Energy
Technologies for sustainable and renewable energy
Using Superconducting Tape Could Dramatically Lower Wind Turbine Costs
Written by Peter, on November 26, 2018
The EcoSwing project, funded by the European Union,is aiming to demonstrate a dramatically lower cost, lightweight wind turbine drivetrain using superconducting ceramic tape instead of rare earth elements. Read more »
New Turbine Design Captures Wind from Any Direction
Written by Peter, on September 6, 2018
Two MSc students at Lancaster University, have developed a rotating wind turbine which, unlike conventional wind turbines, can take advantage of both horizontal and vertical winds without requiring steering. Read more »
Pink Greenhouses That Generate Electricity
Written by Peter, on May 2, 2018
Researchers from the University of California-Santa Cruz have shown that greenhouses made with a special pink glass can control temperature and generate solar electricity at the same time. Read more »
New Superconducting Material Brings Nuclear Fusion Closer
Written by Peter, on March 14, 2018
Engineers at Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have predicted that using a new superconducting material will allow nuclear fusion power to be supplied to the grid within 15 years. Read more »
Discovery Could Significantly Boost Solar Cell Efficiency
Written by Peter, on January 24, 2018
Researchers at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science have made a discovery that could lead to significantly boosted solar cell efficiency. Read more »
Halogens Improve Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Performance by 25%
Written by Peter, on December 22, 2017
Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of North Carolina have shown that using halogens in a dye-sensitized solar cell can increase conversion efficiency by 25%. Read more »
Fractal Designs Improve Concentrating Solar
Written by Peter, on October 26, 2017
Sandia National Laboratories engineers have developed new fractal-like, concentrating solar power receivers for small- to medium-scale use that are up to 20% more effective at absorbing sunlight than current technology. Read more »
Inflatable Concentrated Solar System Halves Costs
Written by Peter, on October 14, 2017
An Austrian company, Heliovis, has developed an inflatable cylindrical thermal concentrator which concentrates sunlight onto a central thermal receiver, similarly to a parabolic trough, but at a much lower cost. Read more »
Renewed Interest in Thorium Nucler Reactors
Written by Peter, on September 13, 2017
Thorium has long held promise for safer nuclear power. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States designed and built a demonstration molten salt reactor and operated it from 1965 to 1969. There is now renewed interest in thorium technology around the world. Read more »
Solar Glass Bricks
Written by Peter, on September 13, 2017
Build Solar, a spin-off from the University of Exeter in the UK, has been set up to market an innovative solar glass block technology. Read more »
