitized solar cell arena and thought it might interest you all. Here’s the full article, from ResearchSEA: Dye-sensitized solar cells that use … [continued]
It’s chore day. You’ve raked the leaves, taken out the recycling, and emptied out the old junk in your garage. But wait — don’t toss it all out! You have all the ingredients for your very own homemade solar system.
Vitamin B12 could replace platinum as a catalyst in fuel cells, and that could lead to a new generation of emission free, low cost hydrogen fuel cells for cars and other vehicles. Aside from helping to reduce the use of petroleum-fueled vehicles, cheaper fuel cells could also help ease some … [continued]
Researchers at the University of Arkansas, and Arkansas State, have been developing solar cells that use alternatives to silicone for space applications. Projected efficiencies are over 40%. New funding has just been announced.
The field of solar energy is changing rapidly, with new research, ideas, and results abounding on all sides. One of the many frontiers is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (also known as ETH Zurich, for brevity), where researchers are exploring nanotechnology and the production of hydrogen directly from sunlight.
An international scientific team has announced creating hydrogen using ambient temperatures and pressure through a combination of sunlight and ethanol.
The aluminum giant Alcoa is launching a new self-cleaning building material that can help decompose airborne pollutants that stick to surfaces, much the same as trees and other plants do. The new material, a pre-coated architechtural panel called “Reynobond with EcoClean,” is the result of a collaboration between Alcoa and the
