Archive for the ‘solar panels’ tag
Solar-powered submarine
Engineers from Swiss company BKW have announced The Goldfish Project – a solar submarine in Lake Thun, that draws energy from a floating solar platform.
Like a water lily, the floating solar platform consists of a central element with a marquee, surrounded by five satellites fitted with solar panels. According to BKW, the energy produced by the solar power station is sufficient to guarantee the dives of the submarine, and ensure the fully-automatic positioning of the platform via GPS.
A solar powered shuttle boats will be used to bring the passengers from the shore, to the floating platform. The submarine will have a maximum diving depth of 300m, and be able to carry up to 24 people.
Read more on: Design, Energy, satellite, solar energy, solar panels, SubmarineNew material overcomes major obstacles to solar power
Researchers have created a new material that overcomes two of the major obstacles to solar power: it absorbs all the energy contained in sunlight, and generates electrons in a way that makes them easier to capture.
Ohio State University chemists and their colleagues combined electrically conductive plastic with metals including molybdenum and titanium to create the hybrid material.
“There are other such hybrids out there, but the advantage of our material is that we can cover the entire range of the solar spectrum,” explained Malcolm Chisholm, Distinguished University Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry at Ohio State.
Read more on: Energy, solar energy, solar panels, solar powerA window of opportunity for solar energy
An innovative way of capturing energy from the sun could increase the amount of power generated by solar panels.
The concept devised by engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), centres on a ‘solar concentrator’. The solar concentrator evolved from a similar idea developed in the 70’s that involved impregnating dyes in plastic. The idea was abandoned because, among other things, not enough of the collected light could reach the edges of the concentrator. The MIT engineers decided to apply this technique to its solar concentrator.
The MIT solar concentrator comprises a mixture of two or more dyes in specific ratios, which is painted onto the surface of a pane of glass or plastic. The dyes work together to absorb light across a range of wavelengths, which is the re-emitted at a different wavelength and transported across the pane to waiting solar cells.
Read more on: Design, Electronics, Energy, glass, plastic, solar cells, solar panelsGM announces 2,000,000 sq. ft solar power installation
General Motors (GM) has announced it is to install the world’s largest rooftop solar photovoltaic power installation to its Figueruelas, Zaragoza car assembly plant in Spain, where models including the Opel Corsa, Opel Meriva and the Opel Combo are produced for Europe.
When the project is completed in the autumn of 2008, the Zaragoza solar installation will cover around 2,000,000 sq. ft. of roof at the plant, and comprise of approximately 85,000 solar panels. When fully operational, the installation will generate about 12 megawatts of power at its highest output. The installation will generate about 15.1 million kWh of power annually - equivalent to the demand of 4,575 households in Spain, each with an an average annual consumption of 3,300 kWh.
Read more on: Design, solar panelsNASA to send solar sail into space
NASA plans to send a satellite weighing less than 10 pounds into space, with an ultra-thin, 100 square foot solar sail as its primary means of altitude control or orbital manoeuvring.
NanoSail-D is the result of a partnership between Marshall Space Flight Center, and Ames Research Center. NASA will send the satellite into space on-board a SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket, scheduled for launch from Omelek Island in the Pacific Ocean between July 29th and August 6th.
Talking about the NanoSail-D, Edward Montgomery, payload manager, said: “The structure is made of aluminium and space-age plastic. The whole spacecraft weighs less than 10 pounds. We carry it around in a special suitcase – airplane carry-on luggage size.”
Once in space, a Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer, developed at the University of California, will be used to deploy the sail. Fully opened, the kite-shaped sail spreads out about 100-square feet of light-catching surface.
Read more on: Aerospace, Design, Electronics, nanotechnology, satellite, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, spaceNYC Times Square sign to be completely powered by solar energy
Ricoh Americas Corporation is to erect a sign in New York City’s Times Square, completely powered by solar and wind energy.
The 47 x 126 foot sign will be illuminated by floodlights, and powered by 45 solar panels and four turbines for wind generation. By using all natural energy sources, the amount of CO2 used by the sign will be reduced by 18 tons a year. If there is not enough solar of wind power, the Times Square sign not illuminate.
Ricoh currently has similar eco-powered sign that uses 100 per cent solar and wind power in Osaka, Japan.
Read more on: Design, Electronics, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, turbines