BUSINESS – Page 10 – Solar Magazine

A new record efficiency for solar cells

Always scientists around the world have been trying to create a low cost solar cell that is both efficient and easy to manufacture.

The purpose is to make solar energy affordable for the common people.

Swiss researchers from Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology’s (EMPA) Laboratory for Thin Film and Photovoltaics have established a new world record efficiency of 18.7% for flexible copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGGS) solar cells on plastics.

This new discovery has the potential to lower the cost of solar energy drastically because they are cheaper to produce and this latest breakthrough brings them closer to the highest efficiency levels achieved by crystalline silicon and rigid CIGS cells.

These highly efficient solar cells will drop the cost of solar energy and make them ideal for use in demanding applications such as solar facades and portable electronic devices.

Google invest $55 million in Mojave Desert

The wind power industry of California received a boost when Google Inc. announced its decision to invest $55 million in a large Mojave Desert wind farm.

By this investment the state made an important step to regain its number one position in the world in field of wind power energy production.

Google is involved in many projects related to renewable energy because it needs huge amount of electricity to run its vast datacenters.

The internet search giant has taken up the above mentioned project in partnership with Citibank which is also investing an equal amount, i.e. $55 million.

The wind farm will produce 1.5 gigawatts which will power 450.000 homes.

This initiative will create green jobs in Kern County which is struggling with 17.5 percent unemployment.

Intersolar Europe 2011

Intersolar 2011 will take place in June 8-10 in Munich, Germany.

This year Intersolar Europe expects about 2.000 international exhibitors to fill the 165.000 square meter exhibition space.

The exhibition will span a total of 15 exhibition halls, three more than last year.

The organizers expect 2.500 participants.

Special Exhibition PV Energy World, a new feature, will address the possibilities of PV grid integration.

It will also present the German energy mix of the future and the role PV is expected to play in it.

The accompanying program will complement the variety of innovations on display in the areas of photovoltaic, PV production technology and solar thermal technology.

Professionals from industry, commerce and trade, suppliers and institutions expected a larger program with conferences, seminars, workshops and lectures on the latest industry trends and teaching of practical know-how.

Intersolar Europe as a world-leading makes this a specific, personal exchange of valuable information on products, markets and services.

Japan wants a solar powered nation

After all the disasters, Japan is still optimistic to achieve a nuclear free eco-system.

Japan has a new plan for a solar powered nation by 2030.

Japan is soon going to begin a universal solar panel initiative for all their structures in the time frame of 20 years.

There are plans to make solar panels for all residential and commercial buildings in the country.

We hope that Japan’s ambition to become reality.

Wind power could be stored in water under Germany’s mountains

Germany hopes to meet the country’s electricity demands only with renewable sources by 2050.

This ambitious dream reflects on their green investment particularly in the fields of solar and wind energy.

Germany plans to store energy generated by wind turbines in water pump storage facilities under the mountains.

This first project in the world is made after a Marko Schmidt study.

The study was to build a plant in the abandoned Wiemannsbucht mine shaft in Bad Grund, a town in the western Harz Mountains.

Pumped-storage hydroelectricity plants work by using power from solar or wind turbine sources to pump water from one tank to another above it.

When the sun goes in or the wind stops blowing and electricity is needed, the water from the top is released to the bottom tank – pushing through turbines as it goes and generating power.

Six of such large scale projects have been proposed for the West Harz region.

The first one will be in Bad Grund and will have the storage capacity of 400 megawatt hours, which is sufficient to allocate power to over 40,000 households per day.

This project has a lot of advantages because such plants can be constructed in abandoned mine-shafts and also the provision of additional green jobs.

The new generation of green rocket

U.S. military researchers have developed a new generation of green rocket fuel.

The new green rocket fuel emits less corrosive and toxic chemicals than the conventional rocket propellants.

Typical rocket fuel is very toxic and creates environmental pollution because the fuel has a structure of propellant which contains high grade kerosene, rubber and chemicals like hydrazine, nitrogen tetroxide and nitrous oxide.

‘One of the important requirements in the development of less hazardous liquid bipropellants for rocket propulsion is reduced vapor toxicity of oxidizer and fuel,’ says propellants expert John Bellerby of Cranfield University, UK.

Also Bellerby adds that hydrogen peroxide is an attractive low-hazard alternative oxidizer and finding a fuel with low vapor toxicity that is hypergolic with this oxidizer and also produces a high performance has proved difficult.

