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Stacking solar cells leads to more efficient energy collection, lower bills
Thanks to the efforts of a North Carolina-based company, solar panels are about to get a lot more efficient. Semprius produces the collection devices by stacking materials on top of each other in order to catch more frequencies of light. In the process, cell stacking boosted efficiency to around 45 percent during tests. The new tech can be produced quickly using cells that are one millimeter across to reduce cooling needs while combining semiconductor materials and reusing the components cells are grown on. All of that will help Semprius achieve 50 percent efficiency in the next three to five years -- up from the current 25 percent range. Unfortunately, the new method will be quite expensive until demand warrants mass production. However, more efficient collection will lead to lower overall cost in the long run, and make solar power as cheap as that produced by natural gas facilities.
Spray-painted solar cells promise cheap power on seemingly any surface
Scientists have dreamed of painting solar cells to generate energy on just about any surface, but efficiency has been a problem; researchers were happy to get one percent just a couple of years ago. At last, though, it looks like viable paint-on power is close at hand. A team at the University of Sheffield has developed spray-on cells that should be both cheap and capable. The trick is to coat an object in perovskite, a calcium titanium oxide mineral -- it's inexpensive like organic solar cells, but absorbs light nearly as well as silicon.
Solar cells cool themselves to produce more power
Solar power cells need to stay relatively cool for the sake of both efficiency and longevity, but active cooling (like ventilation) isn't practical; it's expensive, and may block the very rays the cells are supposed to collect. To tackle this problem, Stanford University researchers have created a new form of solar cell that cools itself. The technique embeds a pattern of very small cone and pyramid shapes into the collector's silica surface, bouncing hot infrared wavelengths away while letting in the visible light that generates the most energy.
Aston Martin will use solar panels to keep race car drivers cool
What's a fairly low-powered solar panel going to get you on a 600 horsepower car? Plenty, according to Aston Martin, which is set to install one of the roof of a Vantage GTE race car for the World Endurance Championship. The luxury car company said it's not looking at thin-film solar "because it's a green option," but rather as a way to gain an edge over its competitors. Aston Martin will use it it to power the Vantage's air conditioning unit -- à la Toyota's Prius -- which is required by the rules to keep drivers from overheating. That'll take the burden off the car's engine, meaning it'll inhale slightly less gas and thus run longer. The system wasn't ready for the premier race in relatively cool LeMans, France, but will be set to go for the next one in Austin, Texas -- where it can get a tad hotter.
Google wants your help making cheaper, tinier solar power systems
Solar panels have become cheaper and more efficient in recent years, but you can't say the same for the big, costly inverters turning their energy into usable electricity. Google isn't happy with this lack of progress, so it's about to launch the Little Box Challenge, an open competition to build a tiny (and consequently cheaper) solar power inverter. The search giant is promising $1 million to whoever cracks the problem, although it warns that this won't be easy; don't expect to reach a breakthrough in your basement. If someone does produce this miniscule power box, though, it could lead to eco-friendly energy in places where it's currently unaffordable or otherwise impractical -- whether it's a remote village or your own rooftop. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Arizona will get non-stop clean energy from hot air drafts
Many green energy sources only generate power in a narrow range of conditions. Solar panels won't work when it's dark, for instance, and wind turbines are useless when everything is still. If Solar Wind Energy Tower has its way, though, we'll soon get clean electricity around the clock. It recently received permission to build a tower in San Luis, Arizona that produces power through hot air downdrafts; water injected at the top of the tower cools the desert winds, dragging them toward turbines at the bottom. Since it's almost always hot in the area, the plant should run all day and night for much of the year. An ideal summer day could have it churning out a healthy 1,250 megawatts per hour.
Two weeks with Sol's solar-powered laptop
When I showed Sol to my family, they all got a bit confused. My dad asked why I was testing a toolbox for Engadget, while my sister took one look at it and said "Bumblebee." If you peek at the images below, you'll understand why: This solar-powered laptop does resemble a hardware tool case. And yes, it looks like a Transformer too. Nobody would call Sol "sleek." It's big, bulky and measures more than two inches in depth at its thickest part -- a look that calls to mind Panasonic's Toughbook series. Indeed, Sol was designed to be more durable than your average gadget, which makes sense since it's mainly aimed at travelers and field scientists. In fact, everything about it (even the chemical composition of the plastic) was meant to last through heat. It's also durable enough to survive a fall -- good news for Sol's target audience. Compared to other rugged laptops, though, Sol's quite affordable (with a price tag of $375 to $400, depending on the market), as it was designed for use in developing countries. So how is it in use? After two weeks of testing Sol in the Philippines, I'm finally ready to weigh in.
