Artificial Electronic Super Skin – Powered By Stretchable Solar Cells

Zhenan Bao, Stanford researcher, is keen to create “Super skin.” Taking her previously created super-sensitive sensor a step ahead, she is now creating a super skin that will be self-powered with renewable clean solar energy. Bao and her team have designed polymer solar cells that are flexible and can be stretched to power the ’super skin’.

Previous sensor
Ms Bao had successfully built a sensor flexible and very sensitive to any pressure. It was able to detect even touch-down pressure of a fly. She had made this over a foundation of a flexible organic transistor made of supple polymers and materials which are carbon based. Touch-sensing is achieved by the fluctuations in the current flow which is caused by an elastic rubber layer shaped like myriad inverted pyramids.

Rationale for sensing
Changing the transistor’s semiconducting material according to the type of material kept on sensor, the sensor can sense whether it is touching a chemical or a biological material. The semiconducting material can be just a nanometer or two layers only thick for the expected detection to occur. By changing the structural characteristics of the transistor as needed, the super skin detects chemicals in liquid or vapour state and bio matters like proteins.

Useful for disease detection
Super skin being able to detect diseases by sensing the biomarker proteins corresponding to individual diseases, this can be taken a step further by fitting robots with super skins and allowing the robots to detect by touch whether a person has s disease-confirming biomarker or robot can test the sweat for drunkenness etc.

Need for power to send the data
When the sensors detect the nature of the materials being tested, they have to send the data to a computer or a researcher. Instead of connecting to a power supply or batteries, incorporating polymer solar cells is a better idea as this will enable the sensors to be portable and less cumbersome and be more eco-friendly.

Stretchable solar cells
Bao’s research papers mention of unidirectional stretchable nature of the solar cells, but Bao maintains that their solar cells are capable of stretching in both axes. Solar cells even in the stretched state generate power for sending the data collected by the sensors. A wavy microstructure is the reason for cells’ stretchable nature. They expand to some 30% excess of their normal length and snap back to original condition.

Use for stretchable solar cells
Stretchable materials are stronger and it can be a very useful and valuable feature in many scenarios. Darren Lipomi, a graduate student & lead author said, “One of the applications where stretchable solar cells would be useful is in fabrics for uniforms and other clothes.” The stretchable solar cells can also be integrated into curved areas like lenses, arches in buildings or car exteriors etc. also.

Eco friendly transistors
Today Bao has managed to make a green savvy version of the transistor made with materials that are biodegradable. Whatever materials go to make the transistor and its parts will not pose a threat to the environment. The super skin is much more than a human skin and now is totally eco-friendly, and will be powered by renewable energy source like solar energy.

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The Empire State Building: Brighter & Greener

Yes, as of 2011, The Empire State Building, one of the world’s largest buildings has achieved the distinction of becoming the largest buyer of green renewable wind power. The Empire State Building will be using more than 100 million kWh of wind energy in the coming couple of years approximately. It will be totally – 100% – wind-powered from now on! This is not the only feather in the lofty Empire State Building’s green cap. Already the tall building has executed the refurbishment of fitting of all its – some 6500 or so – windows with a unique type of insulating glass for power savings. Some $13.2 million very well spent in boosting the green credentials.

Reduction in deadly footprint
By purchasing 100 million kWh of wind energy from Green Mountain Energy Company’s wind farms, The Empire State Building has beat by far any other commercial customer in purchasing renewable energy. Think of how much less carbon emission there will be because of this. It has been calculated to be equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by whole of New York State houses in one full week – some 100 million pounds of carbon!

Getting a better edge
The Empire State Building’s supervisor, Malkin Holdings, is upbeat about another offshoot of getting the wind-energy to power the building. Clean renewable wind energy from the wind farms and power savings from the insulated window glasses have given them an extra edge in getting tenants with better credit and credentials, he claims.

Setting better standards
Mr. Malkin expects that these innovative changes to using more and more renewable energy sources can set an example to be followed by other landlords to become energy efficient and make the entire city cleaner, more energy smart, and greener. Seeing the benefits doubled – no tripled – at The Empire State Building’s savings and revenue can be a great encouragement for others to follow suit.

