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Solar panels are made from plant waste
March 28th, 2022
Photo: James Dyson Foundation. An engineering student at Mapúa University in Manilla, Philippines, has found an innovative way to make a solar panel that functions even in cloudy weather. The product called “AuReus," made by Carvey Ehren Maigue, harvests the unseen ultraviolet (UV) light that comes through dense cloud coverage. According to Maigue, preliminary testing […]
Printing large solar cells
July 30th, 2013
Scientists have produced the largest flexible, plastic solar cells in Australia—10 times the size of previous materials—thanks to a new solar cell printer installed at Australian research institution CSIRO. The printer has allowed researchers from the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) to print organic photovoltaic cells the size of an A3 sheet of paper. […]
NRG launches Solar Canopy
June 25th, 2013
New product will provide energy without additional solar panels or connecting to the electricity grid. At Fortune's Brainstorm Green conference, NRG Energy CEO David Crane unveiled a new product that provides shade and solar energy. The Solar Canopy will launch by the end of the year, according to NRG, and be available in four sizes […]
Nonwoven fabric Galaxy central to solar water desalinization
June 1st, 2013
The World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and energy-intensive purification technologies (such as reverse osmosis membranes) use an estimated $10.96 in oil to produce 264 gallons of clean water. A simple, solar-powered panel made with a viscose nonwoven fabric, Galaxy®, may revolutionize water purification in […]
“Luci” brings power to the people
April 1st, 2013
Approximately 1.6 billion people lack access to electricity (the majority of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia) and another 1.5 billion have intermittent access to the electrical grid. MPOWERD™ Inc., a New York City benefit corporation (a for-purpose, rather than for-profit business model), wants to end energy poverty with its cheap, lightweight collapsible solar […]
Solar fabrics bring power to the people
September 1st, 2012
Commercial success for large-scale flexible solar fabrics may be just around the corner Fabrics that capture energy are gaining traction in the consumer marketplace. Solar backpacks, solar umbrellas, solar purses and even solar clothing can be ordered with a few mouse clicks. But what about awnings, rooftops, boat covers and other large-scale fabric applications? Installations […]
Power-producing fabric sets sail
August 1st, 2011
Patents have been granted to a team at Bolton University, Bolton, U.K., for a flexible cloth that can generate electricity from both solar cells (power from sunlight) and piezoelectric fibers (power from kinetic motion). Among the potential applications for the fabric: sails on a schooner that can provide electricity while catching the wind, computer bags […]