Category: Technology

Portland,Oregon-based company Volta Volaré has built a new hybrid aircraft.

The prototype GT4 airplane uses green energy due to the fact that it is hybrid.

The aircraft has a hybrid powertrain, powered by batteries and backed up with a gasoline engine. The plane can fly 300 miles on battery alone.

With a power supply drop to 25%, the gasoline engines automatically recharge the batteries.

All in all, the prototype could change in a good and efficient way the aviation industry takes electricity-powered engines.

Tennessee’s Maryville College has taken the green approach by installing solar powered picnic tables.

The energy from the rooftop solar panels can charge cellphones and laptops. This invention will conveniently cater to the students energy needs.

The company,EnerFusion, installed two Solar Doks on the college’s campus. Maryville College has become the first university or college in Tennessee to have solar  powered tables.

The Solar Doks have three 45 watt photovoltaics and one 100 watt panel.The table and the seat tops have been made from 100 percent recycled materials.

EnerFusion’s Doks are wireless and feature four 110 volt standard GFCI outlets, a 700 lumen LED lighting system and two USB power outlets. The lighting system can be activated by the push of a button.

After Maryville College decision to put these tables on their campus, we expect to see more colleges and universities with Solar Doks on their campuses.

Solar cells have a limited capacity in getting  sunlight and convert it into electric energy.

This limit can now be extended, due to the research team from the University of California, Berkley.

Acording to the researchers solar cells should be made to work like LEDs that will perform the dual function of absorbing as well as emitting light. This way its efficiency will be better and it will produce higher voltage.

The study shows that there was indeed a mathematical connection between the efficiency of solar cells,their absorption and light emitting capacity.Of course you should
know exactly how this system works and what makes it more efficient.

The process begins when photons from the sun hit the electrons and the energy so produced knocks free the electrons to flow freely.Unconnected photons are produced  through a process called luminescence. These unconnected photons have to be released.

Emitting photons will give higher voltage and also greater efficiency. The researchers hope to achieve 30 percent efficiency for solar cells.

Researchers at Colorado State University have been putting their best efforts to design clothes with solar power chargers.

This team of researchers is making apparels using only UV treated natural fiber fabric such as cotton and linen that are durable and of course comfortable to wear.

These are the only apparels that mingle solar power with the natural fibers, without over adorning with solar panels.

It was also discovered that an appropriate choice of fabric and weave of the natural fabrics provides an outstanding shield from harmful UV rays. The outfits will provide a solar source of energy for the electronic devices such as MP3 devices, tablets, computers, laptops and smart phones, which can be charged with the help of the built in solar panels. Also the use of alkaline battery will be reduced.

The project will surely cater to the market needs and it is also take into consideration designs that could be adopted by the road construction workers.

You can have wind turbines on a modern yacht that add a bit of power to its engine and that is exactly what the Zero 80 does, an electric yacht.

The green Yacht uses both solar and wind energy and it’s silent electric motors give a peaceful atmosphere during your cruise.

The luxury yacht is designed by a group of Italian architects. Zero 80 is 24 meters long and its speed is 13 knots.

Zero 80 has photovoltaic panels on its surfaces and gives you green power when you are away from shore.

Sleek, efficient and sporting green technologies, Zero 80 amalgamate comfort with eco consciousness.

Thermata has engineered a high-tech mirror.

Thermata is a new breed green technology that works on cutting down costs of sun tracking mirrors by supplementing it with digital technologies.

Thermata’s sun-tracking heliostat uses a high-definition camera and a wireless network to correct the angle in real time.

Its system uses a camera to detect the angle of heliostats and a mesh network of microprocessors to position each mirror with the ideal tilt.

Thermata’s system is designed to be smaller, lighter, and operate wirelessly.Each mirror is equipped with four small square mirrors raised above the
surface of the heliostat. A camera placed at a distance and out of the glare made by the heliostat takes pictures of the small square mirrors.

Having a smaller heliostat means lower costs.Mounting them will cost lesser, gears made from plastic and employing only two people per heliostat along
with simpler installation represent a plus for customers.

Thermata plans to start beta testing the heliostats this year with potential customers, which are concentrating solar power technology companies.

It is known that solar energy is the most popular form of energy compared to many other forms of alternate energy sources.

One of the most important step that will help in spreading this green energy source far more rapidly among the consumer world will represent an improved ability to convert sunlight into energy.

Scientists at Natcore Tech are well on their way to achieving this step with the first black solar cell that has a reflectance of 0.3  percent.

The black solar cells absorb light more effectively than any other solar cell model. The Black Solar Cell, it can pretty much absorb 99.7 percent of incident light  and only reflects away 0.3 percent of it.

This cells are special because of their ability to produce significantly higher energy on even cloudy days. It is not known the exact efficiency figures of these new  black solar cells but due to the new technology these cell will be for sure more efficient than old ones.