WHICH STATES ARE AMERICA'S ENERGY EFFICIENCY LEADERS?

WHICH STATES ARE AMERICA'S ENERGY EFFICIENCY LEADERS?

Top 10 States, 10 States Needing Most Improvement, Most-Improved States Highlighted: AK, AZ, CA, CT, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, VT, WA, WV, WY

Category: Investment, Renewable Energy

View the original article here

Silevo’s Triex Hybrid Solar Cell Has Reached 21% Conversion Efficiency at Production

The solar cell innovator and photovoltaic (PV) solar module manufacturer Silevo recently announced that its Triex™ solar cell technology won The Solar Industry Award 2012 for Excellence in Innovation. The Triex technology is a powerful hybrid solar module that is able to perform with very high efficiency and ‘low temperature coefficients’ while costing considerably less to produce than was previously possible.

The Solar Industry Awards were created to cast a spotlight on the people, products, and services that are continuing to develop innovative manufacturing practices and products that “demonstrate technological development towards grid parity while reducing overall cost.”

Silevo’s winning of the award follows closely on the heels of its announcement that it has reached a conversion efficiency greater than 21 percent “with its Triex solar cells at its high volume manufacturing facility—one of the highest across the solar industry.”

“Silevo is honored to be presented with The Solar Industry Award for our advancements with Triex technology,” said Zheng Xu, founder and CEO of Silevo. “Now that we’ve begun commercial production of Silevo cells with greater than 21 percent conversion efficiency, this award reflects our determination to develop and bring to market a technology that makes sustainable, widespread solar adoption viable for the energy market. Silevo’s Triex technology is the first offering that can bring significant balance of system (BOS) savings, as well as an increased energy yield.”

The Triex technology is the first hybrid solar solution that mixes “high-performance crystalline silicon N-type substrates, thin-film passivation layers and a unique tunneling oxide layer—all in a single solar module, that is powered by breakthrough ‘tunneling junction’ architecture.” When these three materials are combined they allow the Triex module to deliver very high conversion efficiency and very competitive costs.

“The Solar Industry Awards continue to reward and recognize the people, process and products that make up the global PV and solar industry,” said David Ridsdale, editor in chief of Solar International. “Now in their fourth year, the awards are voted for by the industry ensuring these awards are decided by the industry. Silevo’s Triex technology exhibits the complexity and comprehensiveness of the PV market and was selected as a winner due to the confidence of the awards selection panel in recognition of the perceived value Silevo’s technology can add to the industry.”

What is Energy Efficiency?

Energy efficiency is to use energy properly. Conventional energy sources are limited and therefore we must economize its use if we still have them in the future.

How can I save energy?
Firstly, it is very important to make moderate use of electronic devices. It is very common to stop using the computer and leave it plugged in to the mains, this is an error since we are still consuming energy. Therefore, the first tip is to disconnect all electrical appliances from the mains when let us use them.

Another way to save energy is to use public transport. This phrase that we have heard so much, is an ideal choice to reduce energy consumption and do not pollute the environment. Today is already very easy to buses, meters, taxis, trams can... make use of public bicycles, already established in the majority of cities.

If on the other hand we do not like to use public transport or is a medium that does not fit to our needs, and we prefer to take our particular car, we can also help to reduce the pollution of the environment. This is achieved by reducing the accelerations and the braking, avoiding driving at a very high speed, or turning the engine on long stoppages. If we follow these guidelines we will reduce energy consumption and help preserve the environment.

But there is more, what happens when we're at home and we have several lights of different rooms? At this time, we are consuming energy unnecessarily. We should be aware there is sunlight during the day and you should use. Artificial light consumes much and in the majority of occasions, without that make us really missing.

They renewable energy sources are key to avoid the great waste of energy that everyone in most of the time in unconscious way, we are doing. Many conscious entities have shown their commitment to the environment and have developed products that help reduce energy expenditure. For example, Junkers, leader in heating and hot water production, contributes to caring for the environment and to promote the use of renewable energy with its wide range of products.


If you liked this article perhaps interested in the following related courses. Cursos.com offers hundreds of courses with the possibility of employment at the end of

Researchers Shed New Light on Solar Cell Efficiency

The quest for more efficient solar cells is on. Currently the typical rate of conversion of sunlight into electricity is around 12% and in order to make solar power more competitive the industry works to increase this rate.

