Renewable Energy

March 2018
Strings of Electron-Carrying Proteins May Hold The Secret to 'Electric Bacteria'

Scientist Moh El-Naggar studies bacteria that construct membrane wires to 'breathe' rock. This three-dimensional construct depicts a wire composed of spherical vesicles containing electron-transporting proteins (red and green).

Could a unique bacterium be nature's microscopic power plant? Scientist Moh El-Naggar and his team think it's possible. They work with the Shewanella oneidensis species of bacteria, one of a group of microbes that essentially "breathe" rocks. As part of their metabolism, the bacteria have developed a w
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Date:
03/30/2018
Illinois Researchers Receive $1 Million to Study Bioenergy Crops
URBANA, Ill. - The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced a grant for $1 million to support research led by a University of Illinois scientist. The research will address the need for better-adapted and higher-yielding biomass cultivars ready to plug into the biofuel supply chain in the Un
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Date:
03/30/2018
Scientists Publish New Book on Key Policies For a Sustainable Energy Future

Dr. Roger James Kuhns and Dr. George H. Shaw recently published a book through Springer (2018) entitled "Navigating the Energy Maze: The Transition to a Sustainable Future". Here, Kuhns and Shaw are shown together attending the 2018 Citizens' Climate Lobby Northeast Regional Conference.

Mystic, CT - Dr. Roger James Kuhns and Dr. George H. Shaw recently published a book through Springer (2018) entitled "Navigating the Energy Maze: The Transition to a Sustainable Future". In this book, Kuhns and Shaw present a plan for the development of a comprehensive sustainable energy policy fo
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Date:
03/29/2018
Residential Solar Inverter Series Available in Five Power Ratings From 3.3 to 6.0kW
The new UNO-DM-PLUS-US series is now available for immediate shipment in the US. Available in five power ratings, from 3.3 to 6.0kW, these solar inverters have a compact design that delivers high performance with excellent power density enabling maximum energy production. They are designed with digital intellige
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Date:
03/28/2018
'Green' Thruster Technology Flight-Tested in Space
WALLOPS ISLAND, Va., March 27, 2018 -- After long delays caused by storms and rough seas, NASA on Sunday launched a rocket into space carrying an experiment built by students at Utah State University. Quick Read A USU student-built experiment rocketed into space from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility
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Date:
03/27/2018
Luxembourg Researchers Refute 20-Year-Old Assumptions in Solar Cell Production

This is a microscopic image of the solar cell absorber made of one grain (black and white) and corresponding chemical analysis showing the concentration of gallium (orange) and indium (purple).

Research led by the University of Luxembourg investigated the manufacturing process of solar cells. The researchers proved that assumptions on chemical processes that were commonplace among researchers and producers for the past 20 years are, in fact, inaccurate. The physicists published their findings in the re
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Date:
03/23/2018
Electric Textile Lights a Lamp When Stretched
Working up a sweat from carrying a heavy load? That is when the textile works at its best. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a fabric that converts kinetic energy into electric power, in cooperation with the Swedish School of Textiles in Borås and the research institute Swerea IV
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Date:
03/22/2018
Creating a Sustainable Energy Roadmap for Pittsburgh

Greg Reed (left) and Mayor Peduto (right) witness Danish Ambassador Lars Gert Lose sign the new energy partnership memorandum.

PITTSBURGH ... The City of Pittsburgh enjoyed three "renaissance" periods in the 20th century that transformed its environment, architecture, and quality of life. Following that legacy of innovation, a new working group announced today seeks to create an energy renaissance for Pittsburgh in the 21st ce
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Date:
03/21/2018
Maxim's Himalaya uSLIC Solution, the Industry's Smallest Power Modules, Revolutionizes Design for Highly Space-Constrained Applications
Designers working on space-constrained applications can now dramatically reduce solution size and increase efficiency with the family of micro system-level IC ("uSLIC") modules from Maxim Integrated Products. The MAXM17532 and MAXM15462 ultra-small (2.6mm x 3.0mm x 1.5mm), integrated DC-DC power modules
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Date:
03/21/2018
Murata launches ultra-efficient 1/16th brick DC/DC converters for industrial and railway applications
Murata launches its latest in a series of encapsulated DC-DC converters designed specifically for industrial, industrial mobility and railway applications. The 50 watt IRS-Q48 series from Murata Power Solutions provides market-leading efficiency using the latest technology for fixed frequency switching power s
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Date:
03/21/2018
Now available in Europe through TTI, Inc., a world leading specialist distributor of electronic components, is Vishay’s new best in class 60V MOSFET SiR626DP. The product elevates DC/DC efficiency and performance across the load with minimum circuit rework. Peak efficiency is up to 15% higher than competition.
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Date:
03/21/2018
MIPAQ Pro, the intelligent device for smart grids
Infineon Technologies has optimized its high power intelligent power module (IPM) MIPAQ Pro for the fields of energy storage and smart grid. Customers now profit from complete monitoring and easy scalability of the IPM. Additional features comprise of higher power density, true real time junction temperature det
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Date:
03/21/2018
Würth Elektronik eiSos joins STMicroelectronics Partner Program to one common goal: success for their customer!
Würth Elektronik eiSos, manufacturer of electronic and electromechanical components, has joined the partner program of STMicroelectronics. The goal of the initiative set up by ST, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, is to speed customer development e
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Date:
03/21/2018
Toshiba releases N-channel MOSFET driver ICs
Toshiba Electronics Europe today announced the launch of two new N-channel MOSFET drivers suitable for rapid-charging and other high current applications. The new TCK401G (active-high) and TCK402G (active-low) charge pump driver ICs are suitable for high current mobile charging applications when used in conjun
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Date:
03/21/2018
Two Better Than One: USU Chemists Advance Sustainable Battery Technology

Utah State University chemists, from left, Tianbiao Liu, Bo Hu, Camden DeBruler and Jian Luo describe the design and synthesis of a pi-conjugation-extended viologen molecule as a novel, two-electron storage anolyte for neutral total organic aqueous redox flow batteries.