Topping the list
With the latest power purchase, The Empire State Building has shot up the list of Environment Protection Agency’s League Table of 100% Green Power Purchasers. There are people who are not impressed by this achievement or certification, and criticize that it is more effervescence rather than having any concrete effect on investments in green energy. But nobody can deny that it is a great step in the right direction by The Empire State Building.

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PowerMod: To the Rescue

Think of the earthquake that happened at Tahiti, or havoc-provoking typhoons like Katrina; or the recent plane crash that took so many lives. With man-made or natural disasters occurring unexpectedly at all corners of earth, there has been a sharp demand for dependable portable energy sources that can make rescue efforts a lot easier and more successful. And to that effect, arrives PowerMod – the new portable solar tent ready to help in relief work to victims of disaster.

Hazards of conventional energy sources
Think of the trouble and hazards in transporting conventional fuel. And the high cost of procuring and storing the fuel only adds to the scenario – more so when you envision the spills, leaks, poisonous emissions and fire hazards! The noise of generator adding to the melee and trauma borne by the victims only reinforces high unsuitability of conventional fuel for rescue work.

Renewable energy sources for relief work
Today unconventional and renewable power sources are viable options for rescue work energy needs. They are available at a minimum cost and do not have the hazards that the conventional fuel normally present. With both solar energy and wind energy are now becoming more portable, no wonder, the latest kid in the block for helping in rescue work is the portable solar tent.

Features of PowerMod
PowerMod is a simplest kind of shelter – a 20×20 foot roof of flexible panel. The flexible panel is made by integrating FTL Solar lightweight fabric and Ascent Solar’s thin-film solar cells. It is supported in the center by a pole. It gives a power output of 4.5 kilowatt hours/day. It weighs about 165 pounds totally. It can be assembled in 15 minutes and does not need more than 2 persons to assemble it.

Benefits of PowerMod
The energy used is solar power which has no fire hazards or poisonous fumes etc. Nor is there any need for huge containers to ferry across to the disaster site, at a huge cost eating into the relief-rescue expenditure. It works on clean emission-less energy, at low cost. It provides enough power to run essentials like lights, fans, laptops, refrigerators, AC equipment and to power up batteries, charge cell phones etc. It is portable, light-weight, needs just 2 persons and 15 minutes to be assembled and it looks neat and uncluttered.

Long-Term outlook
Recent trends show that quick and dependable relief work is crucial at the time of any disaster. When caring and compassionate assistance is the need of the hour, the renewable energy sourced portable solar tent is the most fitting answer to it. No doubt, the PowerMod will play an important role in future rescue work.

What do you think?

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Power from Two Energy Sources?

Alternative sources of energy are clean and green but the catch is they generate less energy compared to fossil fuels. So now the scientists are trying to use different sources of alternative energy at the same place and same time to generate power. Attempts are being made to combine two forms of external energy sources such as light and heat or light and vibration to generate external energy so that enough energy can be collected for practical use. Fujitsu Laboratories have now succeeded in using hybrid energy sources to generate power. Fujitsu Laboratories wants to provide this technology for commercial use by the year 2015.

Fujitsu Laboratories: Making power from two sources of energy
Fujitsu Laboratories are working extensively in this regard, and to generate electricity both from heat and light, they are creating a new hybrid energy harvesting device. Energy harvesting is the procedure used in accumulating energy from the environment. Later on that energy is transformed into electricity. Fujitsu is not doing something innovative. Work in this field was done by scientists earlier too. But hybrid energy could only be generated by combining separate devices and that proved costly so it was commercially unviable.

Reducing the cost
Now Fujitsu laboratories confirm that two separate devices are not needed to generate electricity from a hybrid source. How were they successful in reducing costs? They used organic materials for creating hybrid device. This lowers the cost, and the new technology is showing promise to convert energy from the environment to electricity. The device from Fujitsu Laboratories is just a one-piece device that catches energy from the most common form of energy available for large scale use.

The use of organic material
An organic material of high efficiency that can generate power from both photovoltaic and thermoelectric mode has been developed by Fujitsu Laboratories. This organic material can make power both from heat in thermoelectric mode and indoor lighting in photovoltaic mode. The production cost is very low because of the organic materials and the processing costs are very low. The device can be made to work as a thermoelectric generator or photovoltaic cell by changing the electrical circuit connecting P-type and N-type semiconductors.

