THE DEFINITIVE BLOG FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT YOU LIVE IN, WITH REFERENCE TO LIFE, EARTH AND COSMIC SPACE SCIENCES, PRESENTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DORU INDREI, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ENERGY SPACIALIST
"Life is not about what we know, but what we don't know, craving the unthinkable makes it so amazing, that is worth dying for."Doru Indrei
LED lighting can save more electricity than solar will produce, according to LED pioneer Roland Haitz, former chief technology officer, semiconductor products group, Hewlett-Packard (later Agilent).
"20 percent of the world's electricity that's generated is used for lighting. Three quarters of that can be saved by using LEDs; 15 percent of today's electricity consumption can be saved," he said at the Economist'sInnovation Summit.
He said that there was a lot of noise around green technology and that projects relating to solar cells and wind energy tend to get a lot of government funding. However, he believes that focusing on technologies such as LEDs could make a bigger difference. Solar energy currently accounts for 0.5 percent of the world's supply, although some have predicted that it could provide as much as 22 percent by 2050.
Haitz is in a good place to comment, as he has had the LED equivalent of Moore's Law named after him. Haitz's Law states that every decade, the cost per lumen falls by a factor of 10, the amount of light generated per LED package increases by a factor of 20 for a given wavelength of light.
Haitz says that LED lighting will be made extremely cheaply, with much better light output than the current 200 lumens per watt which are currently possible, compared with a standard 100 watt incandescent lightbulb which has an efficiency of around 17 lumens per watt.
Teams of researchers all over the world are working on the development of organic solar cells. Organic solar cells have good prospects for the future: They can be laid onto thin films, which makes them cheap to produce.
Established printing technologies should be employed for their production of the future. In order to achieve this goal of suitable solar cell architecture as well a coating materials and substrates have to be developed. “This method permits a high throughput, so the greatest cost is that of materials,” says Michael Niggemann, a researcher at ISE.
Nevertheless, organic solar cells are not intended to compete with classic silicon cells – they are not nearly efficient enough to do that just yet. Because they are flexible, however, they can open up new fields of application: Plastic solar cells could supply the power for small mobile devices such as MP3 players or electronic ski passes. Another possibility would be to combine solar cells, sensors and electronic circuits on a small strip of plastic to form a self-sufficient power microsystem.
A glimpse at a naturalistic, eco-friendly Taiwanese convention center covered by breathable, pleated solar skin.
Nightscape
The Beijing-based architects of MAD Ltd. recently unveiled their design for the Taichung Convention Center in Taiwan, complete with a pleated solar skin design.
MAD Mountains
The surface of the ‘mountains’ consists of a high-tech, eco-friendly pleated skin system. That wraps around the building like a smock to utilize solar energy -- one side of the pleats lets in sunlight through a transparent skin, while the other side is solid.
Holy Cratered Convention Center
A top-down view intends to evoke a naturalistic landscape filled with mountains and craters. The contours of the building also represent a nod to the preexisting lay of the land.
Sky High Ceilings
The building area sprawls across 216,000 square meters, or more than 2.3 million square feet. An interconnected interior houses entertainment centers, retail, convention space, offices and parking space, all lit by natural light.
Inner Harmony
A single tree, a patch of bamboo, or a pond may form the central figures in the interior spaces -- a balance between the technological exterior and the aesthetics of sustainable development.
Cutaway
Open courtyards connect the individual 'mountains' of the building, and form a sequence of outdoor spaces.
Summer comes with a lot of excitement especially because of the shining sun. The sun is able to provide environment for picnic at the park and of course also help charge batteries for those who use solar energy. Plants rely on sun for growth and man is the being that benefits most from the rays of sun.
If you own a solar power generator, you agree that it is powered by the photovoltaic arrays of sun. The sizes of the generators vary and usually the generators require that they are installed by professionals. At the same time, you can also install the generator on your own with some guide.
Installing solar power generator comes with far too many advantages. You will gain from the tax rebates that have been imposed by state and federal governments on the projects as well as you will save on alternative energy a lot of dollars.
There is a project where you do not use the photovoltaic solar power but instead you go for the mirror alternative where series of mirrors are placed on a strategic position so that they attract power which is channeled to a tank of water which it boils and this water then powers the turbine and electricity is produced to the grid.
If you live in an arid country where hydro power is not an option, the portable generator comes in handy. This portable generator is also ideal for recreation as well as emergency services. Today, you can be sure that you will be able to find a foldable cum portable photovoltaic sheet to help you in such situations.
