This post was first published on Solar Love. It is common knowledge that if your solar panels can track the sun, their energy output can increase by as much as 30–40%. In spite of this, only a small number of solar PV installations use trackers. Mostly, the problem is that sun … [continued]
New research from Arizona State University has raised the issue of climate-proofing the United States’ electricity infrastructure due to possible negative impacts from climate change presently taking place. According to EurekAlert, two Arizona State University engineers contend the electricity generation and distribution infrastructure in the Western United States must be … [continued]
The algae company Heliae has been focusing on high-value products, but its ramped-up production process could mean a bright future for algae biofuel.
Originally published on Rocky Mountain Institute. By Stephen Abbott Colleges and universities have always been focal points of change. The mixture of academic research, student activism, and institutional clout has allowed campus communities to promote widespread technical and social transformations. During the last few years, a few of these institutions … [continued]
Aora Solar’s TulipTM System is a groundbreaking technology that can provide clean power 24/7 with none of the intermittency of other large-scale solar developments. It’s also gorgeous. The technology is founded on reflecting mirrors that track the sun and concentrate the sun’s energy into the receiving tower: It’s a fairly … [continued]
Originally published on Rocky Mountain Institute. By Rebecca Cole. This week, RMI kicks off eLab Accelerator, our bootcamp for electricity innovation. More than 100 participants from across the country are rolling up their sleeves to make rapid and targeted progress on the trickiest issues they’re facing. Across the electricity sector, stakeholders are … [continued]
The technology of artificial photosynthesis has cleared a major hurdle in its development — researchers from Arizona State University and Argonne National Laboratory have identified and addressed one of the primary limitations in their design of a functional artificial leaf. The creation of a functional artificial leaf — one capable … [continued]
Originally published on Solar Love. US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz this week announced $30 million of support for 12 more unique, hybrid solar projects through the ARPA-E program. Actually, it’s through a program within that program — the Full-Spectrum Optimized Conversion and Utilization of Sunlight (FOCUS) program, “which is aimed at developing new … [continued]
Gallium is already on its way to becoming the workhorse of the solar tech field, and now it looks like the soft metal is is on track to become a thoroughbred. A team of US scientists has hit upon an improved method for growing indium gallium nitride (InGaN) crystals that … [continued]
Arizona is already staking out a leadership position in solar power, and now it’s looking to take the algae biofuel field by storm with a new $8 million Energy Department grant to the University of Arizona. The funding will enable UA to fine tune its proprietary algae farming system and … [continued]