Advantages of the technology

It helps to get energy from two different sources by using one device.The technology enables the use of alternative energy and sensors in the areas, where till now it was forbidden. It can now power medical sensing technology and sensor networks. It can sensor those monitors without any battery or electric wire that are used to check conditions like, heartbeats, body temperature and blood pressure.There is no need for battery or electric wire.Because this technology is not costly, it can be widely used.This technology is a very efficient way of gathering energy from external sources.Since the device works with the help of both heat and light, it will continue to work if one of these energy sources remains unavailable.It can work in remote areas.It can help to forecast environmental conditions.

For Fujitsu Laboratories, combining two different sources of generating energy to produce power is just the beginning. They want to make this technology more efficient so that by combining two sources of producing energy, hybrid equipment can be made to work better.

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Hydrocarbons

It's time to talk a little bit of chemistry, and this time we will be referring to one of the non-renewable energy that is used on a daily basis, that shall surely many know them of his Organic chemistryclasses, as they comprise one of the many groups of basic compounds.

Hydrocarbons are precisely composed organic they consist only of the combination of different atoms of Carbon and hydrogen, forming a kind of frame of carbon atoms joined others in chemical unions that may be linearOpen or branched.

The classification is based on the structure of the links or joints between two atoms, divided into:

Open-chain hydrocarbons:

Saturated hydrocarbons: do not have double, triple or aromatic bonds only counting multiple individual links in chain. It comprises the alkanes and paraffin.Unsaturated hydrocarbons: have at least one double bond (alkene and olefin), triple bonds (alkynes or acetilénicos) between the carbonatoms.

Closed chain hydrocarbons:

Cycle alkanes: closed chains of 3 to 8 carbon saturated or unsaturatedaromaticmolecules: have at least one aromatic ring as well as other links.

The exploitation of hydrocarbons commercial purposes is one of the main economic activities, often directly influencing the economy of a country, so take advantage of these resources tends to be vital for the growth of a nation.

Of its operation, we can distinguish two main products:

Oil: extraction is performed in the so-called oil fields, where they are in State liquid and surrounded by a characteristic geologic formation.Natural Gas: in gaseous hydrocarbons that are usually accompanied by oil.

At the same time, the hydrocarbons are also used for the production of plastics, a variety of waxes, and different lubricants of multiple applications, from automotive to manufacture of paints, oils and varnishes.

Addition to his burning generates a large amount of carbon dioxide harmful to the environment, it is one of the main causes of poisoning, being largely absorbed by respiratory tract, and to a lesser extent by an intake accidental.

Main thing is immediate medical care, in many cases requiring mechanical ventilation, and avoid induction to vomit, since contrary to correct the error, it aggravates and can cause damage to the esophagus tract.

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Waste

Daily generated an large amount of waste, considered how all material that is necessary to remove a home or a given environment, otherwise be could accumulate a large amount of micro-organisms harmful to health, or accumulate a huge dirt with similar consequences.

Naturally, to perform the task of rid of the garbage, it is necessary to have an appropriate container, to do so in an orderly manner, and going even further, the task of separating the garbage for subsequent recycling, which helps to later reuse what you have ruled out.

Basically we can classify the waste according to their composition chemistry, serving this often to find out how should be discarded, when doing so and its subsequent possibility of recovery through a process of recycling.

Organic waste: origin purely biological, which includes all those that comes from a living creature, ranging from food or the discarded during its development, until the remains of leaves and plants in general.Inorganic wastes: as opposed to the previous ones, it is industrial waste that have been manufactured by means of a non-natural process, being the best known derivatives of the plastic.Hazardous waste: the latter group seeks to differentiate from the other two, regardless of its origin (may be biological or not) you are looking for is to be treated in a differential way, being in this group those radioactive waste, waste with a high acid content, substances with a high corrosive power, and more often the medical material.

Other proposed classifications is in include Garbage technology as a group apart, either included among the Hazardous waste by having many of them with materials that can result in a subsequent soil contamination, that lately it is demanding that they can be made with recyclable materials.

On waste, there is a topic of debate for which never comes to a particular solution, which is the problem of the space where they are housed (or rather, from landfills) where many times destroyed large amounts of green space for the sake of obtaining a large garbage dump for a particular community.