The scientific assumption is that there is a limit to the amount of energy that can be produced by a solar cell when it is hit with sunlight. Since the 1960s it is believed this limit is 33.5 percent. Five decades on and we have reached a top performance of 26 percent in the case of flat-plate, single junction solar cells, which absorb light waves above a specific frequency. Multi-junction cells could achieve higher rates of efficiency for having multiple layers and absorb multiple frequencies.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley recently presented a new theory about how solar cell efficiency could be increased and said the cells should resemble LEDs, that is, they should emit and absorb light. Their thesis will be presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics taking place between May 6 and 11 in San Diego, California.

Lead researcher Eli Yablonovitch said the more photons a solar cell emits, the higher its voltage, and consequently its efficiency, will be. They arrived at this conclusion while researching the reasons why solar cell efficiency has not reached its potential. They believe they have cracked it and the answer lies in the thermodynamic between absorption and emission.

They argue that designing solar cells to emit light naturally increases the voltage produced by the solar cell because the photons do not get “lost” within a cell.

Alta Devices, a company co-founded by Yablovitch, has created a prototype solar cell made of gallium arsenide (GaAs), which is used to make solar cells in satellites. The prototype achieved a record efficiency of 28.3 per cent thanks to a cell design that allowed light to escape from the cell. The reflectivity of the rear mirror was increased so that incoming photons were allowed out of the device.

The energy from the photons that come from the sun releases electrons from the cell, so they can flow freely. During this process, new photons are generated and if you allow them to escape from the cell as easily as possible, they can increase electricity generation.

The researchers expect their novel solar cell design to reach an efficiency rate of 30%. Their design is applicable to all types of solar cells.




View the original article here

Zero-Blade -NewType of Wind Turbine Blades!

 When it comes to the future of wind energy, a company thinks of cost savings and efficiency. Thus, Tunisia has established a new technology called Zero-Blade. New type of wind turbine blades can not be twice as efficient without being a danger to birds

But what's that Zero-Blade technology? The knives are replaced by a candle-shaped body while hub and gearbox are eliminated, thereby increasing the efficiency of the devices existing wind power conversion.

According to the company an average wind turbine captures only a 30 or 40%, while the turbine is said to Saphon 2.3 times more efficient. Additionally, it is expected to reduce the cost of 45% less than a conventional turbine, mainly due to the fact that no sheets, cube, and with no gears in the units.

The most important of the Zero-Blade is the storage of energy. Most of the kinetic energy can be stored (via a hydraulic accumulator) or can be converted into electricity by a hydraulic motor and a generator. "We have developed several prototypes.  

We are in our second-generation prototype. We did the test and the second is twice as efficient as a three-bladed turbine in terms of production is at least 50% cheaper. "Commented Labaied Hassine, one of its creators.

The company is now looking for manufacturing partners for the turbine to market.




View the original article here

Wisconsin slips five notches in energy efficiency ranking

Wisconsin’s move to roll back funding increases for programs that help homeowners and businesses save on energy bills was criticized in a report Thursday by a national energy efficiency advocacy group.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released a scorecard rating states’ efforts in the area of energy efficiency.

Wisconsin was in the top 10 several years ago but ranks 16th in this year’s scorecard. Massachusetts was the top state overall, and Michigan and Illinois were cited as among the most improved states.

“Clearly, 2011 has not been kind to our economy, but energy efficiency remains a growth sector that attracts investment and creates jobs,” said Michael Sciortino, ACEEE senior policy analyst and the report’s lead author.

“With even higher energy savings possible, we expect leading states to continue pushing the envelope next year and inspire those at the bottom of the rankings to embrace energy efficiency as a core strategy to gain a competitive advantage by generating cost-savings, promoting technological innovation, and stimulating growth,” he said.

Wisconsin has lost some ground while other states have made significant pushes to set up initiatives that provide incentives to consumers and businesses to conduct energy-saving retrofits. Improvements by Michigan and Illinois pushed those states to rankings just behind Wisconsin.

The report saluted efforts in Arkansas, Rhode Island and Arizona, which “worked with utilities and adopted significant energy efficiency regulations,” the report says.

“Despite significant progress, some states have slowed or stepped backward in the race to save energy. New Jersey and Wisconsin have both diminished investments in utility-sector energy efficiency and Arizona is considering a law that will reduce transportation efficiency in the state.”