Biggest-ever solar thermal power plant goes online in California
Solar power just hit the big time in the US -- BrightSource Energy has confirmed that the world's largest solar thermal plant, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California, is up and running. The array, also backed by Google and NRG Energy, produces a total 392MW of power through 173,500 multi-mirror units. That's enough to power 140,000 nearby homes, and it represents 30 percent of all the solar thermal energy in the US. The Ivanpah harvester has its drawbacks; with roughly 5.5 square miles of mirrors, it's creating trouble for birds and other nearby wildlife. Even so, it represents an important breakthrough for delivering clean energy on a grand scale.
Heat-sensitive solar cell could lead to much more on-demand energy
It's tough to build solar cells that capture both heat and light -- most of these multi-talented devices can't trap more than one percent of the energy they receive. However, MIT has just blown past that limitation with a prototype chip that absorbs warmth through an outer layer of carbon nanotubes. The tubing heats up photonic crystals so much that they glow with an intense light, giving an attached solar cell more energy than it would collect through sunlight alone. The technology is already efficient enough to extract 3.2 percent of the energy it gets, and MIT believes that it could reach 20 percent with more development. While that's not necessarily more effective than conventional technology, it's much easier to store heat than electricity; a future nanotube-based panel could provide a lot more on-demand energy than we typically get today. There's no estimate for when a finished product might reach the market, but it might not be long before solar panels have plenty of reserve power.
Ikea starts selling residential solar panels in the UK
...Because when you think of Britain, you think of sunny skies. Ikea has started selling solar panels for residential rooftops at its stores in the United Kingdom. The furniture outfit's move into home solar systems (as opposed to sun-powered lighting) was apparently made attractive due to the drop in cost of solar panels, and Ikea's initial offering will set you back £5,700 (about $9,300). For your money, you get a 3.36 kW system, in-store consultation, installation, maintenance and energy monitoring service. Ikea's got plans to sell solar panels in other locales, but according to Ikea Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard, such expansion will be done market by market (so don't expect a worldwide rollout). Hey Steve, might we suggest your next store to start selling solar be someplace with more than two weeks of sunshine per year?
Insert Coin: OnBeat headphones are powered by rock, the sun
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Granted, they're lacking that ever-important rapper endorsement, but the OnBeats do have one important thing on their side: that giant atom-smashing ball in the sky. The black and orange prototypes feature a solar panel on the headphone band, with a battery in each ear cup. The panel feeds the batteries, which charge your phone via USB. For those times when solar charging isn't an option -- or you just need a full backup battery for a long day -- you can also refill the battery by plugging it directly into the wall. The headphones' Scotland-based creator Andrew Anderson is asking the Kickstarter community for a lofty £200,000, with a little over a month to make up the £197,000 and change. If you want in, a £69 pledge will get you a discounted pair (in the Kickstarter-only black and green), with expected delivery around February of next year. Check out Anderson's video plea after the break, along with some early OnBeat prototypes -- and a sunshiney Spotify playlist to get you started.
America's most sustainable city: A green dream deferred
It sounds like the future. Whirring electric skateboards, the joyous chatter of children in a distant playground and an unusual absence of petrol-powered machinery. It looks like the future, too. Glistening lakes dotting the background, lawns so lush they're mistaken for artwork and an unmistakable reflection from a vast solar farm that doubles as a beacon of unending hope. The reality, however, is starkly different. The depictions here are mere conceptualizations, and the chore of concocting the most Jetsonized habitat this side of Orbit City is daunting in every sense of the word. %Gallery-192890%
Sqigle's Earl tablet brings Android to the wilderness with e-paper, solar power
Although there's no dearth of rugged tablets, most are still built on the assumption that civilization is close at hand. Sqigle, however, suggests that its upcoming Earl tablet could work even if there's no civilization left. The new, crowdfunded Android 4.1 slate centers on a light-up, 6-inch e-paper screen that both extends the battery life to 20 hours and makes the 5 hours of solar-powered recharging sound reasonable -- theoretically, Earl never needs to see a wall outlet. It's also built to do as much as possible without leaning on either WiFi or a PC. Along with both analog and digital radio, the design should incorporate ANT+ sensor support and preloaded topographical maps. The project isn't ideally timed for outdoorsy types when it's expected to reach backers in the late summer, but the $249 advance price is low enough that it might justify a camping trip in the fall.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: flying electric car, 3D-printed livers and a two-story-tall bike
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. The Northern Hemisphere is finally beginning to wake up from a long, cold winter, and green vehicles are taking to the skies. This week Korean automaker Hyundai unveiled a multi-rotor flying electric car for congested cities and SolarWorld and PC-Aero announced plans to launch two new solar-powered electric airplanes at an air show in Germany. Speaking of sun-powered planes, the Solar Impulse just made its final test flight around the San Francisco Bay Area before embarking on a cross-country voyage next week. Even cycling is reaching new heights -- bike hacker Richie Trimble recently built a two-story-tall bike that soars above car traffic.