Repeated tests have proved the hypergolicity of the hydrogen rich ionic-liquid fuels with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizing agent, which can be considered as green bipropellants for the future.

This type of ionic liquids as the pioneer in liquid bi propellants and in the future and will bring out better and green performances.

Top 10 clean energy states in U.S.

Promoting green technology is on the rise.

An extensive study released Wednesday by consulting firm Clean Edge offers some results.

The survey used more than 3,500 data points to evaluate all 50 states in the U.S.

Factors for evaluating each state included: the amount of green-tech related patent activity; the amount of green-tech venture capital being invested; the number of alternative fuel, electric, and hybrid vehicles registered in the state; and the percentage of electricity produced from clean sources.

The following states are ranked in the Top 10 for leading in green tech:

1.   California
2.   Oregon
3.   Massachusetts
4.   New York
5.   Colorado
6.   Washington
7.   New Mexico
8.   Minnesota
9.   Connecticut
10. Vermont

California has the most money for backing up all those green-tech projects and has some of the most progressive environmental policies.

The state attracts more green-tech venture capital than all the other states in the U.S. combined.
California is also leading in clean-energy:

1.   California
2.   Massachusetts
3.   Oregon
4.   Colorado
5.   New Jersey
6.   Connecticut
7.   New York
8.   Maryland
9.   Washington
10. Minnesota

Floating stadium in Qatar

The German architectural firm Stadium Concept has developed a new prototype for the FIFA World Cup 2022 the Floating Stadium.

This amazing construction was developed keeping in view the importance of maximizing the use of financial resources, and also it has an ecological balance.

This floating stadium can be relocated to seaside venues across the oceans.

Unlike traditional stadiums this one comes with highly efficient mechanism of renewable energy systems like the hydro-power, wind and solar energy systems, making it dependent on nature friendly processes to meet its energy requirements.

The floating stadium is structured on multi-levels and it has the base comprises of a floating disk.

The level above would have the stadium access, and will serve as the level of the sports pitch. Around the pitch level, would be the main structure of the stadium bowl, meant for housing the audience.

Above the stadium bowl, would be the stadium roof, which would act as the main cover for the whole structure.

This concept can be transported around the globe, which is a good choice for investors.

Empower your iPhone with the solar window charger

Solar energy undoubtedly is one of the best eco-friendly discoveries in the world.

The XD Design solar window charger uses the solar energy to the optimum level.

This window charger can be attached to the window easily and it comes with a small as well as big USB output.

The charger works on a simple mechanism – the outside body catches the sunlight and the smoothly designed inside charges the gadget.

It comes with a 1400mAh rechargeable lithium battery and a mini usb cable and costs a whopping 49, 90 €.

It’s made of plastic and weighs a light 0.135 kg.

This small solar gadget is a wonderful eco-friendly product and am sure many households would welcome such a product with open arms.

With the rising problems in electricity supply and burning of non-recyclable energies, solar energy seems to be a superb way out.

Beauty always comes with a price.

Green kitchen system powered by solar energy

Whenever we think of kitchen appliances, numerous contraptions like refrigerators, stoves and ovens come to our minds.

But what if there was a conception that included all of these mechanisms into a single exclusive system? Well, Iran’s Milad Taleghani has exactly conceptualized that, and rather notched up a green level by envisaging this system to be powered by clean solar energy.

Christened as the Funva, this avant-garde appliance (already runners-up in LG conceptual life contest, 2011) will feature a plethora of kitchen friendly attributes.

The artistic form of Funva goes along practical lines, as the collective element is conspicuous in the whole system.

One end of the sole-shaped table features the main control panel (the ‘kitchen’s heart’ according to the creator).

This panel is the major component that is fed by the house solar system, and it will comprise of numerous features that range from solar lighting fixtures, cooking system, dishwashers to even holographic displays and digital color pallet.

The other end of this table is incorporated with a small refrigerator and flanked by futuristic seating arrangements.

Mirroring the collective element of the design, Taleghani has also thought of kitchen walls as giant LED screens.

One can fascinatingly change the colors of LEDs and, in effect, of the walls by controlling aforementioned digital color pallet.

So at the end of the day, we have an advanced appliance that caters to all kitchen considerations by itself, albeit with a clean, sustainable demeanor.