Earth Abundant Solar

IBM has developed a new solar cell technology that utilizes earth abundant materials to drive down the currently high cost of photovoltaics. They recently published their findings in Advanced Materials and, while they are not looking to go into production of solar cells, would like to partner with solar cell manufacturers to demonstrate the technology.

These new cells utilize Copper (Cu), Tin (Sn), Zinc (Zn), Sulfur (S) and/or Selenium (Se) which are comparatively more abundant than the Copper (Cu), Indium (In), Gallium (Ga), and Selenium (Se) that typical film cells use. These innovations still maintain pretty decent efficiency at 9.6%, a 40% increase over previous attempts to make solar cells of similar materials.

“Other solar cells which perform at similar efficiency levels are comprised of materials that have been either too costly to produce or contain elements that could limit production capacity, or have poor prospects for further improvements in efficiency, making commercialization and wide usage less likely,” said Thomas Theis, director of physical sciences at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Lab, in a blog post.

With some additional research and innovation, the new solar technology could become an economically viable alternative to current solar methods. This would require a boost in efficiency to 12% but the long-term manufacturing potential is much greater as the materials used are abundant enough to meet our rising need for alternative energy.

Via Treehugger and cnet.

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Beam Down, Lower Costs

Standard solar power towers have been working fantastically and have proven to be an efficient and eco-friendly source of energy. It, however, can get better. A new and improved system that utilizes primarily the same solar energy attaining method is in the works at the Masdar Institute, the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Cosmo Oil.

Instead of building heat capturing systems at the top of large towers, which results in very expensive construction due to more intense fluid pumping, an extra set of mirrors will be used to direct captured light down towards the ground to be caught in a liquid filled tank under the tower. The fluid boils to about 500 degrees Celsius and subsequently goes through the general process of generating electricity.

Because of the extra step in the solar thermal process, efficiency is reduced by 15 to 19 percent. Improvements are sure to occur with further research. On the other hand, energy and cost in construction and processing are also reduced because fluids do not have to be pumped up into a high tower.

Mateo Chiesa, a researcher and professor at the Masdar Institute, estimates that the shorter, beam down tower prototype will generate about 100 kilowatts of power. Masdar hopes to be the first to gear this sort of solar thermal tower commercially.

This project is in its early, prototyping phases. Be sure to keep an eye out for further beam down news.

Via ecogeek and Greentech Media.

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Harnessing Human Power

Nanotechnology researchers at Caltech and Princeton have developed a new piezoelectric material capable of harnessing energy from movements as small as breathing. Piezoelectric refers to materials that generate electricity when pressure is applied. The new material, PZT or lead zirconate titanate, is a ceramic material that is made into nano-strips so small 100 fit side-by-side in a millimeter. The PZT is then embedded into silicone rubber chips which can generate power for small electric devices.

While other piezoelectric materials are currently available, such as quartz, what sets PZT apart is its remarkable efficiency. Able to convert 80% of the mechanical energy applied to it into electric energy, PZT can revolutionize power sources for electronic devices. The scientists have envisioned not only applying it to shoes to charge cell phones, a more obvious consumer application, but also see it being placed next to the lungs to generate power for pacemakers. This application would virtually eliminate the need for repeat surgeries to replace pacemaker batteries. McAlpine, a Princeton researcher on the project says, “You don’t generate that much power from walking or breathing, so you want to harness it as efficiently as possible.” PZT certainly seems capable of that feat.

Via cnet and ecogeek.

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From Photosynthesis to Photovoltaics

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found a way to grow photovoltaic cells using tobacco. According to their recently published article in Nano Letters, Matt Francis and his team have developed a method of tweaking the genetic material of the tobacco mosaic virus to create chromophores, tiny molecular structures that turn light into high powered electrons.

The team tweaks the virus and sprays it over a crop of adult tobacco plants where it takes over cell function to create the tightly coiled chromophore structures. Normally, the virus would hijack the cells to replicate itself. The scientists have capitalized on this natural ability and reworked the genetics of the virus to their advantage. The chromophore structure is hundreds of nanometers long and about three nanometers away from its neighbor. The spacing matters. One atom closer and the electrical current would be hindered. One atom farther apart and the structures would be impossible to harvest.

“Over billions of years, evolution has established exactly the right distances between chromophore to allow them to collect and use light from the sun with unparalleled efficiency,” said Matt Francis. “We are trying to mimic these finely tuned systems using the tobacco mosaic virus.”

The tobacco is then harvested and cut up into little pieces and the chromophores are extracted and dissolved in a liquid solution. That solution can then be sprayed on various substrates that have been coated to make them stick.

While the biodegradable photovoltaic cells are not as efficient and will not last as long as their synthetic counterparts, they do not require any harmful chemicals to produce and are a potentially much cheaper alternative. The genetic technology has other uses on the horizon as well. Photosynthesis naturally captures sunlight and turns it into chemical energy. While this current development creates electricity from the sun’s energy, it is possible to create photochemical cells that will turn the light into high powered hydrocarbons for use as fuel for cars or airplanes.

