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General Industry Articles - Technology Discussions

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Article Title Author Company eMag Issue Article Synopsis
New solar cell technology improves efficiency by 15% Phil Stafford, Arkansas Research & Technology Park, and Douglas Hutchings Silicon Solar Solutions

Feb 2013

Three months of experimental validation allowed us to refine the technique to the point we could pursue grant funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and submit a provisional patent application.
Fuel Cell and Green Technology - SSFTV Gowtham.p, Gowthamachdran.s Kumaraguru College of Tecnology

Feb 2013

SSFTV means Solar used hydrogen production, Solid state hydrogen storage, Fuel cell (PEM), Tornado power generation and finally Vapour absorption refrigeration cycle. This is a group of Green Technology ideas which can be used in corporates, industries and houses.
Turnkey Photovoltaic Robotics Gard Van Antwerp Reis Robotics

Dec 2012

A turnkey automation provider like Reis, with extensive experience in solar module manufacturing specifically, can help you derive the best configuration for your product and your business plan.
It’s Massive Yet Tiny Len Calderone for AltEnergyMag

Dec 2012

A 14 x 14” MYT engine has 850 cubic inches of displacement and weighs 150 pounds, compared to a conventional engine, which would weigh 3,000 pounds to produce the same power. The engine needs no oil, as the biofuel is the lubricant due to the high lubricity of biofuel. With every tank of fuel, the engine is circulated with more than 20 gallons of fresh engine oil compared to 5 quarts of engine oil circulating over 3,000 miles in conventional engines. You can now skip changing oil forever and have an engine with longer life.
Bankable Data and Interoperability Standards Sonia Turanski RainWise Inc

Oct 2012

Data quality derives from the combination of accurate instruments plus Data Encoding Standards: one can take highly accurate data samples but if there is no agreement as to what the data means, the data could be considered to be of low quality because of its inability to improve the decision making process.
Nuclear Fusion Florian Ion Petrescu Bucharest Polytechnic University

Aug 2012

Research into controlled fusion, with the aim of producing fusion power for the production of electricity, has been conducted for over 60 years. It has been accompanied by extreme scientific and technological difficulties, but has resulted in progress. At present, controlled fusion reactions have been unable to produce break-even (self-sustaining) controlled fusion reactions. Workable designs for a reactor that theoretically will deliver ten times more fusion energy than the amount needed to heat up plasma to required temperatures (see ITER) were originally scheduled to be operational in 2018, however this has been delayed and a new date has not been stated.
Battery Performance of Microfiber/Nanofiber Lithium Ion Battery Separators Brian Morin, PhD Dreamweaver International

Aug 2012

Current stretched porous film battery separators for lithium ion batteries are thin, strong, and provide a good barrier between electrodes, at the cost of having very high internal resistance and low ionic flow due to low porosity and high “dead space” that come from starting with a solid material and trying to impart porosity. This work uses an alternative approach, where linear nanofibers and microfibers are combined in wet laid nonwoven processes to give separators that are strong and thin, but have higher porosity (60-70%) and so have much higher ionic flow.
Momentum / Inertial Energy Gare Henderson Gravitational Systems Engineering, Inc.

Jun 2012

Where M/I shines is in the delivery of vast amounts of energy with no fuel cost. When compared to other non-fuel sources, [solar, wind and hydro-electric] a dense 1 mile M/I installation will generate, during rush hour, as much energy as a 3 square mile photovoltaic installation on a very sunny day.
Magnetic Energy Len Calderone

Jun 2012

Is a perpetual magnetic generator impossible? Maybe, but there have been several patents issued on this theory and as the cost of energy keeps rising, more scientists will be searching for ways to make a working practical perpetual magnetic generator.
Separation of electrolytes from non-electrolytes by pseudo-charge mosaic membranes Caidong Qin Maanshan Dasheng Biofuel Co. Ltd.