View the original article here

A No-Granola Case for Energy Efficiency

I attended a green energy conference nearly a decade ago in Washington, D.C., where several speakers expressed astonishment at the audience’s clothes. People were dressed in business attire. Where were the ponytails? The Birkenstocks?

The event marked a new age for green energy, the beginning of its migration from counter-culture to corporation.

Today green energy is, well, more like conglomeration. But still the industry carries remnants of its former self, the occasional speck of crunchy granola spilling onto the power point presentation. At these times, the industry comes under attack for making its case by using moral or social arguments rather than business fundamentals.

How to solve this problem? Enlist an army.

That’s what the Environmental Defense Fund is doing. It’s called the EDF Climate Corps and its recruits are MBA students.

EDF set up the program four years ago to demonstrate to large companies the business case for becoming more energy efficient. Climate Corps has a dual benefit. The MBA students get the chance to serve as summer interns at major companies; the companies get the benefit of their training in energy efficiency and business. Dozens of big name companies have since participated, among them AT&T, McDonald’s, Facebook, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Dow Jones News and Procter & Gamble.

EDF starts by training students in the basics of energy efficiency, providing enough background, so that with their knowledge of business and finance, they can investigate a corporate setting and find ways to improve the bottom line through energy savings.

Emily Reyna, who is now the Climate Corps project manager for corporate partnerships, started as one of the interns four years ago. She was assigned to Cisco, where she sought savings in the company’s 1, 500 data centers or “labs.” She spent the early weeks of her internship touring the labs and investigating energy efficiency initiatives already underway at Cisco. In her investigation, she discovered that one lab manager had reduced energy costs 25% in six months by installing a kind of smart plug that allows remote control of outlets. The plug can be programmed so that when the outlet idles for awhile, it sends a message to the user. This serves as a reminder to shut off equipment plugged in but not in use.

The smart plug was a good idea, but not one that had been shared across Cisco. Reyna spread the word. Her analysis showed that use of the smart plug could save Cisco $8 million annually. “I wasn’t an expert in energy savings, but by talking to all of these different lab managers, I was able to identify a best practice,” Reyna said.

Other interns have recommended improved lighting, occupancy sensors, dimmers, variable frequency drives on motors, demand-control ventilation, and a range of other energy efficiency measures that total $439 million in net operational savings.

“Even more exciting, we actually check in with the companies six months and 18 months after the fellows have gone. What we’ve seen is that projects accounting for 86% of the energy savings are underway or completed,” she said.

The program has grown substantially, from a handful four years ago to 49 companies with 57 students this year. Half of the companies are repeat participants. Some of the businesses have offered students full-time jobs upon graduation.

“What we found is that there are a lot of barriers that companies face to implementing energy efficiency – knowledge barriers or organizational barriers or maybe the IT guys aren’t talking to facilities managers,” Reyna said.

The Climate Corps program introduces “an external force” to overcome the barriers, one that can “crunch the numbers” and “speak the same language as the financial people,” she said.

In short, rather than receiving a finger wagging, the companies are shown in their own tongue at their own facility the value of green – and there is no granola left on the power point.

Elisa Wood is a long-time energy writer whose work appears in many of the industry’s top magazines and newsletters. She is publisher of the Energy Efficiency Markets podcast and newsletter.

View the original article here

Increasing the Efficiency of Wind Turbine Blades

To ensure wind turbines that are big in size work in a better manner, a new kind of air-flow technology may soon be introduced. Apart from other aspects, it will focus on efficiency of blades used in the wind turbines. The technology will help in increasing the efficiency of these turbines under various wind conditions. This is a significant development in the area of renewable energy after new wind-turbine power generation capacity got added to new coal-fired power generation in 2008.

Testing new systems to optimize the efficiency of wind turbines and their blades
Syracuse University researchers Guannan Wang, Basman El Hadidi, Jakub Walczak, Mark Glauser and Hiroshi Higuchi are testing new intelligent-system based active control methods with the support from the U S Department of Energy through the University of Minnesota Wind Energy Consortium. They record data in an intelligent controller after getting a rough idea of the flow conditions over the blade surfaces from surface measurement. This helps them implement real-time actuation on the blades. In this way, not only the efficiency of wind turbine system is increased but the airflow can also be managed.

Advantages of new systems to optimize the efficiency of wind turbines and their blades

They reduce noise.They reduce vibration.

