Renewable Energy

April 2015

Aluminum battery from Stanford offers safe alternative to conventional batteries

Mark Shwartz

Stanford University scientists have invented what they present as the first high-performance aluminum battery that's fast-charging, long-lasting and inexpensive. Researchers say the new technology offers a safe alternative to many commercial batteries in wide use today. "We have developed a rechargeable aluminum b

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04/30/2015

FPGAs rev-up motor control

Jason Chiang and Ted Marena, Microsemi

Electric motors collectively consume a substantial portion of global electricity. According to the research firm IHS Technology, 96% of a motor’s lifetime costs are represented by pure electricity costs. Regulators have imposed more stringent energy standards for them, and manufacturers are scrutinizing th

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04/30/2015

Energy Department launches competition to drive innovation in wave energy

The Wave Energy Prize is a public prize challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)‘s Water Power Program. The prize is designed to increase the diversity of organizations involved in Wave Energy Converter (WEC) technology development, while motivating and inspiring existing stakeholders. DOE en

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04/29/2015

Power is sexy again

Alix Paultre, Editorial Director, PSD

Power is sexy again

Alix Paultre, Editorial Director, PSD

Once upon a time electricity was magic in every sense of the word. From its humble yet fascinating triboelectric origins, where Thales of Miletus first noted amber can acquire an electric charge by rubbing with a material like wool. Many of America’s founders were also famous scientists and engineers (Benjamin Fr

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04/29/2015

GaN FET apps are growing rapidly

Alex Lidow, Efficient Power Conversion

GaN FET apps are growing rapidly

Alex Lidow, Efficient Power Conversion

Enhancement-mode gallium nitride transistors have been commercially available for over five years. Commercially available gallium nitride (GaN) FETs are designed to be both higher performance and lower cost than state-of-the-art silicon-based power MOSFETs. This achievement marks the first time in 60

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04/29/2015

Saving energy in a software-controlled world

Patrick Le Fèvre, Ericsson Power Modules

Software is playing an increasingly prominent role in networking at a system architecture level, but it also has growing importance in the future in the delivery of power. Digital control, the use of power-optimization software algorithms and the concept of the Software Defined Power Architecture are all being se

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04/29/2015

Replacing electrolytics with MLCCs in power applications

Jun Nakajima, TAIYO YUDEN

Advances in multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) technology now offer designers a high-capacitance alternative to traditional electrolytic capacitors. New high-value MLCCs provide the advantages of lower equivalent series resistance (ESR) and inductance (ESL) than electrolytics, and demonstrated mean time to fa

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04/29/2015

Optimizing power by phase positioning

Dr. Zaki Moussaoui, Exar

The technique of paralleling power converters and phase shifting their outputs is not new, and “interleaving” (as it is known) has been used in a number of applications to reduce the size of input and output capacitors. These include the 42V/14V DC-DC converters found in dual-voltage vehicle electrical systems and

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04/29/2015

Yole predicts the power industry will go “inverter-centric”

Inverters remain a key R&D focus for power electronics

Yole predicts the power industry will go “inverter-centric”

Inverters will remain a key R&D focus for power electronics for the next 5 to 10 years! The power electronics industry becomes “inverter-centric” because of: • The adoption of electrification in the transportation (from car to busses to trains and planes) • The need for power conversion optimization f

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04/28/2015

DoE announces project selections in first phase of enhanced geothermal systems effort

As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department announced five projects selected for a total of $2 million for the first part of the multiphase Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) effort. This field laboratory, dedicated to cutting-edge re

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04/28/2015

Vivint Solar deploys SolarEdge’s optimized inverters nationwide

Vivint Solar Nationally Deploys SolarEdge’s DC Optimized Inverters with Rapid Shutdown and Revenue-Grade Metering

Vivint Solar deploys SolarEdge’s optimized inverters nationwide

SolarEdge Technologies, a leader in PV inverters, power optimizers, and module-level monitoring services, today announced an expanded supply arrangement with Vivint Solar, a leading provider of distributed solar energy systems. Vivint Solar will purchase and install SolarEdge’s optimized DC inverters with in