The most widely accepted solution is separating the garbage for their subsequent task of recycling, but also requires an awareness that carried not to discard more than necessary, mainly emphasizing the reduction of pollution that would be achieved.

In no way must burn the waste in order to gain space, as contrary to search for a care of the environment environment, what is being done is to produce as much carbon dioxide, which as we have said many timesIt is harmful.

 

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CIEMAT IntiGIS evaluates the best energy solutions in rural areas

The Centre for energy research, environmental and technology (CIEMAT) has developed a promising application for the evaluation of the energy solutions more conducive in certain rural areas: IntiGIS. It is basically a system of geographic information (GIS) capable of analysing different options of electrification, either with conventional energy or renewable.

The System 1.0 IntiGIS., is especially moving to Latin American rural areas. The application analyzes the overturned information in order to determine the necessary technical, economic and geographic parameters for a comprehensive overview of the needs and possibilities of the region in terms of electrification.

Those who are interested in learning about or even implement this geographic information system can download it from the IntiGIS web site for free with scientific or academic purposes. Ali will find instructions and system requirements. It should be clarified that sale or other commercial uses, prohibited given that all of their rights are the domain of CIEMAT.

 

 

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Types of renewable energy, summary

The renewable energy are all those who come from a natural source, are clean and almost inexhaustible resources. There are a variety of renewable energy sources, which can be different types of energy: electricity, heat and biofuels. Today we will devote to renewable electrical application, describing briefly what is each one of them.

Biogás: energy is obtained from the fuel gas produced generated via leave biomass or from the biodegradable fraction of waste. Through different processes can be purified to reach a quality which is similar to natural gas, and can be used as fuel, biofuel or wood gas.
Energy biomass: Gets the biodegradation of chemicals and biological waste (both plant and animal origin), or industrial and municipal waste and solid recovered fuels. The generation of electricity from biomass can be made in different ways:

Energy mar: energy that encompasses the energy use of seas and oceans. Depending on that take advantage of the waves is called wave or tidal if it comes from the tides. Wind energy: is the kinetic (movement) contained in the masses of air in the atmosphere. It captures from wind turbines (Photo 2).

EnergyGeotérmica: energy stored in the form of heat under the Earth's surface, obtained through deposits of high temperature (greater than 100 - 150 ° C).

EnergyHidroeléctrica: is obtained from power plants or minihidroeléctricas, through the transformation of the mechanical energy of a watercourse.

Energy Solar: is obtained from solar radiation. There are two different types of solar energy:

Photovoltaic Solar energy: captured by solar cells which, by the photovoltaic effect generates electric current, which is stored in batteries or injected into the network and electricity distribution (Photo 3).Thermoelectric Solar energy: uses solar radiation directly to heat a fluid which creates steam to power a turbine generator of electricity.

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Malaga: Consumption energy controlled from home

A group of researchers from the Foundation Habitec (Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía) in Malaga, are working in the European project EnergyTIC. This is to develop a System of communication that allow each household to know--and thus take away a better control - your energy consumption. To do this they are launching a pilot test in 700 housing where users through internet or TDT will receive information on the amount of electricity and water use.

Not only you can see own electricity and water consumption , also can compare with the values of other individual or communities. Also provide other information that will enable known parameters that we are not doing a proper use of resources, and advice to do so in a way more efficient. An example: how much of the amount of our invoice for the electrical service corresponds to appliances left in standby (may be 12% of our total expenditure).

The initial phase will begin in March and April and will have a duration of three years. There will also be another similar experience in France and - probably - in the Netherlands.

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Energetic resources

Many times we talked about energy sources, and these are basically responsible for that we have different ways of generating our own electricity necessary for our day-to-day, but of course, this concept is very broad and we delve much more.

As many know, there is a classification based for all resource, based of course on capacity which we can continue getting raw materials necessary to reach a final product, i.e., whether this is a renewable resource, either a non-renewable energy source.

Fossil fuels: includes the exploitation of oil formed makes billions of years by the accumulation of hydrocarbons (product of decomposition of organic, from material generally of plankton) that are content between impermeable rocks in liquid state, and hovering over it in the form of Natural Gas, present in volatile or gaseous state.