New developments that are being worked out to make wind turbines and blades more efficient

The overall working scope of the wind turbine can be enlarged by using the flow control on the outboard side of the blade beyond the half radius. Attempts are being made to increase the rated output power without increasing the level of operating range.An anechoic chamber is being set-up to measure and define the effects of flow control on the noise spectrum of the wind turbine.To know the airfoil lift and drag characteristics with suitable flow control while exposed to large-scale flow unsteadiness, efforts are being made to characterize airfoil in an anechoic wind tunnel facility at Syracuse University.Scientists are also trying to attain a greater efficiency by placing blades at various angles through wind tunnel tests of 2.5 megawatt turbine airfoil surfaces and computer simulations.

Drawbacks of wind energy turbines and their blades
The blades face a lot of challenge while beating the air. Scientists at the University of Minnesota are looking forward to erect this process called drag by placing these small grooves or triangular riblets scored into a coating on the surface of the turbine blade. The small groves of the size between 40 to 225 microns make the blade look smooth. When used in an aero plane, the riblets were very successful. With their basic structure being the same as the wings of the plane, they were able to reduce the drag by 6 percent in aircrafts. But since the turbine blades have a thick cross section close to the hub and there is a lot of chaos at the ground, this technology failed in wind turbines.

Anything working on wind energy including wind turbines needs a steady wind flow to function properly. The wind turbine blades, when confronted with extreme conditions, wear out very fast.

The design of wind turbines is not considered appropriate, despite the fact that the cost of making power through them has reduced.

Though wind energy turbines, their blades and the riblets may have some drawbacks, they can still be considered as a very efficient and reliable source of energy. Keeping this in mind, a meeting has been arranged in Long Beach, CA by American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics to assess the ways to enable the best use of wind turbines. Also, a project to use riblets to increase wind turbine efficiency by 3 percent is being worked upon by Roger Arndt, Leonardo P. Chamorro and Fotis Sotiropoulos from University of Minnesota.

What do you think?

View the original article here

Laser ‘Scribing’ to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

Over the years, thanks to the devoted research work going on for increasing the efficiency of solar cells, today solar cells are no longer flat shaped or unyielding. Ultra thin film-type solar cells have now been manufactured which are quite flexible and adaptable for use in corners, curvilinear and other structures. Today almost 20% of global solar power generation is done by these thin-film solar cells and expected to grow more in near future.

Increasing the efficiency of thin-film solar cells
The films when assembled into an array are only as efficient as the ‘microchannels’ on the films which help convert the sunlight to electrons needed for power generation. Until now the ’scribing’ of the microchannels have been done with the help of a mechanical stylus which is an expensive process. Also the channels so produced are not perfect with exact grooves or uniform depth. Now the new research has developed a way to do channel scribing with the help of lasers.

Laser scribing made easy
The research team focused on ways to improve the scribing of the microchannels. Better the microchannels, more efficient will be the solar cells. They tried a process called ‘cold ablation’ to use laser beams flashed for only picoseconds – quadrillionths of a second. This way, pulsing laser helped in making microchannels with exact depths and well-defined outlines without causing any damage to the ultra-thin-film solar cells and too in a very fast manner.

Superiority of the ‘ultrashort pulse laser’
The idea of using lasers for scribing the microchannels on the thin-film solar cells has been tried earlier also. But controlling the lasers to scribe exactly to the correct depth and outline was quite a difficult task. But now with the cold ablation technique and using an ‘ultrashort pulse laser’, the team found success in creating perfect microchannels. With this technique, the team was able to control the laser even at 10-20 nanometer depth.

Success of the team
The team is hoping to improve the efficiency of the thin-film solar cells and also reduce the cost factor. ‘Ultra-short pulse laser, ultrafast laser scribing’ & ‘cold ablation technique’ will improve the efficiency of the cells, and commercial production will be hugely benefited with this. As Professor Yung Shin puts it, “The efficiency of solar cells depends largely on how accurate your scribing of microchannels is… If they are made as accurately as possibly, efficiency goes up.”

The research team
The research team consists of Yung Shin, Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Director of Purdue University’s Center for Laser-Based Manufacturing, and Gary Cheng, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Martin Yi Zhang, Seunghyun Lee and Wenqian Hu – graduate students. They published a paper in Proceedings of the 2011 NSF Engineering Research and Innovation Conference this January. The research has been funded by National Science Foundation with a $425,000 grant for three years.

