Energy

3-D Solar Cells Boost Efficiency While Reducing Size

Unique three-dimensional solar cells that capture nearly all of the light that strikes them could boost the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems while reducing their size, weight and mechanical complexity. The new 3D solar cells capture photons from su ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 12 2007 - 5:09pm

Turning Carbon Dioxide Into Fuel- Using Solar Power

Turning a greenhouse gas into a clean energy fuel is the Holy Grail of energy research. UC San Diego chemists have a prototype they think is an important milestone. Their device captures energy from the sun, converts it to electrical energy and "spli ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 18 2007 - 12:20pm

Plastic Solar Cell Efficiency Breaks Record

The global search for a sustainable energy supply is making significant strides at Wake Forest University as researchers at the university's Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials have announced that they have pushed the efficiency of plas ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 19 2007 - 11:45am

Researchers Find Plant Protein That May Aid Biofuel Production

In a breakthrough that could make the production of cellulosic ethanol less expensive, Cornell researchers have discovered a class of plant enzymes that potentially could allow plant materials used to make ethanol to be broken down more efficiently than i ...

Article - News Staff - May 4 2007 - 12:02am

Underwriting Solar Energy In India

Life for an estimated 100,000 people in poverty-stricken rural India has been improved dramatically by several hours of reliable solar-powered lighting every night, made available by a UN-led pilot project to facilitate household financing for solar home s ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 29 2007 - 1:24pm

New “Layered-Layered” Materials For Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new approach to increasing the capacity and stability of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The technology is based on a new material for the positive electrode th ...

Article - News Staff - May 8 2007 - 12:37pm

Battery Fueled By Sugar Could Last 4X Lithium Ion

Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers at Saint Louis University have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on virtually any sugar source- from soft drinks to tree sap- and has the potential to opera ...

Article - News Staff - May 9 2007 - 9:56am

'Cleaner' Manure Burns Hotter In Ethanol Processing

Clean manure may sound like an oxymoron, but Dr. Brent Auvermann is working with feedyard owners to help them get the most "spark" from it as a fuel source. "We're doing something that has never been done before," said Arles " ...

Article - News Staff - May 23 2007 - 11:07am

EU Project To Develop First Fuel-cell Aircraft

Designing the first fuel-cell manned intercity aircraft is the goal of a recently launched EU-funded project. The Environmentally Friendly Inter City Aircraft powered by Fuel Cells (ENFICA-FC) project is receiving €2.9 million from the EU as part of the ae ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 1 2007 - 7:24pm

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Sealing Technology Breakthrough

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) have attracted major interest from research and development communities as an alternative source of power. In these fuel cells electricity is generated via electro-chemical reactions using hydrogen based gas and oxygen as a fu ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 13 2007 - 11:40pm