It also includes coal as another source of non-renewable energy, organic matter of vegetable origin, covered with sediments originating changes in its molecular structure to increase the pressure conditions.

Stand out by releasing a large amount of energy by combustion, which applies to a lot of uses ranging from heating to mobility using an internal combustion engine, this last allowing its transformation into electric energy.

Nuclear fuel: used for obtaining Nuclear energy, being the most frequently used uranium and plutonium, which through a process called radioactive decay can be decomposed into atoms of lower molecular mass, process that releases an enormous amount of energy.

This energy is used by nuclear power stations which through the formation of water vapor and with the help of a turbine connected to an alternator, generate electrical energy necessary.

 

It is those who are considered as unlimited, or are too large and are not also largely consumed in proportion to the amount of energy that can be obtained from them.

This group is practically impossible to include a limited amount of resources, as that carried out various scientific progress is checked that it is possible to have a renewable energy source without using a consumable.

This is why it is considered as the source of everything to solar energy, which is responsible for the formation and distribution of other renewable resources.

In this case, which stands out of them is that while they are not unlimited, renewal occurs quite quickly, given the potentiality that precisely that must be controlled is that does not consume more than necessary, otherwise it would a disappearance.

A clear example of this is the use of Biomass energy, that although plants are growing relatively fast, overexploitation may generate a depletion of resources that offer.

Production energy Spain

Energy production plays an important role in the economy of a country, and even more so in the case of Spain, where it occupies approximately the 2.5% of the gross domestic product, and obviously be the basis for all industries, the sector of tourism and many more.

But unfortunately, in recent years there has been a limitation in regards to its economic growth, since it could not count the amount of energy resources necessary, particularly with regard to non-renewable energywhere there are very few sites, for their extraction, and there was a pressing need to import.

Although not as drastic as the Word suggests, the energy crisis includes failure to supply the country himself, using much of the own energies, having a degree of self-sufficiency that barely reaches 23 per centwhich is the same as saying that at least 77% of the electrical energy used has been prepared after an import from abroad.

Added to this is that the energy deficit has marked a average of the 39.6% in a period between 1995 and 2003, while imports of energy products during the 2003 involves an expenditure of about 18.190 million euros, from which stemmed a 7.614 thousands of tonnes of crude oil, and the import of some 1.553 thousands of tonnes of Natural Gas.

Since the year 2000 to the present day, it is estimated that there has been a growth in the order of 56% in the production of thermal power stations, to work with the burning of fossil fuels, while renewable energies saw an increase of 26%.

Currently the main sources of energy produced in the country (covering 29% of the electricity demand) comes from power combined cycle, wind energy can meet a demand of 13 per cent, as demonstrated during the year 2009.

This is compounded further nuclear power stations, which cover approximately 20% of the demand, although the moratorium has announced a further dismantling and downtime in the next few years.

In this way, it is shown that support for renewable energy in the country, is imperative to ensure that in future they can further meet demand, and they can provide a source of energy clean.

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Autonomy electric cars

With the constant introduction of new models and their consequent development, electric cars still have as a common factor a problem which tries to work hard, whereas they should be a replaced those that emit large amount of carbon dioxide not only to be used in the city, but also travel long distance.

Thus the concept that it always is the autonomy, i.e. the ability of a determined amount of km with a full charge of the Lithium Ion batteries, something that in most cases, is around 150 km.

But this will surely change soon, that recently signed Innova power limited has announced that they have discovered, along with students from the University of Sunderland, a very material capable of obtaining electricity from water, extracting hydrogen molecules.

In this way we only must acquire this "magic dust", mix it with water and by a physico phenomenon may extend the autonomy of our car recharging the batteries, which should be a fuel cell , replacing the huge and heavy tanks of hydrogen have been proposed for this purpose.

Myth or reality? For the time being will have to wait for the results…

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Solar Park landfill

The town of Canton, Massachusetts (United States) is planning the construction of New England's largest solar Park. Its construction will have the particularity of carried out on an old landfill of waste that was covered 25 years ago.

Canton solar Park will be 24,000 solar panels . Its production capacity will be 5.6 MW. The firm in charge of this project is southern sky renewable energy , who hoped that the new solar energy venture be operational next year. Canton community having the largest Park site of the region will report a profit of $ 70 million from public income and savings of energy expenditure.

