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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 133

Jul 22, 2023

Bifacial solar cells could produce more energy at lower costs

Posted by in categories: chemistry, nanotechnology, solar power, sustainability

According to scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a bifacial perovskite solar cell holds the potential to produce higher energy yields at lower overall costs.

The bifacial solar cell captures direct sunlight on the front and reflected sunlight on the back. As a result, this type of device can outperform its monofacial counterparts, according to the new study.

“This perovskite cell can operate very effectively from either side,” said Kai Zhu, a senior scientist in the Chemistry and Nanoscience Center at NREL and lead author of a new paper.

Jul 22, 2023

Harvesting large-scale raindrop energy using solar panel technology

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

Paving a potential industrial approach for effectively harvesting raindrop energy at a large scale.

Jul 22, 2023

MIT Scientists Turn Seawater to Drinking Water With the Push of a Button

Posted by in categories: mobile phones, particle physics, solar power, sustainability

Now that’s something mach can use.


MIT researchers have recently developed a portable desalination unit that can remove particles and salts to turn seawater into drinking water.

Continue reading “MIT Scientists Turn Seawater to Drinking Water With the Push of a Button” »

Jul 21, 2023

Researchers make progress toward a new environmentally friendly nanomaterial that could revolutionize electronic devices

Posted by in categories: chemistry, nanotechnology, solar power, sustainability

A team of researchers from the Instituto de Carboquímica of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has made a remarkable step forward in the development of efficient and sustainable electronic devices. They have found a special combination of two extraordinary nanomaterials that successfully results in a new hybrid product capable of turning light into electricity, and vice-versa, faster than conventional materials.

The research is published in the journal Chemistry of Materials.

This consists of a one-dimensional conductive polymer called polythiophene, ingeniously integrated with a two-dimensional derivative of graphene known as graphene oxide. The unique features exhibited by this hybrid material hold incredible promise for improving the efficiency of optoelectronic devices, such as smart devices screens, and solar panels, among others.

Jul 21, 2023

Origami-inspired folding solar-powered light that charges your phone

Posted by in categories: mobile phones, sustainability

Innovative solar-powered light has helped earthquake victims around the world and now comes with phone-charging function.

As a little girl growing up in Seoul, Korea and then upstate New York, inventor Alice Min Soo Chun spent days with her mother learning origami and how a simple fold could become structured.

She went on to study Architecture at Penn State and earned her Masters at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jul 21, 2023

New device turns sunlight into hydrogen with record efficiency

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

As we strive towards a more sustainable future, it’s becoming increasingly important to find innovative ways to decarbonize industry and facilitate clean energy storage.

One promising approach is the manufacture of valuable products and fuels using available, low-cost feedstocks like water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and solar energy. By harnessing the power of these abundant resources, we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

In a similar effort, Rice University engineers have developed a device that can turn sunlight into hydrogen with record-breaking efficiency – a significant step forward for clean energy. The device combines next-generation halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts in a single, durable, cost-effective, and scalable device.

Jul 21, 2023

Tesla is the next Apple and its valuation could soar by another $190 billion, Wedbush says

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Shares in Elon Musk’s EV maker could hit $350, analyst Dan Ives wrote in a new research note following its second-quarter results.

Jul 20, 2023

Extracting a Clean Fuel From Water — A Groundbreaking Low-Cost Catalyst

Posted by in categories: climatology, sustainability

A plentiful supply of clean energy is lurking in plain sight. It’s the hydrogen that can be extracted from water (H2O) using renewable energy. Researchers are on the hunt for cost-effective strategies to generate clean hydrogen from water, with an aim to displace fossil fuels and battle climate change.

Hydrogen is a potent source of power for vehicles, emitting nothing more than water. It also plays a crucial role in several industrial processes, particularly in the production of steel and ammonia. The use of cleaner hydrogen in these industries would be extremely beneficial.

A multi-institutional team led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has developed a low-cost catalyst for a process that yields clean hydrogen from water. Other contributors include DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as well as Giner Inc.

Jul 20, 2023

‘World’s largest sundial’ could generate nearly 400,000 kWh of electricity every year

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

The project, called the Arch of Time, will stand 100 feet tall and generate enough solar power every year to offset 40 Texans’ home energy use.

Berlin architect Riccardo Mariano has designed an innovative new project for the city of Houston, Texas, that will generate nearly 400,000 kWh of electricity every year while acting as a public sundial.

The project, named the Arco del Tiempo (Arch of Time), will be a 100-foot-tall triumphal archway that will serve as the gateway to the city’s East End, part of the Second Ward district for the city. It will have a roof covered in photovoltaic modules to produce electricity as well.

Jul 20, 2023

Elon Musk commits $1 billion toward building Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, supercomputing, sustainability, transportation

It should be ready by the end of 2024 but can we take Musk’s word at face value when it comes to deadlines?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has committed to spending a billion dollars to build the Dojo supercomputer over the next year, Bloomberg.

Continue reading “Elon Musk commits $1 billion toward building Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer” »