US Space Force To Test New Tough-As-Nails Solar Array
A new durable, lightweight space solar array from the US startup Atomic-6 is getting a workout from the US Space Force.
solar research
Scientists Aim To Improve Solar Cells With Nanomaterials
NREL Researchers Are Studying Structures 10,000 Times Thinner Than Paper To Improve Solar Energy, Advance Computers, & Capture Energy From Unexpected Sources
New Solution For Cooling Solar Panels
A new technique for cooling solar panels has been under development in Egypt. A mixture of water, aluminum oxide, and calcium chloride hexahydrate cools the PV modules from underneath.
Leading Australian Solar Experts Warn Of Cutting Grant Funding
Two of Australia’s leading solar experts have warned of the dangers in cutting grant funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Australia’s two top solar researchers, Martin Green from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and Andrew Blakers from the Australian National University (ANU), have called on both the … [continued]
India To Propose Global Collaboration In Solar Power R&D To Cut Costs
In an attempt to boost its image as a global leader in the solar power market, India is planning to propose a collaboration among nations to promote research and development with an aim to reduce costs. The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has floated this idea among his council on … [continued]
Surprises In NREL State Study Of Where Solar Is Most Economical
Originally published on Solar Love. State by state, the effects of going solar are influenced by much more than how much the state naturally enjoys sunshine throughout the year. Going solar, according to new research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, might be a more beneficial economic energy choice in states one does not expect … [continued]
Self-Healing Solar Cells — Vascular Channels Based On Plant Leaves Allow For Self-Healing In New…
Self-healing solar cells — possessing “vascular” networks similar to those in plant leaves — have now been created by researchers from North Carolina State University. The new solar cells are able to effectively and inexpensively restore themselves to optimal functioning thanks to their possession of a “network of channels” which … [continued]
More Sustainable Solar Cells From Cobalt
More environmentally friendly and cheaper solar cells could be manufactured using cobalt, new research as found. Researchers from the University of Basel have developed a copper-based, dye-sensitized solar cell where the expensive (and relatively rare) element iodine has been replaced by the much more common element cobalt. The new Cu-Co … [continued]
Flexible Solar Cells, Transistors, & Displays May Get Boost From Transparent Electrode
Flexible solar cells are certainly fun. New research from Purdue University may give them a boost. Here’s the news: WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Researchers have created a new type of transparent electrode that might find uses in solar cells, flexible displays for computers and consumer electronics and future “optoelectronic” circuits … [continued]
University of Utah metallurgical engineers Prashant Sarswat and Michael Free used an old office microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor named CZTS that is made from cheaper, less toxic materials than other semiconductors and holds promise for more efficient solar power cells and lighting by LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, as well as sensors for medical tests and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.
Image Credit: Lee J. Siegel, University of Utah
Solar Cell Material Created From Microwave Oven
Another fun solar science story, this one via the University of Utah: University of Utah metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and … [continued]
