Sun-free photovoltaics: Materials engineered to give off precisely tuned wavelengths of light when heated

A new photovoltaic energy-conversion system can be powered solely by heat, generating electricity with no sunlight at all. While the principle involved is not new, a novel way of engineering the surface of a material to convert heat into precisely tuned wavelengths of light -- selected to match the wavelengths that photovoltaic cells can best convert to electricity -- makes the new system much more efficient than previous versions.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

Solar cells get a boost from bouncing light

A new twist on an old solar cell design sends light ricocheting through layers of microscopic spheres, increasing its electricity-generating potential by 26 percent.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

Unexpected clue to thermopower efficiency: Uneven temperature can lead to electronic whirlpools and sideways magnetic fields

Scientists have discovered a new relation among electric and magnetic fields and differences in temperature, which can result in swirling vortices of electrons and holes in semiconductor devices and emit sideways magnetic fields. Understanding the unusual new effect may lead to more efficient thermoelectric devices, which convert heat into electricity or electricity into heat.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

Transition to renewable energy stimulates the economy, German researchers say

The transition to renewable energy is set to deliver an economic pay off as well in the years to come, say researchers in Germany. Various studies show that a shift to alternative energy sources will raise the GNP in the coming decade and create new jobs.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

Solar panels keep buildings cool

Those solar panels on top of your roof aren't just providing clean power; they are cooling your house, or your workplace, too, according to a team of environmental engineering researchers.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

Improved hybrid solar collector has higher efficiency, longer lifespan

A researcher in the Netherlands has developed a new type of hybrid solar collector with a higher efficiency and a longer lifespan than the current hybrid systems. Hybrid solar collectors combine photovoltaic solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity with a solar heater that provides warm water.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

New way to store sun’s heat: Modified carbon nanotubes can store solar energy indefinitely, then be recharged by exposure to the sun

A novel application of carbon nanotubes shows promise as an innovative approach to storing solar energy for use whenever it's needed. Storing the sun's heat in chemical form -- rather than converting it to electricity or storing the heat itself in a heavily insulated container -- has significant advantages, since in principle the chemical material can be stored for long periods of time without losing any of its stored energy. The problem with that approach has been that until now the chemicals needed to perform this conversion and storage either degraded within a few cycles, or included the element ruthenium, which is rare and expensive.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

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Power from the air: Device captures ambient electromagnetic energy to drive small electronic devices

Researchers have discovered a way to capture energy transmitted by such sources as radio and television transmitters and cell phone networks. By scavenging this ambient energy from the air around us, the technique could provide a new way to power networks of wireless sensors or other devices.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

Global investments in green energy up nearly a third to $211 billion

Wind farms in China and small-scale solar panels on rooftops in Europe were largely responsible for last year's 32 percent rise in green energy investments worldwide according to the latest annual report on renewable energy investment trends. Last year, investors pumped a record $211 billion into renewables -- about one-third more than the $160 billion invested in 2009, and a 540 percent rise since 2004.

Read More From Source: ScienceDaily: Solar Energy News

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