LOGAN, UTAH, USA -- Utah State University chemists' efforts to develop alternative battery technology solutions are advancing and recent findings are highlighted in a renowned, international chemistry journal. Tianbiao Liu, assistant professor in USU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and his team re
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Date:
03/16/2018
Monocrystalline Silicon Thin Film for Cost-Cutting Solar Cells With 10-Times Faster Growth Rate Fabricated

This is the monocrystalline Si thin film peeled off using adhesive tape.

A research team from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Waseda University have successfully produced high-quality thin film monocrystalline silicon with a reduced crystal defect density down to the silicon wafer level at a growth rate that is more than 10 times higher than before. In principle, this me
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Date:
03/16/2018
Land Under Water: Estimating Hydropower's Land Use Impacts

Norway is one of the top-ten hydropower electricity producers worldwide, with more than 95 percent of domestic power production from hydropower. A new tool developed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) enables policymakers and industry to understand the tradeoffs between hydropower and loss of land and biodiversity from when lands are drowned under reservoirs.

Hydropower is the world's top provider of renewable energy, producing a whopping 16 per cent of the global energy supply. That's a good thing when it comes to the climate, especially compared to energy from fossil fuels. But hydropower is not without its environmental costs, particularly when it comes to the land
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Date:
03/15/2018
1200V SiC MOSFETs Feature Ultra-Low On-Resistances
CHICAGO — Littelfuse, Inc. added two 1200V silicon carbide (SiC) n‑channel, enhancement-mode MOSFETs to their expanding first-generation portfolio of power semiconductor devices. These new SiC MOSFETs are the latest products of a strategic partnership that Littelfuse formed with Monolith in 2015 to develop
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Date:
03/09/2018
New PS/2 ATX flagship presented: High-end Industrial PC Power Supply with 80PLUS® Platinum for latest mainboard generations
The Industrial PC Power Supply BEA-550K is the new flagship of worldwide used BEA power supply series from Bicker Elektronik, Donauwoerth/Germany. The highly efficient and very robust 500 Watt IPC power supply impresses with uncompromising quality and longevity. The BEA-550K is ideally suited for use in harsh i
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Date:
03/07/2018
Power Integrations announced the release of its InnoSwitch3-Pro family of configurable off-line CV/CC and CP flyback switcher ICs. Capable of delivering up to 65 W and achieving up to 94% efficiency across line and load conditions, the new devices permit precise, dynamically adjustable, control of voltage (10 mV
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Date:
03/07/2018
Toshiba Launches High Peak Pulse Current TVS Diodes for Power Line Protection
Toshiba Electronics Europe has announced a new series of TVS diodes that protect USB power lines and power supply connectors used in mobile devices. Toshiba’s DF2SxxP2 series protects the power lines of smartphones and tablets by suppressing malfunctions and damage from ESD, noise from induced lightning that enters
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Date:
03/07/2018
KEMET Introduces KONNEKT Technology Enabling Higher Power Densities in Smaller Form Factors
KEMET announced new patented KONNEKT technology enabling high power density by combining multiple components into a single surface mountable package. This technology is designed for use by power electronics engineers where high-power density in a small form factor is critical. Developed in partnership with p
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Date:
03/07/2018
NextPower 100V power MOSFETs from Nexperia feature low Qrr, and high 175°C rating
Nexperia announced its NextPower 100 V family of power MOSFETs which delivers low reverse recovery charge (Qrr) and includes parts that are qualified to 175°C in the LFPAK56 (PowerSO8) package. NextPower 100 V MOSFETs are Nexperia’s latest generation parts recommended for high efficiency switching and high
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Date:
03/07/2018
Wolfspeed’s High-Efficiency GaN HEMTs for RF Power Amps Now Shipping from Mouser Electronics
Mouser Electronics is now stocking the CG2H40xx and CG2H30070 gallium-nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) from Wolfspeed™, a Cree® company. Operating from a 28-volt rail, the two HEMTs offer a versatile, general-purpose broadband solution for a variety of radio frequency (RF) and microw
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Date:
03/07/2018
Infineon Technologies and SAIC Motor establish power module joint venture SIAPM in China to power the largest market for electric vehicles in the world
SAIC Motor Corporation Limited and Infineon Technologies AG today announced the establishment of a joint venture to manufacture power modules for the dynamically developing electric vehicle market in China. SAIC Motor holds a stake of 51 percent of the JV and Infineon 49 percent, respectively. The partners have rece
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Date:
03/07/2018
Cree acquires Infineon RF Power Business
Durham, N. C., Munich, Germany and Morgan Hill, Calif. – Cree, Inc. has acquired assets of Infineon Technologies AG Radio Frequency (RF) Power Business for approximately €345 million. The transaction expands the Cree Wolfspeed business unit’s wireless market opportunity. Infineon continues to drive key gr
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Date:
03/06/2018
Converting CO2 Into Usable Energy

Brookhaven scientists are pictured at NSLS-II beamline 8-ID, where they used ultra-bright x-ray light to 'see' the chemical complexity of a new catalytic material. Pictured from left to right are Klaus Attenkofer, Dong Su, Sooyeon Hwang, and Eli Stavitski.

UPTON, NY - Imagine if carbon dioxide (CO2) could easily be converted into usable energy. Every time you breathe or drive a motor vehicle, you would produce a key ingredient for generating fuels. Like photosynthesis in plants, we could turn CO2 into molecules that are essential for day-to-day life. Now, scientists ar
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Date:
03/02/2018
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