Finally, it is also important to know about the solar powered colloidal silver generator. This one is especially used to produce colloidal silver using little distilled water and a container with of course sunlight. However, the colloidal silver has been proven toxic by medics and so it is not the best option.
This leaves us with just the one solar powered generator which produces safe and reliable eco friendly alternative energy. Yes, if you wish to eliminate harm on your environment and also get a reliable energy, you would try the solar powered generator without a doubt.
Precise measurement of the molecular weight, size and density of a nanoparticle in a single procedure is now possible, thanks to an ultracentrifugation method, dusted off by Swiss scientists at EPFL.
Although nanoparticles are used in a variety of domains – such as medicine, solar energy and photonics – there is still much about them to be discovered. Establishing their full characterization, including mass, size and density, remains an extremely complex exercise, and this acts as a brake on research in the area. However, this knowledge gap will soon be filled, thanks to the work performed by Constellium Professor Francesco Stellacci and his doctoral-student assistant Randy Carney, from the Supramolecular Nanomaterials and Interfaces Laboratory (SUNMIL).
In a recent article in Nature Communications, they demonstrate that it’s possible to obtain the complete characterization of a core-shell nanoparticle (the core and the external shell) by using a very simple method – analytical ultracentrifugation.
This 100-year-old procedure has previously been used, in particular, to study the size and mass of proteins. It was in applying the method to their area of research that the EPFL scientists realized the benefits that could be obtained from its use.
The core and the shell
So far, the analysis of all the parameters that characterize the core, as well as those which characterize the shell of the nanoparticle in a single operation has remained a real challenge. The nanoparticles are indeed polydisperse, which means that, in a sample, each of them has different characteristics (size, mass, weight etc.).
“Currently, scientists have at their disposal reliable techniques for characterizing the core of nanoparticles. But this requires five or six very complex procedures to obtain a complete characterization”, adds Randy Carney. “By looking at analytical ultracentrifugation, we discovered a method that enables us, in a single process, to obtain all the required parameters in a few hours.”
How does it work?
Technically speaking, the concept is as follows: first, you have to dilute the nanoparticles in a solution, and then to put the solution in an analytical ultracentrifuge, equipped with an optical detection system that analyzes their behavior. It’s then possible, using a computing process, to determine what is called the sedimentation coefficient.
“When we spin them at a rapid speed, the nanoparticles separate from the liquid at different moments, according to their density,” explains Randy Carney. The biggest particles are thus separated more quickly from the liquid. This observation provides an indication of the weight of the particle, as well as its diameter.” In parallel, the scientists are focusing on another indication – usually ignored by most studies – which is called the particle diffusion coefficient, which relates to the way they spread through the liquid. “This phenomenon, which we can compare with a drop of ink in water, occurs even when the solvent is still.”
Uses in industry
When used together, the sedimentation coefficient and the diffusion coefficient then enable the obtention of a very precise characterization of both the core and the shell of the nanoparticles: that is to say, their size, weight, form and composition.
This is very important information, when we consider that the properties of the nanoparticles (chemical, electronic, magnetic etc.) are dependent on all these parameters.
For the moment, this method only works with spherical nanoparticles. However, it should still be of interest for researchers active in nanotechnologies, who can also use it for other nanoparticles, with some additional analyses. “Industry and biological applications also need a method for characterizing nanoparticles. This method could be very useful” concludes Professor Stellacci.
In the recent past years, there has been great discoveries and breakthroughs that have come about in the world of solar energy. Soon, we would be able to use solar energy in most of the day activities.
The cost of oil is rising and this has contributed a great deal to the efforts of individuals, governments and scientists in the alternative energy source inventions. In deed, the energy from the sun is reliable and is never ending and thus the best for home power generation.
As we speak, Photovoltaic cells, plate collectors and heliostats are the main mediums that are in use for tapping the sun’s energy. There have been tremendous developments since the inception of this concept and in the recent past, the speed at which this is happening has increased. We now have polymer foil that is as thin as paper and 200 times lighter. This is used to tap heat and it does not demand a lot of support, in fact it can be attached to the wall of the structure. It is likely that the demand of solar energy would increase soon.
Polymer does not put an end to the work of scientists. They are still brainstorming about putting in place a plastic solar cell that would support nano technology. This invention will harness the power of the sun even on days when the sky is cloudy. This will improve the efficinecy of solar energy to about 5 times higher. You may argue that plastic technology is not all new but, it is the infrared capacity of it that is interesting. This would go beyond the visible rays of the sun and this will mean more power generated
The studies that would make this technology possible are currently underway and so, in due time we would be able to experience the power of the nano technology. The researchers and scientists are all so positive about how solar energy would dominate the world. Solar energy at the moment is up 3 to 4 times higher in electricity generation than other sources of conventional electricity. When this happens, the costs of electricity would be greatly reduced.