Similar projects of reusing old landfill as solar farms are in other parts of Massachusetts. This type of land are some conditions for this type of installation of solar panels: these are flat surfaces, there is no shade without trees or buildings.

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Apollo Umeox

Probably many users of mobile phones are going be speaking, by sending a text message or performing any other activity, and suddenly we received notice that we are depleting the battery, something that often happens that we tend to neglect it, and that often leaves us disconnected for a while.

As well, that is ending soon, as we have before us the umeox Apollo, a mobile phone that uses renewable energy to offer virtually unlimited autonomy, provided we have the patience of not obstructing its energy source.

In the back of his shell, includes a small photovoltaic solar panel that allows to instantly recharge your batteries, and will be marketed in some countries of Europe and, obviously, in Asia, the epicenter of the latest technology.

The point against is that it requires approximately two hours and average daily load, which should be carried out compulsorily after its use, that if batteries they have been exhausted, to recharge your battery completely demand about 17 hours of sun exposure.

Anyway, is the constant intention of employing this technology in devices that we use on a daily basis.

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Solar cell in imitation leather

To make more sustainable development, the ideal is that solar energy is destined to a myriad of applications, not only regarding obtaining electrical energy, but also to feed all kinds of devices and technologies, which will bring more fields to develop.

A developer of Stanford has recently established a system of artificial skin which applied a sensor capable of detecting any pressure change, including the landing of a fly to recognize different types of biological molecules, including also various chemical compounds.

But the interesting thing is that would be powered by solar energy, that we have included small polymer solar cells, giving it great flexibility, including be lengthwise up to 30% of its dimensions and restore its original size without losing energy.

This is possible by the integration of an liquid metal electrodes that connect devices described above, while planning use this technology to give rise to any clothing, preferably uniforms (surely apply military) and connected to new technologies that are under development.

It would be almost like wearing solar panels and walk while we recharged the energies of some device.

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Biofuel from Algae

To be able to succeed to the growing energy demand, it is imperative that the researchers put hands to work in the search for new renewable energy sources, which not only feasible in its application, but also easy to obtain, which may be accompanied by the requirement for a low investment.

On this occasion, we have to present a new alternative that is driving in many countries, due to its versatility of use and by the large amount of raw material is available, the development of biofuels from algae marinas.

In the case of New Zealand, an alliance forged between firms solray energy, production of energy, and the company aquaflow bionomics, who has studied the growth of algae in sewage, seek development altogether in a viable way of transforming these aquatic algae into fuel.

The main product that is obtained is biodiesel, to get the same performance as that is manufactured with oil, with the advantage of a level of quite reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

On the other hand, in the production can be obtained by distillation Biobutanol (can be used in internal combustion engines), Biogasoline (of similar performance to gasoline, composed of hydrocarbons) and Methane Gas (mixed with other gases through the process of anaerobic digestion can reach to replace the Natural Gas)

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Reduced drastically in the conversion of energy losses

Is developing a new technology that could be reduced by about 90% losses occurring in the conversion of energy . The project undertakes the Transphorm company, entity whose investors include google ventures and kleiner perkins.

This new and very promising technology is based on the use of gallium nitride (replacing the traditional components) which was originally implemented developing lights LEDs. This technology could be applied in future to different devices in daily use, especially on laptops. But it might also be of great help in the generation of renewable energy, improving the performance of photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbines at some points.

The potential of this type of technology benefit is really great. So you have an idea of how much energy is wasted during the process of conversion, consider that more than 10% of the total electricity consumed worldwide is lost this way...

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Tower Net Lima in the Philippines

Often when building a skyscraper neglect factors relating to the site is located where the project, especially those relating to the environment and until the subsequent implementation of renewable energy taking advantage of its structure, therefore we highlight the emergence of what will describe below.

It is a complex of three towers which will represent the complex Net Metropolis 5th Avenue the capital of the Philippines (Manila), in the commercial district of fort Bonifacio, and that it will serve as headquarters to large companies in the Asian State counting on a surface covered 1.550.000 square metres, surrounded by some parks full of trees and plants of all kinds.

The first one has been built, under the name of Tower Net Lima, and carries a design planned to be adapted and sustainable structure for providing a great help to the use of renewable energy, also joined a remarkable decrease in power consumption.