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04/28/2015

Solar Industry to employ 50,000 veterans by 2020

As part of Joining Forces, an initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to rally support for U.S. service members, veterans and their families, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) committed to having 50,000 veterans working in solar by 2020. The First Lady shared the news at

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04/24/2015

Other World Computing wind & solar energy production to exceed 100% of its nationwide energy consumption needs

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero-emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced on Earth Day that as part of the company’s sustainability program, it will soon produce enough on-site wind and solar power to cover all energy needs for four facilities in three states (Illinois, Texas and Nevada), be

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04/24/2015

Energy Department announces winners of 2015 Race to Zero student design competition

The Energy Department announced winners of its second annual Race to Zero Student Design Competition, a collegiate competition engaging university students to design zero energy-ready homes. A zero energy-ready home is a high-performance home that is so energy efficient it can offset all or most of its annual en

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04/24/2015

Solar Ready Vets expands to 10 military installations

Military personnel participating in Solar Ready Vets learn how to how to size and install solar energy systems, connect electricity to the grid, and interpret and comply with local building codes

Solar Ready Vets expands to 10 military installations

On April 3, President Obama announced the expansion of SunShot’s Solar Ready Vets program to a total of 10 military bases. The announcement was made at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, which will be the fourth installation to host the training. Programs are already in place at Camp Pendleton in California, Fort Ca

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04/16/2015

Popular state incentive helps drive Louisiana solar growth

Louisiana became a Top 20 solar state for the first time last year

Popular state incentive helps drive Louisiana solar growth

Powered by a rapidly-growing residential market, Louisiana became a Top 20 solar state for the first time last year, according to the recently-released U.S. Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review. It was the fifth straight year that Louisiana showed strong growth in solar installations. In 2014, Louisiana

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04/14/2015

Researchers discover N-type polymer for fast organic battery

Rational combination of advantages of state-of-the-art polymers has resulted in highly electronically conducting polymers that could enable a battery to be 80 percent charged within 6 seconds, and fully charged in another 18 seconds.

Researchers discover N-type polymer for fast organic battery

Researchers at the University of Houston have reported developing an efficient conductive electron-transporting polymer, a long-missing puzzle piece that will allow ultrafast battery applications. The discovery relies upon a “conjugated redox polymer” design with a naphthalene-bithiophene polymer, which has

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04/10/2015

SunShot Catalyst demo day comes to San Francisco in May

SunShot Catalyst prize competition

SunShot Catalyst demo day comes to San Francisco in May

The SunShot Catalyst prize competition connects American innovators to the tools, capabilities, data assets, and resources developed by the Energy Department and its national laboratories. The competition leverages each of these assets to launch cutting-edge solar companies and tackle time-sensitive market challenges. Ca

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04/08/2015

Maryland shows strong residential solar growth in 2014

Today, the U.S. solar industry employs 174,000 Americans nationwide

Maryland shows strong residential solar growth in 2014

Led by a booming residential market, Maryland more than doubled its amount of installed solar capacity in 2014, according to the recently-released U.S. Solar Market Insight 2014 Year in Review. In addition, Maryland also had nearly half, 48 percent, of its new electrical capacity last year come from solar energy. In 2014, Mar

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04/08/2015

Saft to supply batteries for backup power in Bangladesh plant expansion

Saft is supplying two large battery systems to Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited

Saft to supply batteries for backup power in Bangladesh plant expansion

Saft, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-tech industrial batteries, is supplying two large battery systems to Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited, one of China’s largest equipment manufacturing conglomerates, for a high profile power plant expansion project in Khulna, Bangladesh’s third largest ci

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04/08/2015

SEIA hails Energy Department initiative to train solar workers

In a decision that’s certain to help to speed up America’s transition to a clean energy future, President Obama announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) will launch a new initiative to train 75,000 Americans – including military veterans – to enter the solar workforce by 2020. The President made th

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Date:

04/06/2015

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