Again, plastic technology is only the second discovery that has been made in the world of solar energy; it is not even the last. The research is still ongoing, more advancement may arise and this would make life better as solar energy promotes clean green and safe environment.
Every time you plan to invest in your house, you definitely want to know how much it is going to cost you. Similarly, when you plan to build a solar energy system the energy itself is going to be free; but you have to consider the costs which are involved by the materials and the construction process. The good thing about planning is that besides the costs, you are also able to create the best plan which fits your necessities and personal tastes.
Preparing the Details
In order to have everything settled, you have to complete some things prior to installing the thermal power solar system and planning the details. First, you need to check your house insulation. In case that there are any cracks, you have to take care of them before you start the system building. The first area that you have to check is the roof. As well, try to change the bulbs you use with the ones that present a higher efficiency; this way, you are able to benefit from your solar energy system from the first day you have it installed.
Pros and Cons
As anything else in this world, the thermal power solar system presents different advantages and disadvantages. The first ones are highlighted by the fact that the source represents a renewable process which is ensured by the natural factor. As a result, there are no negative aspects on the environment. Another pro fact is that the solar system requires a proper insulation. For this reason, in case that you had some insulation problems before installing the solar system, now you are able to complete two tasks at once while you are using the same materials. Additionally, the new system perfectly works with the existed wired power system, so you do not need to invest in a rewiring process.
The cons include some potential problems that might appear with the system itself such as malfunctions are. Other issues are represented by the batteries storage. For a safe usage of the batteries, make sure that you dispose them correctly, in a proper location.
Reliability Issues
Before having such a system, you definitely ask yourself how reliable it will be. You probably know that the solar thermal systems are used for many years already, so you are able to find many opinions, which are expressed by various homeowners. However, the general impression related to these great systems is very good and they are considered as the most effective devices.
Besides all these, the solar energy system are great alternatives for the people who want to save energy. Even more, they are of great help for anyone who lives in areas that do not provide access to any type of energy system.
Have you ever owned a solar powered calculator? Depending on where you live and where you keep it they do work fairly well but are nothing like as efficient as the new solar-powered devices available today.
One of the many benefits of solar power is that it adapts well to portability. You have seen the solar panels on vehicles in space and on recreational vehicles on terra firma providing power to those who want to travel to the far flung corners of the universe.
This is a fast developing technology which needs to keep pace with the rash of new devices on the market like mobile phones and MP3 players – did you know that you can now obtain a good quality solar charger for you i-pod?
This is an excellent way to reduce the load on the national grid and people should be encourages to turn to solar power wherever the possibility lies – all you need, after all, is sunlight and some solar cells.
The common response is that phone chargers etc don’t use much power, which is true, but how many phones and other similar devices are being charged in your home right now? And in how many homes?
When you add it up there is a strong case for solar powered chargers. Not that this is the only use for solar power. Just as you may be able to enjoy cheap power when you holiday at some remote spot by using the solar panels on your RV, consider the people who live permanently in such out of the way locations where they may not even have access to normal power lines. Solar power – or possibly wind turbines though these tend to create as much noise as they do power – is a real boon for them giving quiet, clean access to electricity from the sun's rays.
Just when it looked like researchers had figured out the mysterious link between sunspot activity and Earth's weather, along comes another solar surprise: As indicators of the impact of the Sun's activity on the planet, sunspots are not all they have been cracked up to be; .. solar surprises
Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and elsewhere have discovered that Earth was bombarded last year with high levels of solar energy at a time when the Sun was in an unusually quiet phase and sunspots had virtually disappeared. A solar surprise.
"The Sun continues to surprise us," said Sarah Gibson of NCAR in Boulder, Colo., lead author of a study published this week in the Journal of Atmospheric Research, about solar surprises. "The solar wind can hit Earth like a fire hose even when there are virtually no sunspots, and therefore we have some solar surprises."
For centuries, the standard measure of solar activity, and its cycle of roughly 11 years, has been the number of sunspots, the dark patches of concentrated magnetic fields on the surface of the Sun. At solar maximum, the number of sunspots reaches its peak, when intense solar flares occur daily and geomagnetic storms frequently buffet Earth, knocking out satellites and disrupting communications networks. Here could be another solar surprise.
Instead of sunspots, Gibson and colleagues studied another solar phenomenon: discharges of high-speed streams of energy within the solar wind that carry turbulent magnetic fields out into the solar system. Comparing the current solar minimum with measurements during the last minimum in 1996, the researchers found that even though the sunspots were the lowest they have been in 75 years, the Sun's electromagnetic impact on the outer reaches of the atmosphere was three times greater. Going on with more solar surprises.