We highlight the existence of wind turbines which will enable supply to the Tower, coupled with an innovative system that uses a solar filter special made in aluminium, placed on its periphery, which repels heat (designed to reduce consumption electricity generated by the innumerable installation of air-conditioning, something common in offices)

This joined other engineering looking to take advantage of everything that eventually is discarded, as for example the water from the Air conditioner, which would be stored in a special containers for cleaning and irrigation of the Park.

Area Movele | Electric vehicles in the generated 2011

Generates2011 Energy and environment international fair organized by IFEMA, will be held from 11 to 13 May 2011 in FERIA of MADRID. IDAE Institute for diversification and energy saving) there will be an area specially dedicated to the sector of electric mobility, whose objective will be to disseminate the Plan of action of the vehicle electric 2010-2012 (Plan movele).

Zone MOVELE you will have a physical space itself GENERATES 2011. There the IDAE meet all kinds of related companies with the electric mobility: vehicle manufacturers, companies installing recharging, energy companies and public and private institutions.

It's definitely a highly recommendable event for those who closely follow latest advances in the field of electric vehicles to access new models and technologies first hand.

Curious semi-submarino boat electrical

That today we bring you - more than anything else - is a curiosity in the field of electric vehicles , which is mostly of a somewhat eccentric luxury item (which does not remove that would be very interesting to upload one them!). It is a compact semi submarine that uses a fully electric motor have dubbed as "Ego". The company that produces is called Raonhaje, and has released two different models "Ego you (Deluxe Edition) and Ego is (standard edition), both with capacity for 2 passengers."

Consists of a surface type pot with cover to enjoy the landscape and the navigation and - below-cabin underwater with large Windows that allow observing fish, with all its magnificence as if we were practicing diving or snorquel.

Boat semi-submarino EGO has a battery that allows 8 hours of use in cruising speed, or 4 at maximum speed, while every recharge takes between 6 and 9 hours.

I hydrogen by mimicking photosynthesis

As many know, photosynthesis is one of the activities any sort of vegetable Kingdom can generate their own food, i.e. energy, something that if took it to the demands of electric power, is precisely what is being sought from the earliest times.

Focusing on this concept, it has been announced that a new technology that plan to use a very similar to the photosynthesis system to create electricity using hydrogen is currently in full development.

As many know, one of the ways to obtain this raw is "breaking" the water molecule, although also it may be subjected to other processes to generate new hydrocarbon resembling a fossil, fuel behaviour although of course, should participation oxygen in this reaction.

In plants, acts also as an oxidizing agent, but it is quickly released in breathing, absorbing carbon dioxide, which would have to work for increased performance (for the moment, the structure of the hydrogen cell degrades)

As if this out, this would be combined also with the use of solar energy, applying directly using a blue light technology, creating a highly efficient energy conversion system.

At the moment it's all in development and is no more than a project, though it is advancing by leaps and expected results are too optimistic.

Graphene: Solar Cells of the Future?

A southern California University team has come up with what could be the alternative new breed of economical and flexible solar cells. For some decades now, organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) have been acclaimed as the new solar cell prototypes and extolled for their light weight, flexible substrates, low cost and easy manufacturability. Research is now being done on them.

Features of OPV cell:
The most unique aspect of the OPV cell devise is the transparent conductive electrode. This allows the light to react with the active materials inside and create the electricity. Now graphene/polymer sheets are used to create thick arrays of flexible OPV cells and they are used to convert solar radiation into electricity providing cheap solar power.

New OPV design:
Now a research team under the guidance of Chongwu Zhou, Professor of Electrical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering has put forward the theory that the graphene – in its form as atom-thick carbon atom sheets and then attached to very flexible polymer sheets with thermo-plastic layer protection will be incorporated into the OPV cells. By chemical vapour deposition, quality graphene can now be produced in sufficient quantities also.

Differences between silicon cells and graphene OPV cells:
The traditional silicon solar cells are more efficient as 14 watts of power will be generated from 1000 watts of sunlight where as only 1.3 watts of power can be generated from a graphene OPV cell. But these OPV cells more than compensate by having more advantages like physical flexibility and costing less.