IBM solar collector will concentrate the power of 2,000 suns, keep its cool
Modern solar collectors can concentrate only so much energy for safety's sake: too much in one place and they risk cooking themselves. An IBM-led group is working on a new collector dish that could avoid that damage while taking a big step forward in solar power efficiency. The hundreds of photovoltaic chips gathering energy at the center will be cooled by the same sort of microchannel water cooling that kept Aquasar from frying, letting each chip safely concentrate 2,000 times the solar energy it would normally face. The collector also promises to do more with sunlight once it's trapped: since the microchannels should absorb more than half of the waste heat, their hot water byproduct can either be filtered into drinkable water or converted into air conditioning. As you might imagine, IBM sees more than just the obvious environmental benefit. When a receiver will generate about 25kW of energy while costing less to make through cheaper mirrors and structures, a fully developed solar array could be an affordable replacement for coal power that delivers greater independence -- picture remote towns that need a fresh water supply. IBM doesn't estimate when we'll see production of these collectors beyond several prototypes, but the finished work will likely be welcome to anyone frustrated by the scalability of current solar energy.
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.
FlipSide case for iPhone packs stealthy game controls, plays on solar power (video)
The perpetual challenge of developing an iPhone-friendly gamepad (or any phone-oriented gamepad) is the bulk, either for a gargantuan case or else a separate controller. If Justice Frangipane's team and iDevices have their way, that clunkiness will be a distant memory. Their proposed FlipSide case for iPhones (we see a prototype here) centers on Bluetooth 4.0 gamepad controls that stay clipped to the back when just checking email, but attach to the front for playtime. They'll save us from hunting down a wall outlet, too; the combination of a sensitive solar cell and a thin film battery from Infinite Power Solutions should keep the case powered up through even indoor lighting. The only real challenge is getting the case produced, as Frangipane is looking for crowdfunding to make the FlipSide a reality. Provided his group makes its donation target, though, there's the prospect of an Android version -- so those who don't play the iOS way could still reap the rewards if they chip in at the source link.
Goal Zero's Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit powers your tech off the grid
A month after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the eastern seaboard of the United States, there are still thousands of people without power to their homes. Fortunately for many of those people, they've been able to charge smartphones and tablets or run appliances temporarily thanks to Goal Zero, a Utah-based company that produces solar generator kits that can energize anything from a single phone to critical medical units depending on the size. A number of Goal Zero's kits have been donated to the relief effort. Goal Zero provided TUAW with a prototype Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit (US$449.99) that can provide you with off-the-grid energy for your tech equipment. Let's take a look. Design The Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit provides all three parts of a workable solar power system -- a solar panel, a battery to store the electrical energy created by the panel and a way to get the power from the battery to your device. There are actually three pieces to the kit that give you the functionality you need: the Nomad 13 Solar Panel, which charges the Sherpa 50 Recharger that then distributes the power to your devices. An inverter is also available to power AC devices. The Nomad 13 isn't all that large, but will recharge the Sherpa 50's battery in about five hours. That battery will give your laptop two hours of life or an iPad up to 15 hours of happy computing. The Sherpa 50's battery pack can also be charged from a normal AC wall outlet in about two to three hours or from a car power outlet in four to six hours. This is useful if you plan on using the Sherpa 50 for emergency situations; you'll always be able to have a fully charged battery. Then when the power goes out or you're away from the grid, you can simply use the Nomad 13 solar panel to recharge the battery in about five hours. The Sherpa 50 provides 50 Watt-hours of power. Just as a comparison, Mophie's largest battery pack, the Powerstation PRO, provides only about 6 Watt-hours of power in a pinch. In addition, that Powerstation PRO needs a wall outlet in order to be recharged. Not so with the Sherpa 50, since you can be anywhere there's sunlight and recharge the battery pack. You might think that with all of this available power that the kit is huge. Not so; the Nomad 13 solar panel has an area of 10.5 inches x 9 inches when folded, and with the Recharger put into the net pocket on the back, it's only about 1.5 inches thick. Weight-wise, the entire package (without the AC adapter for recharging) is only three pounds, seven ounces. Functionality The Sherpa 50 is nicely constructed and feels very robust. The case that the Nomad solar panel comes in has hanging loops all the way around, perfect for making sure that the panel gets full sunlight for fast charging. There was a plastic covering