Browse Topic: Solar energy
It’s common knowledge that a major challenge for solar energy is how to store excess energy produced when conditions are right, like noon-time sun, so that it can be used later. The usual answer is batteries. But renewable energy resources are causing problems for the electricity grid in other ways as well. In a warm, sunny location like California, mid-afternoon had been a time of peak demand for the electric utility, but with solar it’s now a time of peak output
Reducing dust accumulation on any surface is key for lunar missions as dust can damage or impair the performance of everything from deployable systems to solar cells on the Moon’s surface. Electrodynamic dust shields (EDSs) are a key method to actively clean surfaces by running high voltages (but low currents) through electrodes on the surface. The forces generated by the voltage efficiently remove built up, electrically charged dust particles. Innovators at the NASA Kennedy Space Center have developed a new transparent EDS for removing dust from space and lunar solar cells among other transparent surfaces
The ongoing transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources has never been more important as climate change and sustainability awareness continue to rise
A commonplace chemical used in water treatment facilities has been repurposed for large-scale energy storage in a new battery design by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The design provides a pathway to a safe, economical, water-based, flow battery made with Earth-abundant materials. It provides another pathway in the quest to incorporate intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar energy into the nation’s electric grid
Rooftop solar panels will soon power about 90% of PFG's Gilroy, California, operations, a starting point for cold food deliveries. The vehicles getting the various edibles and food-related products from the warehouse to restaurants, schools, hotels and other customers include new battery-electric Class 8 trucks that mate to trailers fitted with zero-emission transport refrigeration units (TRUs). “Our Gilroy, California, location is the pilot for how we intend to develop sustainable distribution centers,” said Jeff Williamson, senior vice president of operations for Richmond, Virginia-headquartered Performance Food Group (PFG). Williamson and others were recently interviewed by SAE Media following an Earth Day open house at the Gilroy site
Perovskite solar cells should be subjected to a combination of stress tests simultaneously to best predict how they will function outdoors, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL
The efficiency of a solar panel depends on the amount of solar radiation it receives and its surface temperature. However, during the conversion process, some of the solar radiation is converted into heat, which can increase the temperature of the solar panel’s junction, reducing its performance. This decrease in efficiency can be attributed to the decrease in output efficiency that occurs when the surface temperature of the solar panel increases. Therefore, maintaining a suitable temperature range is crucial to improving the efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) panel. Various cooling methods, including the use of phase change materials (PCM), have been developed to control the temperature of the PV module. To test the effectiveness of PCM in cooling the solar PV module, we conducted an experiment that involved setting up a heat exchanger system and analyzing its performance. Our analysis revealed a significant improvement of 1.01 % decrement in the temperature of solar cell and the
Wireless power transfer was recently demonstrated by MAPLE — Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment — one of three key technologies being tested by the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1), the first space-borne prototype from Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project (SSPP), which aims to harvest solar power in space and transmit it to the Earth’s surface
MIT engineers aim to produce totally green, carbon-free hydrogen fuel with a new, train-like system of reactors that is driven solely by the sun. In a study appearing Solar Energy Journal, the engineers lay out the conceptual design for a system that can efficiently produce “solar thermochemical hydrogen.” The system harnesses the sun's heat to directly split water and generate hydrogen — a clean fuel that can power long-distance trucks, ships, and planes, while in the process emitting no greenhouse gas emissions
Solar powered UAV mainly relies on solar energy for range, it uses photovoltaic cells to convert solar radiant energy into electric energy for the use of solar powered UAV energy system. In response to the issue of solar powered UAV photovoltaic power supply energy utilization efficiency, an intelligent sliding mode based MPPT control method is proposed to maximize the output power of photovoltaic power supply. Firstly, introduce and analyze the photovoltaic cell model and its output characteristics; Secondly, the DC/DC converter and its MPPT control technology are introduced. Traditional MPPT control methods such as perturbation and observation and incremental conductance have poor adaptability to external environmental changes, the intelligent algorithm has the characteristics of fast rate of convergence and global search, etc. Therefore, on the basis of sliding mode control, this article introduces genetic algorithm for multi-objective function parameter tuning of sliding mode
Photonic crystals are materials for controlling and manipulating the light flow. Nano photonic devices deal with behavior of the light in the nanomaterial and devices. It works on the interaction of nano devices with light. They are periodic structures with different refractive indices. The wave guides can be constructed will have sharp and low-loss bending enabling high integration density of several orders of magnitude. On silicon surfaces, nano- and microstructures are created to lower reflection and increase light absorption. It can be applied to enhance infrared (IR) bolometer applications based on MEMS. In this work Silicon nanowires photonic crystals are grown and the electric characteristics and frequency characteristics are modeled, simulated and studied using finite element method. Waveguide is created by removing a set of wires making a path for signal flow for the frequency within the band gap. It is observed that depending on the displacements of the nanowires, waves of
