Solar Power Category Archives
How to Build a Homemade Solar Water Heater
12 August 2011 | Solar Power | No Comments
In a world where fossil fuels are running low and where electricity becomes expensive with each passing day, people have to adapt and start living independent of these resources. Considering all alternative energy sources available today, people should start implementing them in their lives, in their homes.
This is the reason why I chose to show you in this post the simplest way to build a solar water heater for your home.
Sun-Free Photovoltaics Open New Perspectives in Nano-Technology
31 July 2011 | Solar Power | No Comments
Have you ever imagined a photovoltaic system that produces electricity without sunlight? Even it’s hard to believe, MIT researchers developed such a photovoltaic system that can run only on heat. Using any source of heat, this system will be able to generate electricity, giving the necessary boost to the future of renewable energy.
On its surface, this photovoltaic system has billions of tiny nano-pits that can convert heat into precise wavelengths of light. The produced light enables the photovoltaic system to generate electricity from it.
Solar Panels Floating on Water
10 March 2011 | Solar Power | 2 Comments
Israeli and French researchers have found a new way to produce solar power. They planned to build floating solar farms over industrial water basins by the year 2012. In this way the panels won’t take too much land space ant they also will be cheaper.
Usually, water basins serves as water sources for irrigation. Installing these solar panels there, will allow people to produce green solar energy (each module produces 200 kiloWatts) and enhance the overall utility of the existing space.
Solar Powered Super-Skin Can Detect DNA With a Simple Touch
23 February 2011 | Solar Power | No Comments
A new ultra-sensitive electronic skin was presented on Feb. 20 at the AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C. by Professor Zhenan Bao. Finally, Bao has figured out how to replace the materials used in earlier versions of the transistor with biodegradable materials.
This ultra-sensitive electronic skin can detect chemicals and biological molecules. It is a self-powering device that uses polymer solar cells to generate electricity. It is indeed a “super skin” because it’s sensitive to any pressure (it can feel a fly touch). Its solar cells are also stretchable (up to 30%). They can take back the initial size without any damage or loss of power.
StratoSolar Stretches 20 Km Into the Atmosphere to Produce Solar Power
23 February 2011 | Solar Power | No Comments
Leaving behind all those expensive solar panels, often difficult to maintain in their best condition, we present “StratoSolar” prototype. Basically, this system consist of a giant pipe (20 kilometers), with some concentrated solar panels attached at the end of it. This pipe reaches the atmosphere, so those solar panels can capture more light in any weather condition.
Being a cheaper way to produce energy than using conventional solar panels, StratoSolar could become the most practical solution for today’s energy needs. Researchers say that such system can be easily build with technology that is at hand, using materials that are all available in the market today.