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Audi will use solar panels to help power its future EVs
When you think of electric vehicles, you probably imagine Tesla's Supercharger, or gas station-like centers where you go to top off the voltage. There's another idea, though, that makes a lot of sense: sun energy. AltaDevices, a subsidiary of Hanergy that makes thin, flexible solar panels, is working with Audi to bring the power of solar to your car's sunroof. The first prototype should be developed by the end of this year.
Alta Devices claims world's lightest, most efficient military solar chargers
Alta Devices has already laid claim to one solar charging-related record, now it's claiming to add world's lightest to its list of selling points. The company is still touting its mats as the most efficient (though, there are some valid challenges to that claim), but it's adding portability and versatility to its resume. It's smallest military model weighs just four ounces, is roughly the size of a sheet of paper and delivers 10 watts of juice while meeting all the requisite durability standards. There's also a larger 20 watt, eight-ounce version that the company claims can keep a soldier supplied with power all day in strong sunlight. The next step is to put these light, efficient cells in unmanned drones and, hopefully, consumer electronics. For a bit more check out the PR and video after the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Two US startups break solar efficiency records, aim to light up your life
Two US startups are breaking solar efficiency records in their quest to bring clean, cost-effective, eco-friendly energy to a power grid near you. Alta Devices, based in Santa Clara, CA, has achieved a 23.5 percent efficiency rating with its standard solar panel, while Semprius, a Durham, NC company, has achieved a rating of 33.9 percent with its concentrated photovoltaic offering -- besting the previous records of 22.9 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Interestingly enough, both outfits chose to utilize a new material to construct their sun-sopping cells: gallium arsenide. The material, while more expensive, is better suited for absorbing the sun's energy, especially when compared to silicon, the cheaper element typically used. Alta and Semprius are looking to proliferate solar power by further refining the technology, making its price per kilowatt equivalent to that of fossil fuels without the use of government subsides. Here comes the sun...