over the solar cells that I did not remove since the unit had to be returned at the end of the review. The case has a magnetic closure that holds the folding panel closed when in a backpack. Unzipping the net pocket on the back of the panel reveals a junction box that includes a USB port if you wish to try to charge or run a device directly from the sun without using the Sherpa's battery. A color-coded 12V cable plugs into a port on the back of the Sherpa 50 to charge its battery -- that cable is quite long so that the Sherpa 50 can be placed in the shade while the panels are in full sunlight. There's also a "chain" cable for daisy-chaining up to three more panels for ultra-fast charging. Finally, a fourth cable is used to charge up rechargeable AA batteries in one of Goal Zero's Guide 10 power packs. The Sherpa 50 uses a Lithium-Ion NMC battery pack, and can hold its charge for several months. Goal Zero recommends recharging the pack every three to four months or keeping the pack plugged in between uses. On the back is a bright LED bulb that can be used as a flashlight, as well as a bunch of output ports for various purposes -- 12V, USB and a 19V laptop port. Touching the on/off switch turns the battery pack on and displays the state of charge on a small backlit LCD. That LCD also becomes visible when you plug the Nomad panel into the Sherpa 50 for recharging. The final piece of the kit is the Sherpa's inverter "sidecar" (sold separately), which attaches to the battery pack with one bolt and takes the 12 volt input and produces 110 Volt AC power at up to 65 watts. My first test of the Sherpa 50 was to see if I could run my MacBook Air off of the device for a while. To do this, I plugged the MacBook Air's AC adapter into the outlet on the inverter, flipped the switch to "on" and a few seconds later the charging light came on. Success! Unlike some inverters I've used in the past that make an annoying buzz, the Sherpa was virtually silent. Conclusion The Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit is the complete deal for keeping your technology up and running off the grid. Whether you're planning an adventure to a part of the world where power is unavailable or want to be prepared for situations where the power might be out for extended periods of time, it's a reasonably priced solution that can keep your devices going. Unfortunately, Goal Zero has had to push out availability of the Sherpa 50 kit, and at this time it's not available for order from the company's Web site. If you're interested specifically in the Sherpa 50 kit, I suggest that you visit the company's site on a regular basis to see when it is finally available to the public. I'm seriously considering getting one of these units, although I live in a part of the country where the power company does a great job of keeping the lights on. But I do some volunteer work where I need the ability to charge or power devices -- an iPad, a camera and a low-power amateur radio transceiver -- and may not always have access to reliable power. The Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit would be perfect for that use case. Pros Lightweight and compact Ability to charge just about any consumer electronic device Even works (although not as fast) in cloudy conditions Battery pack can hold a charge for several months Additional solar panels can be daisy-chained for faster charging Cons Not available for sale at this time Who is it for? Anyone looking for reliable power for consumer electronics devices in remote locations or emergency situations
Marines eye solar energy to eliminate dependency on fuel generators (video)
The United States Marines are already using solar panels to reduce their reliance on fuel generators, but by 2025, the few and proud hope eliminate the diesel-chugging monstrosities entirely. The Office of Naval Research has announced new partnerships with Raytheon, Battelle and Emcore to develop a transportable hybrid system that would leverage solar energy, heat and biofuel to power a Marine outpost for up to 15 days. Not only would these systems run much quieter, but they'd also reduce the need for fuel supply convoys, which are prime targets for attack in battle settings. Currently, researchers are tossing around ideas such as combining a Stirling engine with a satellite-shaped solar concentrator. As is, however, solar concentrators are considered too large for effective transportation. These efforts will take place under Renewable Sustainable Expeditionary Power program, which will keep yearly tabs on the progress of partner companies. To learn more, you'll find an overview video and press release after the break.
Cupertino posts tweaked Apple spaceship campus plans as launch risks slipping to 2016
Have you wanted as direct a look as possible at Apple's latest plans for its spaceship-like campus? You've got it -- although you may not be in love with the reason why. Details posted by the city of Cupertino reflect a potential delay in an environmental impact study that might not wrap up until June 2013. If the analysis takes that long, Apple may have to push back the halo-shaped office's opening until 2016, roughly a year later than expected. It's hard to be sympathetic when most of those who'll see the campus first-hand will have to wear an employee badge; even so, it's slightly disappointing to realize that the renderings and schematics at the source link may be our only only glimpse at the company's solar-powered donut for quite awhile.