Apr 2012

The piling of anion and cation ion exchange membranes can provide a kind of pseudo-charge mosaic membranes and that can be practically used in various industrial applications, and is worth of further detailed studies.
Solar Cogeneration Technology A White Paper by Cogenra

Dec 2011

Solar cogeneration of electricity and hot water maximizes the economic and environmental value of energy derived from the sun. Cogenra’s system produces as much electricity as photovoltaic (PV) technology allows, then captures most of the remaining energy as hot water, in total exploiting over 70% of the energy incident from the sun.
IHS iSuppli Teardown Analysis of Solar Inverter, Identifying the Cost-Reduction Opportunities Contributed by IHS

Dec 2011

In its first-ever dissection of a solar power inverter, IHS has determined the bill of materials (BOM) of a major manufacturer’s product, providing a path-setting benchmark for cost reduction in a market expected to undergo rapid price erosion in the coming years.
Weathering the Storm: Fluoropolymer films protect solar modules and ensure performance Nikhil Bhiwankar Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics

Oct 2011

Recent advances in materials science have led to the development of innovative new materials that provide enhanced durability to photovoltaic modules. Unique polymeric thin film technologies, such as ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) frontsheets, provide modules with the protection they need to perform at high levels even when exposed to the elements.
Removing the Rare Element Limitations from Solar Energy Steven J. E. Pleging Quantum Solar Power Corp.

Oct 2011

Many of the cutting edge thin-film technologies require rare elements that are a finite resource already in short supply. There simply is not enough material on the planet to make these devices for worldwide consumption.
Solders and fluxes for soldering PV panels Josef Jost, President Balver Zinn

Feb 2011

Our R&D department currently is working and will continue to work on new, innovative products for the photovoltaic industry. Already this year, we have introduced new alloys and fluxes. We will launch even more new products in the coming months.
PV Front Sheet Systems Interview with Julia DiCorleto Saint-Gobain Solar

Feb 2011

A pre-laminate that combines ETFE frontsheet and EVA encapsulant, features all the performance benefits of both with improved production efficiencies, including reduced wrinkles and precise alignment. In addition, it can help module manufacturers achieve lower systems cost with reduced packaging and shipping costs.
Parallel Solar Technology Michael Lamb, Vice President, Business Development eIQ Energy

Feb 2011

Our Parallel Solar approach handles voltage management at the module level, using a DC-to-DC converter (the vBoost) to boost each module’s output. So the array has a high-voltage bus that will never exceed its set voltage as it feeds the central inverter. This allows you to connect the modules in parallel rather than series.
Optimizing Communication Networks in Renewable Energy Markets with Wireless Technologies Colin Lippincott, General Manager, Energy Markets FreeWave Technologies

Feb 2011

Each of the applications that can be performed using data radios in solar and wind power generation plants are conducted today in many thousands of other market applications. These radios are relied upon in mission critical monitoring, controlling and data acquisition situations in the harshest weather and RF conditions.
Harnessing the Power of the Ocean: A Program Still in its Infancy Contributed by EBSCO Publishing

Aug 2010

Energy can be retrieved from the oceans in five basic ways: Tides, waves, tidal or marine currents, temperature gradients, and salinity gradients. Of these, wave energy is the most significant resource, according to ABS Energy Research, followed by power from salinity and thermal gradients.
Fused Quartz, a Critical Component of the Solar Power Industry Carlo Chatman for Technical Glass Products

Aug 2010

Due to its stability, chemical purity, transmissivity to light, and heat resistance, quartz has for many years been vital to the production of semiconductors for the electronics industry. The material is virtually inert, very durable and will withstand the high temperatures associated with semiconductor fabrication and testing.
Micro Inverter or the AC-Module Inverter: Truths vs. Myths Contributed by KACO New Energy Inc.

Jun 2010

When it’s time to choose an inverter for a PV system, the system owner and the installer have the choice to use a string inverter or micro inverters for the installation. It is important to realistically assess the viability of this technology.
NanoPioneers Are Becoming the New Environmentalists Francesca Crolley Industrial Nanotech, Inc.

Apr 2010

A new type of environmentalist is emerging, using nanotechnology based products as a way of reducing their impact on the environment and reducing their energy use in a variety of ways.
Distributed Energy Production And The DIY Movement Ron Lin Windy Nation Inc

Apr 2010

A distributed model revolutionized the way industrial-scale computing was delivered. Is it possible that something similar could be achieved for energy production?
AltEnergyMag Interview - Data Privacy and the Smart Grid Katherine Hamilton GridWise Alliance

Apr 2010

With the advent of “home area networks” which allow consumers to be able to see what they are using in real time and make adjustments and decisions accordingly, this data could potentially be used by third parties to assist the consumer with those decisions. It will be important for that information to have privacy provisions built in so that third parties cannot access the data for purposes that have not been authorized by the consumer.
Introduction to Solar Light-Generated Hydrogen Production Technology Don Moore Phoenix Canada Oil Co

Dec 2009

Phoenix is maintaining a material investment program in a research and development program targeting the production, from virtually inexhaustible hydrogen resources, the "replacement" fuel for applications we consider, both technically and economically, as beyond the many "alternative" energy solutions advanced in recent years to respond to the world's accelerating energy deficit.
Interview - Using Hard Disk Technology to Manufacture Solar Cells Tom Djokovich XsunX, Inc