The technology promises to have huge impacts on our energy uses as well as the agricultural industry, putting out of work farmers to work harvesting large tobacco crops. Commercial production is still years in the future and the scientists have yet to demonstrate that the cells can turn light into chemical or electrical energy, though they hope to do so soon.

Via Treehugger and Discovery News.

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Nanosys is Working to Improve LED Light Quality

Image via Treehugger.

Nanosys is currently working on LED technology that will greatly improve the quality of light produced. They describe it as “spectrum engineering for LCD device displays using Nanosys’ QuantumRail™, where high-brightness applications call for improved color gamut, saturation and power efficiency from LED sources.” Using nanotechnology, fluids are created out of semiconductor materials, which are then layered over blue LED lights, the most energy efficient of the hues. All colors displayed will be more vivid and just as energy efficient as present LED technology.

With the advancements made, Nanosys has discovered how to produce LEDs in any color that are far more saturated than current LED-backlit LCD displays and in warmer tones. Standard blue LEDs are used with the addition of a nanomaterial based phosphor material to create warm white lights, a process nature uses that provides a greater wavelength range. They claim that energy input can remain low while boosting picture quality.

Nanoysys CEO, Jason Hartlove, estimates that we will see around 60% of notebooks made in 2010 utilizing LED backlights. With mandates such as the ones in California, the television market is also sure to jump on a technology that creates displays of higher picture quality without consuming additional energy.

Via Treehugger.

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Starck Wind Power For Your Home

Philippe Starck, known for his chic hotels, high-tech lamps and modern-style furniture, has now applied his renowned design aesthetic to domestic wind turbines. The designer unveiled two high-tech turbines for your home in Milan on Wednesday after two years of research and work.

The turbines will be produced by Italy’s Pramac, which makes power generation equipment and will come in two models of varying power generation capacity and expense. The first, a clear quadrangular model (400W WT), looks like a rectangular version of Dyson’s recently announced blade-less fan. It will generate 400 watts of power and cost 2,500 euros or $3,515. The second, a helicoidal model (1KW WT) will be able to generate 1 KW of power and cost 3,500 euros or $4,921.

“We have to help people to produce energy, to be part of the fight,” Starck said at the unveiling in Milan. “Energy should not be a punishment, we should create a desire (among people to produce it).” Starck reverses the typical “not in my backyard” response to wind power and has designed these turbines to become backyard fixtures perfect for your garden or roof.

Via Inhabitat and Reuters.

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Hot Rod Hi-Heel for the Urban Feminist

Images from xClinic

The shoe market is swarmed with high-performance shoe options designed to tone and improve posture as you walk. Now introducing the Hot Rod Hi-Heel. This high-performance high heel is under development at the xClinic, a NYU affiliate based in Manhattan. It is the only extreme sports shoe of its kind, designed specifically for the working woman.

A collaboration with carbon fiber jewelry designer Adam Weeks, fashion designer Diana Baltazar and product designer Natalie Jeremijenko (xClinic) the shoe uses a spring-action carbon fiber heel to increase shock absorption and specific energy return. Developed in combination with an iPhone application that measures these improvements, the shoe delivers over an 80% energy return in joules to the body and a 40% increase in stride length.

Due to many recent layoffs, today for the first time ever there are more women in the work force than men, only 40 years ago that number was only 30%. The Hot Rod Hi-Heel is an intelligent footwear choice for these women fulfilling multiple roles in society as professionals and care givers. Hijacking the theories of third wave feminism, the xClinic wishes to re-energize the sheer force of a constrained achilles tendon.

To learn more, visit the xClinic website.

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An Adjustably Bright Idea

Sharp’s new line of LED lamps with shade options.

Sharp Corporation is making brilliant changes, literally, with their new line of LED lamps for use at home. The Japanese market has welcomed nine models of lamps, one of which features a bulb with an adjustable color function with a remote control! Users can choose the shades of the emitted light between 7 different warmer and cooler versions of white according to the weather, season, or other preference, making these LEDs high in energy efficiency. And saving energy means reduced CO2 emissions and less consumption of electricity. In fact, the estimated cost of running one of the offered models for 11 hours is one yen (that’s one cent in America).

It will also be incredibly easy to replace ordinary lamps because these bulbs all feature the standard screw-in base and will be able to fit ordinary incandescent lamp sockets. In addition, the service life of these lamps is 40 times longer than that of ordinary incandescent lamps (40,000 hours). If used for 10 hours a day, these bulbs would still not need to be replaced until 10 years later.

Other characteristics of the new Sharp LED lamps are lead-free solder, no bromine specific flame-retardant agents, and it promises to be free of mercury.

Sharp released these LED lamps on July 15, 2009 in Japan, starting around $40 US.

Via Engadget and Sharp’s Press Release.

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