More economical in the long run:
According to Gomez De Arco, a team member, it may be one day possible to run printing presses with these economically priced OPVs covering extensive areas very much like printing newspapers. In Gomez’ words – “They could be hung as curtains in homes or even made into fabric and be worn as power generating clothing…. imagine people powering their cellular phone or music/video device while jogging in the sun.”

Advantages of OPVs:
The flexibility of OPVs gives these cells additional advantage by being operational after repeated bending unlike the Indium-Tin-Oxide cells. Low cost, conductivity, stability, electrode/organic film compatibility, and easy availability along with flexibility give graphene OPV cell a decidedly added advantage over other solar cells.

The team:
The USC team, consisting of Chongwu Zhou, Cody W. Schlenker, Koungmin Rye, Mark E. Thompson, Yi Zhang and Gomez De Arco published a paper about their research in ACS Nano journal and are very much excited about the future potential advantages and uses that are possible with the OPV grapehne cells.

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PETE Process Promises Successful Technology Fusion

A new joint venture research work at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, supported by Department of Energy and DARPA has come up with a new solar energy conversion process that can potentially double the efficiency of solar cells. Stanford engineers have discovered this new and totally different process to harvest energy from sun.

Way to make the cells more efficient:
The best way to increase the efficiency of the solar cells is to somehow harvest the wasted heat energy and to keep up and utilize the high temperatures which are reached during conversion. Utilizing the existing technology along with utilizing both the photovoltaic and thermal conversion techniques is what is needed.

Breakthrough process:
In the new process, the semiconducting material was coated with a thin layer of caesium which allowed the material to use both the light and heat of sun to generate electricity. Though this is not actually standardized photovoltaic mechanism happening, this is a photovoltaic-like response happening best at very high temperatures. The new process is called Photon enhanced thermionic emission (PETE).

Conceptual breakthrough:
Nick Melosh, Assistant Professor of Material Science & Engineering, leading the research group says, “This is really a conceptual breakthrough, a new energy conversion process, not just a new material or a slightly different tweak.” The new process is called ‘photon enhanced thermionic emission’ (PETE). This process is expected to reduce solar energy production cost competitively with oil.

Weakness harnessed as strength:
What is the weak point with most silicon cells – losing efficiency in higher temperatures – is the strong point of PETE process as the devices working with PETE process works best at temperatures as high as 800 degree Celsius. The PETE device utilizes the light and high temperatures produced are usable and dumped in the thermal conversion process.

Peaking efficiency:
PETE process has the potential to almost triple the existing system efficiency as demonstrated in solar farms in Mojave Desert in Southern California. Melosh says, “PETE process has two really big benefits in energy production over normal technology.”

Affordable process:
The tam claims that PETE process needs economical and easily available materials only – making thus the power harvested via this process very affordable. The conversion into PETE process is also relatively inexpensive as they are being designed to be bolted to present structures.

Research team goal:
The research team published their paper in ‘Nature Materials‘ after demonstrating the process successfully. The team is experimenting on various semiconductors like gallium nitride and gallium arsenide and other such materials. Even a 10 % boost to the existing solar efficiency is a 50% overall hike and very welcome for solar cell power generation.

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DIY Electric Bike

by Stan Soliday
(Carson City, NV)

DIY E-Bike 1

DIY E-Bike2

Want to build an EV that gets the equivalent of over 2,000 mpg? Then build a e-bike.

You can check here: http://www.evsroll.com/DIY_Electric_Bike.html

Our DIY e-bikes hold about 1/2 Kilowatt-hour worth of energy. One gallon of gas has about 36 Kilowatt-hours. There are 128 ounces of fluid gas in a gallon.

So, 128 ounces gasoline per gallon / 36kWh = 3.6 ounces gasoline per kWh energy

And, 3.6 oz x 1/2 - 1.8 oz gas equivalent per 1/2 kwh = 1.8 oz gas equiv per charge up

The e-bikes will go around 30 miles per charge.

So, 128 ounces per gal gas energy / 1.8 ounces gas equiv per charge = 71 charges per gallon.

71 charges per gallon x 30 mpg = 2,133 miles per gallon

We can do this every day for 1,200-1,500 charge cycles

Check out the bikes here: http://www.evsroll.com/DIY_Electric_Bike.html

Hike, bike, ride an e-bike, drive an EV

EVsRock!

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