What do you think?

View the original article here

Plan of saving and energy efficiency

The Council of Ministers has approved today the new Savings Plan and Energy efficiency for Spain. The main objectives are to achieve a saving of EUR 2,300 million a year on energy imports and in 12.5 million tons per year to reduce the emissions ofCO2. This new plan provides at the same time holding an investment of EUR 1,152 million.

Encourage the use of public transport, one of the objectives

Let's look at some of the outstanding measures that make up this Savings Plan and Energy efficiency:

promote the introduction of tyre with maximum energy rating (tag A) make mandatory the use of the biodiesel for fuel up 7% in content energéticolimitar temporarily limit at 110 km/h speed toll roads and motorways for tourism and motocicletasdisminuir public transport prices to discourage the use of the coche.fomentar the use of biomass for purposes térmicosrenovar the system of public lighting of the municipiosimpulsar awareness for energy savingcampaigns

 

 

 

View the original article here

Buildings energy efficiency | SPORTE2 system for stadia

Currently ongoing project at European level to improve energy efficiency in buildings with large amount of influx of persona:SPORTE2. This project is part of the European Union 7th framework programme for r + d and is by entering the testing phase in the tecnalia kubik building and a sports centre in Etxebarri, Bizkaia.

SPORTE2 is defined by its members as an intelligent management system to integrate and control the generation, consumption and the energy Exchange for buildings of sports and recreation in Europe ("Intelligent Management System to integrate and control energy generation, consumption and exchange for European Sport and Recreation Buildings"). The project is in charge of Tecnalia Research & Innovation and Emtesport (management of sports facilities). They joined technology centres, universities and specialized enterprises of Italy, Greece and Portugal.

This project's budget is 4,71 EUR million and will have a Community funding of 2.97 million. SPORTE2 development plan has a duration of 36 months, with an estimated date of completion in September 2013.

East intelligent system of management of buildings (BMS) will be modular and scalable. The functions carried out by SPORTE2 include monitoring, integrated control and optimization of energy in sports stadiums management and leisure centres. Throughout the European continent, estimated to be 1.5 million buildings, approximately 8% of the total number of buildings.

The system will develop SPORTE2, will be suitable to install both in equipment in operation, as in new construction. Via is expected to achieve an energy saving up to 30%, and consequently also a significant reduction of the emissions of CO2 and a significant economic benefit.

Much of the research and testing of this system will be carried out in Vizcaya. On the one hand used the experimental building "KUBIK by Tecnalia", located in the Technological park of Bizkaia. On the other hand, it will implement in the Polideportivo Municipal de etxebarri (bizkaia), managed by Emtesport. There will be a key instance of the project: the test in a public space where made in game functions include: regulation of heating, ventilation, hot water, air conditioning, management, monitoring and storage of energy, etc.

This energy management developed by SPORTE2 in Bizkaia model is a pioneer in Europe, and will be tested also in edificios-piloto of other European cities.

View the original article here

Energy efficiency | IDAE: Institute for the diversity visa and energy savings

Institute for diversification and energy saving (IDAE) is a Spanish business public entity that depends on the Secretariat-General for energy and in turn the Ministry of industry, tourism and trade . Their functions, programs and activities are varied and also has on its website idae.es with a large amount of information and statistics on saving energy , energy efficiency and renewable energy.

IDAE mission is precisely, the promote energy efficiency and rational use in our country, and at the same time encourage the diversification of energy production with special emphasis on renewable energy. Their projects both within the Action Plan 2005-2012 strategy-saving and energy efficiency to Spain as in the Plan of energy renewable 2005- 2010 .

Of their multiple areas of work include:

the promotion of the implementation of new technologies saving and substitution in the industrial sectors, agriculture, housing, services, buildings and transportation .the management and monitoring of energy efficiency and savings plans developed in Spain .the promotion of the use of rational and efficient energy in all areas.

collaboration with the European Commission and with other countries in the management of programmes energy. support for Spanish companies seeking funds to finance the implementation of these programas.la integrated provision of energy efficiency to those sectors which require a catalyst for its implantation. promoting the competitiveness of the Spanish companies guaranteeing the sustainability and environmental respect.

To know in details the funding programmes that gives this institution, access reports updated on renewable energies and councils to improve the energy efficiency of IDAE we recommend entering idae.es .

View the original article here