Renewable Energy

    August 2017
    A Low-Cost Method for Solar-Thermal Conversion That's Simpler and Greener

    The researchers make their SSAs using a dip-and-dry technique which is considerably simpler than common manufacturing methods for SSAs.

    New York, NY -- Researchers led by Yuan Yang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Columbia Engineering, along with colleagues at the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University and at Stanford University, have developed a new, scalable, and low-cost "dip and dry" method for fa
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    Date:
    08/28/2017
    When ethanol prices at the pump rise for whatever reason, it becomes economically advantageous for drivers of dual-fuel vehicles to fill up with gasoline. However, the health of the entire population pays a high price: substitution of gasoline for ethanol leads to a 30% increase in the atmospheric concentration of
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    Date:
    08/28/2017
    How 139 Countries Could be Powered by 100 Percent Wind, Water, and Solar Energy by 2050
    The latest roadmap to a 100% renewable energy future from Stanford's Mark Z. Jacobson and 26 colleagues is the most specific global vision yet, outlining infrastructure changes that 139 countries can make to be entirely powered by wind, water, and sunlight by 2050 after electrification of all energy sectors. Suc
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    Date:
    08/23/2017
    Linear Regulators are integrated circuits that step a voltage down from a higher voltage to a lower voltage without the need of an inductor. The low dropout linear regulator (LDO) is a special type of linear regulator in which the dropout voltage – the differential between the input-to-output voltages needed to
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    Date:
    08/21/2017
    When Li-ion batteries age, their performance drops. Current methods still require complex instrumented laboratory-based tests to determine how quickly and to which degree this occurs. In contrast, a procedure developed by Chemnitz University of Technology now enables quick and precise diagnosis. It ensures the re
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    Date:
    08/21/2017
    Biofuels From Bacteria

    Sandia National Laboratories researchers Eric Monroe, James Jaryenneh and Tyler Eckles operate raceways growing a consortium of cyanobacteria.

    LIVERMORE, Calif.--You might not cook with this sugar, but from a biofuels standpoint, it's pretty sweet. A Bay Area company has patented a group of three single-celled, algae-like organisms that, when grown together, can produce high quantities of sugar just right for making biofuels. Sandia National Laboratories is
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    Date:
    08/21/2017
    Sensitized solar cells consisting of a molecular or solid-state sensitizer that serves to collect light and inject an electron into a substrate that favors their migration are among the most studied photovoltaic systems at present. Despite its importance in determining the potential of a photovoltaic device, cu
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    Date:
    08/15/2017
    Buildings to Generate Their own Power With Innovative Glass Blocks

    Buildings could soon be able to convert the sun's energy into electricity without the need for solar panels, thanks to innovative new technology

    Buildings could soon be able to convert the sun's energy into electricity without the need for solar panels, thanks to innovative new technology. Renewable Energy experts from the University of Exeter are developing a pioneering new technique that could accelerate the widespread introduction of net-zero energy bui
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    Date:
    08/15/2017
    Precise Power Integrity Measurements

    Figure 1. Power rail voltages and tolerances required by ICs continue to decrease. These dynamics challenge traditional oscilloscope measurement approaches as the noise of the scope and probe system impairs the ability to make accurate measurements of small signals.

    Development teams face increasing power integrity challenges. FPGAs, ASICs, and standard components semiconductor devices continue to increase in gate count. Each of the millions of gates on an integrated circuit requires current to switch. As devices can consume tens of amps and total power must be managed, DC
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    Date:
    08/09/2017
    Probing Tips for High-Performance, Low-Power Circuits

    Figure 1. Extending the frequency and voltage range of a probe requires a front-end network of resistors and capacitors.

    Low-power circuits combine high speed and low-power consumption in a single component, presenting a number of probing and testing challenges. Since many low-power devices are also high-speed systems, there is a need to test and verify their performance. Testing the low-power components for compliance with industry st
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    Date:
    08/09/2017
    In response to pressures to optimise energy efficiency throughout industry, a number of trends are emerging across the power landscape: · In the automotive sector, we are seeing increased electrification of the power train and the growing adoption of hybrid, electric, plug-in and fuel-cell based transportation
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    Date:
    08/09/2017
    Vertical Axis Wind Turbines can Offer Cheaper Electricity for Urban and Suburban Areas

    Figure 3 illustrates the computer-aided design model for design configuration #13. The turbine blades are assumed to be made of carbon fiber and the turbine shaft and blade supports are made of Aluminum 2024.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. -- According to a prediction made by the U.S. Department of Energy, wind energy could provide 20 percent of electricity in the U.S. by the year 2030. This has motivated researchers from the University of Utah's Department of Mechanical Engineering to investigate the performance capabilities and
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    Date:
    08/03/2017
    Solar Glasses Generate Solar Power

    These Solar Glasses with lens-fitted semitransparent organic solar cells supply two sensors and electronics in the temples with electric power.

    Organic solar cells are flexible, transparent, and light-weight - and can be manufactured in arbitrary shapes or colors. Thus, they are suitable for a variety of applications that cannot be realized with conventional silicon solar cells. In the Energy Technology journal, researchers from KIT now present sunglasses
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    Date:
    08/02/2017
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    Power Systems Design

    Power Systems Design is a leading global media platform serving the power electronics design engineering community. It delivers in-depth technical content, industry news, and product insights to engineers and decision-makers developing advanced power systems and technologies.

    Published 12× per year across North America and Europe, Power Systems Design is distributed through online and fully digital editions, complemented by eNewsletters, webinars, and multimedia content. The platform covers key areas including power conversion, semiconductors, renewable energy, automotive electrification, AI power systems, and industrial applications—supporting innovation across the global electronics industry.