The research raises interesting new questions about solar physics and the impacts on Earth. Just last month, other NCAR researchers described for the first time how heightened solar activity alters stratopheric winds and, in a series of feedbacks, leads to greater precipitation over the Tropics. Now researchers are wondering how the high-speed streams of energy might have affected Earth in the past when the Sun went through extended periods of low sunspot activity. Of particular interest is a period known as the Maunder Minimum that lasted from about 1645 to 1715 that coincided with a climate episode in the Northern Hemisphere known as the Little Ice Age, where this turned out to quite a large solar surprise.
Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.
Many people are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made of semiconductor materials like those found in computer chips. When sunlight hits the cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As the electrons flow through the cell, they generate electricity.
On a much larger scale, solar thermal power plants employ various techniques to concentrate the sun's energy as a heat source. The heat is then used to boil water to drive a steam turbine that generates electricity in much the same fashion as coal and nuclear power plants, supplying electricity for thousands of people.
In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator.
Other solar technologies are passive. For example, big windows placed on the sunny side of a building allow sunlight to heat-absorbent materials on the floor and walls. These surfaces then release the heat at night to keep the building warm. Similarly, absorbent plates on a roof can heat liquid in tubes that supply a house with hot water.
Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution and often noise free. The technology is also versatile. For example, solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth orbit and cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings and futuristic cars.
But solar energy doesn't work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. Solar technologies are also very expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sun's energy at rates useful to lots of people.
Despite the drawbacks, solar energy use has surged at about 20 percent a year over the past 15 years, thanks to rapidly falling prices and gains in efficiency. Japan, Germany, and the United States are major markets for solar cells. With tax incentives, solar electricity can often pay for itself in five to ten years.
At a time when all forms of exhaustible source of energy like coal, oil and electricity are on the verge of complete exhaustion, energy requirements across the globe are becoming a hindrance in commercial progress, an ever increasing number of nations are marching towards adopting “Project Sunshine” which entails enriching solar power assets, to bring a turnaround in the economic restructuring. Some of Europe’s prominent nuclear research facilities are moving towards sustainable forms of energy. Sensing the immense opportunities in the global solar PV market, many rival nations have made significant investments in solar technologies to increase productivity and sustain their competitive position.
The international solar cell market increased seventeen times from 1994 to 2004.During this period, Japan, Europe and United States dominated the production of solar technologies. In contrast to nineteen percent expansion in 2005, the solar cell set up reached 1744 megawatts in 2006.This led to a $10 billion growth in the market worth. The solar cell manufacture in 2007 touched 3436 megawatts as opposed to 56% rise during 2006.
China initiated their research in solar technologies as early as 1958. During the late 1980s , China launched a variety of solar cells .This resulted in an increased capacity of 3KW which caused many small producers to enhance their plants from 4 to 4.5MW.The production capacity was limited to 2 MW till 2002. Thereafter, the European market jumped in and the German firm Wuxi Suntech Power, with their swift power generation came into the picture and made inroads into China exhibiting unprecedented growth in PV industry pioneering speedy development.
As of now China is the principal solar technology manufacturer. In 2007, there was n exponential jump of 293 percent to achieve 1188MW capacity. Europe and Japan have long been dethroned by China to become the photovoltaic cell producing superpower. The Chinese solar power industry transformed to a stronghold. Yangtze River Delta, Bohai Bay, Pearl River Delta, central and western provinces have emerged as an exclusive solar hub. Despite the successes in the last decade, China started its solar energy exploration two decades after the global players. Many countries have substantially hiked their funding, but it isn’t adequate to bridge the prevailing gap. The authorities must push stronger reforms through strategic and administrative stimuli in solar energy sector and address the pricing concerns. Although there’s been substantial upsurge in use of solar power in public places and official settings, the acceptance in the internal market will come through exceptional governmental impetus and a robust growth.
Solar PV energy will not only emerge as an alternative to various non-renewable forms of energy, but will also become the primary global energy source in years to follow. Solar energy is projected to meet ten percent of the total global energy consumption in 2030 and thirty percent of total renewable energy will be the solar energy. In 2040, the green energy will meet fifty percent of the world requirement and solar power will form twenty percent of the consumption.
Thereafter, in the twenty-first century, alternative energy sources will contribute to 80% total power requirement and solar energy will amount to 60% or more. These numbers are a mere reflection of the vital role that solar technology is slated to play and the extraordinary potential that this industry can boast of.
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