Most space satellites are powered by photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight to electricity. Exposure to certain orbit radiation can damage the devices, degrading their performance and limiting their lifetime. University of Cambridge scientists have proposed a radiation-tolerant photovoltaic cell design that features an ultrathin layer of light-absorbing material
The sun has tremendous potential to address the world’s increasing energy needs, but the increased cost of employing lunar power is a considerable hurdle when equated to more conventional energy sources. The low energy density and low conversion efficiency of solar radiation, expensive raw materials, and labor-intensive manufacturing process all contribute to the high cost of a photovoltaic system. In the last ten years, advances in nano science and nanotechnology have opened up new possibilities for the creation of effective solar cells. Designing semiconductor, metal, and polymer nanostructure designs for solar cells has become possible. Understanding the methods involved in the photovoltaic energy conversion like optical and electrical process, has also benefited from theoretical and modelling studies. The high price and insufficient efficiency of current solar cells prevent the widespread usage of solar energy. One-dimensional (1-D) nanomaterials have particularly opened up new
The process of bringing new materials to solar panels can be full of repetitive tasks, evaluations, and risk. It requires a researcher to prepare a sample and then go through multiple steps to test each sample using different instruments — a process that is both time consuming and requires a lot of electricity. Researchers at North Carolina State University have created RoboMapper, a robot capable of conducting experiments more efficiently and sustainably to develop a range of new semiconductor materials with desirable attributes
Due to the relatively high cost to produce solar cells, solar power still accounts for a little less than 3 percent of electricity generated in the U.S. One way to lower the cost of production would be to develop solar cells that use less-expensive materials than today’s silicon-based models. To achieve that, some engineers have zeroed in on halide perovskite, a type of human-made material with repeating crystals shaped like cubes
BAE Systems Arlington, VA 571-488-0456
Due to the relatively high cost to produce solar cells, solar power still accounts for a little less than 3 percent of electricity generated in the U.S. One way to lower the cost of production would be to develop solar cells that use less-expensive materials than today’s silicon-based models. To achieve that, some engineers have zeroed in on halide perovskite, a type of human-made material with repeating crystals shaped like cubes
BMW's Munich factory remains the fertile root of a century of manufacturing, including its first R32 motorcycle in 1923. At the Munich plant - flanked by the engine-shaped “four-cylinder” headquarters tower and futuristic BMW Welt museum and customer-delivery center - BMW recently showed media its reimagined “iFactory.” This lean, green and digitized environment can build ICE, hybrid, electric or even hydrogen fuel-cell models on a single assembly line. That master plan includes a car and battery factory in Debrecen, Hungary, that BMW claims will be the industry's first CO2-emissions-free plant in 2025, fed entirely by photovoltaic or other renewable electricity
Two-dimensional materials, which consist of just a single layer of atoms, can be packed together more densely than conventional materials, so they could be used to make transistors, solar cells, LEDs, and other devices that run faster and perform better. One issue holding back these next-generation electronics is the heat they generate when in use. Conventional electronics typically reach about 80 °C, but the materials in 2D devices are packed so densely in such a small area that the devices can become twice as hot. This temperature increase can damage the device
A team of scientists from the Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory have developed a new characterization tool that allowed them to gain unique insight into a possible alternative material for solar cells. Under the leadership of Jigang Wang, Senior Scientist from Ames Lab, the team developed a microscope that uses terahertz waves to collect data on material samples. The team then used their microscope to explore Methylammonium Lead Iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite, a material that could potentially replace silicon in solar cells
A solar flow battery was developed that is made of silicon solar cells combined with advanced solar materials integrated with optimally designed chemical components. While solar flow batteries are years away from commercialization, they offer the potential to provide reliable electricity generation and storage for lighting, cellphones, or other fundamental uses for homes in remote areas. They combine the advantages of photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity with the advantages of flow batteries, which use tanks of chemicals that can react to produce electricity and be recharged by the solar cells
A collaborative effort has installed electronic “brains” on solar-powered robots that are 100 to 250 micrometers in size — smaller than an ant’s head — so that they can walk autonomously without being externally controlled
Astrobotic Pittsburgh, PA
Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, and in its pure form the material has become the foundation of much of modern technology, from solar cells to computer chips. But silicon’s properties as a semiconductor are far from ideal
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