Dec 2009

XsunX is combining its thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) process knowledge and processes with magnetic media thin-film manufacturing technologies used by the hard disc drive industry to mass produce high efficiency, low cost solar cells. Current techniques for the production of CIGS thin-films do not leverage stationary small area, high rate, production technologies which allow for the precise control of thin-film properties.
The Solar Power Paradox: Alternative Energy Can’t Run on Oil Stan Levy And David Lee BioSolar

Oct 2009

As the PV business continues to grow, new backsheet constructions are continually being introduced. But the products we use in our efforts to be more sustainable have a bigger footprint than we think. Currently, there are at least ten commercial manufacturers of traditional PV backsheets, with traditional products in the development stage. Traditional backsheets, the protective covering on solar cells, are produced mainly from polyester and Tedlar films. Polyester is made from petroleum and Tedlar is solvent-cast using DMAC, a highly toxic industrial solvent. Both of these products defeat the purpose of clean, green energy, and as the demand for solar energy increases, so does this issue.
Solar Cities Proposition Paul Lyons

Oct 2009

"Buildings like trees, cities like forests." When Michael McDonough, author and sustainability architect, suggested this be the new paradigm for the future, he was referring to the creation of buildings and communities that are self-sufficient. He also reminds us that "waste is a human phenomenon", so the concept of recycling and efficiency is central to the attainment of environmental stewardship. Through integration, energy management, efficiency techniques and technologies it is now possible to create buildings that are 'greener' and more ecologically synergistic than ever before.
Superconductor Electricity Pipelines: An Optimal Long-Haul Transmission Solution Jack McCall American Superconductor Corp

Aug 2009

While the United States is rich in renewable resources for the production of green electricity, expansion and modernization of the North American power grid will be required to transmit that power to where it is needed.
THE HISTORY OF HYDROGEN James Jonas

Apr 2009

One of the most serious gases we must use is Hydrogen - in our cars, buses, Space shots from the cape etc. I have been studying Hydrogen, Propane and many Bio-fuels and have found hydrogen to be the best, the oldest and the cleanest. I feel this alternative product is a win -win.
COGENERATION FACILITY AT 102% EFFICIENCY Steve Clemens

Apr 2009

Remember the First law of thermodynamics? Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only change forms. Or, if translated into an idiot-proof rule of thumb: you can't go above 100%. Remember this? Now forget it; this law has got a loophole.
ECO-SHEET COMPARES ENERGY SOURCES Sergio Ferreira European Copper Institute

Feb 2009

The eco-sheet shows that there is no silver bullet solution. When looking at CO2 emissions only, it would be clear what options to take. However, this is not the only environmental consideration. Not preferring any particular method of electricity generation, the eco-sheet lists the main environmental impact categories and benchmarks them against the electricity generation mixes for the EU 25 and EU 15.
WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS FOR A GREEN WORLD Cees Links GreenPeak Technologies

Dec 2008

Ultimately, battery-free operation is a key step in paving the way for truly green systems that do not adversely impact the environment. This environmentally-friendly approach can also extend the reach of sensing technology to distant and inhospitable climates and regions.
WASTE TO ENERGY IN EUROPE John Raspin Frost and Sullivan

Feb 2008

European waste management market is continuing to restructure and reform. The ongoing move away from landfill is continuing to attract technological innovation and the current leaning towards waste to energy in many parts of Europe is attracting major capital investment with improving opportunities for returns.
THE EUROPEAN MARINE ENERGY SECTOR Gouri Nambudripad Frost and Sullivan

Feb 2008

The marine energy industry has a long way to go but ongoing research and government support should lead to improvements making these technologies more economically attractive in the future. Combined with intensifying company activity in this field, Europe is poised to be the place to watch in the marine energy arena of the future.
HPCC A GREEN ENERGY ENABLER Yitran Communications

Feb 2008

HPCC's energy efficient applications, such as networking thermostats in homes and demand control, remote management of high power appliances, etc. ensure a more environmentally friendly future.
Using Sound Energy to Drive Your Car Jonathan L. Thurber Sonic Dynamics LLC

Dec 2007

Until now, acoustic or sound energy has not been used effectively to impose thrust or force on an object for purposes of providing useful work.
Tire Derived Fuel C G Pandya Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology

Dec 2007

With the fossil fuel prices increasing rapidly, the waste from scrap tires will certainly be increasingly be made use of. Developing innovative and economical as well as effective systems for TDF usage is and will always be a challenge to the business.
OIL AND COAL IN THE 21ST CENTURY Toby Kinkaid Solardyne.com

Oct 2007

The new century oil and coal companies will “Grow” their carbon fuels in bioreactors using safe and cost-effective biotechnology.
Natural Gas hydrates and their Potentiality for Future energy supply Biswajit Mandal Haldia Institute of technology

Jun 2007

Gas hydrates are the potential source for alternative fuel for world. To explore the gas hydrate as reliable source of alternate energy extensive research and developments are required.
Just Why aren't Algae Getting the Attention they Deserve? Narsi Santhanam Oilgae.com

Jun 2007

With all of us now keen on doing our best to find out those alternative energy avenues that will make or break civilization fifty years from now, it is imperative that individuals and professionals try to convince their governments, corporations & scientific research institutions of the need to put in more research into exploring algae as a feedstock for oil.
Cultured Micro-Algae Produces Omega-3 Bio-Lipid Oil Bio-Lipids Technology Group Bio-Lipids Technology Group

Jun 2007

Bio-Lipid oil can also be used to produce one of the lowest cost and most environmentally friendly fuels known to man: bio-diesel. Bio-diesel made from bio-lipid oil, from micro-algae, burns cleaner, produces less CO2 (with no sulfur dioxide emissions) than petroleum based diesel fuels, and it's renewable and sustainable.
Wind Energy Collection using Contra-Rotation A F Stobart

Apr 2007

Contra-rotation, using two rotors one behind the other, driving the two halves of an electrical generator. Thus creating a true "Wind Turbine".
Microbial Fuel Cells Biswajit Mandal Haldia Institute of Technology

Apr 2007

Among various processes of electricity generation, microbial technique is one of the promising avenues as it does not emit any green house gases. MFC does not contain any rotating parts so it gives continuous electricity without mechanical damage of the equipment and its maintenance cost is minimal.
Energy From The Tides A F Stobart

Apr 2007

The sea must be channelled to flow from a high tide level to a low tide level, which is the approach of this paper. This involves creating "ponds" in the walls of which equipment is sited to generate energy from the flow.
TERRESTRIAL SOLAR CELL SURPASSES 40 PERCENT EFFICIENCY Spectrolab - A Boeing Company Spectrolab - A Boeing Company

Feb 2007

This technology will continue to dramatically reduce the cost of generating electricity from solar energy as well as the cost of materials used in high-power space satellites and terrestrial applications.
SuperGreen Ships and Barges Chuck Steiner WaterSmart Environmental, Inc.

Feb 2007

Not unlike washing machines, clothes, cars, and buildings, ocean going ships eventually wear out and require replacement. The next generation of ships may well require onboard ballast water treatment capability and double hulls.
Studies on Ideal and Actual Efficiency of Solar Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Rishabh Jain, Biswajit Mandal Haldia Institute of Technology

Feb 2007

Among the different types of fuel cells, the PEMFC is more advantageous because of its operation condition. To satisfy the world energy thirst an integrated hydrogen production system and utilization unit must be developed.
Hydrogen Production Technology ― Light-Powered Generation Donald Moore Phoenix International Energy Inc

Feb 2007

Phoenix funding is employed in the basic photoelectrochemical design of innovative, complex "molecular machines" that can split water into its hydrogen and oxygen components by harnessing energy sourced from the complete solar light spectrum.
SuperGreen Buildings Technology Chuck Steiner WaterSmart Environmental, Inc.

Dec 2006

A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.
Ultracapacitors Double Life of Wave Measurement Buoys Adrian Schneuwly Maxwell Technologies

Oct 2006

By working together with a primary battery, the ultracapacitors have helped to at least double the lifetime, which means that battery life no longer determines the service interval for the buoy.
Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Anna Welch Crull STIX

Oct 2006

The direct methanol fuel cell or DMFC is emerging as a future winner in many of the applications that fuel cells can satisfy. DMFC is an important subset of the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology.
Building a Safer Lithium-Ion Battery M.Y. Saidi Valence Technology, Inc.

Oct 2006

Lithium-ion batteries continue to be the technology of choice for small electronics but, as illustrated here, their continued evolution and the introduction of new large format applications require a closer look at the technology inside the battery.
A Worldwide Waste-To-Energy Policy Chuck Steiner WaterSmart Environmental, Inc.

Oct 2006

While Achieving Energy, Food, Fuels, And Water Independence By Utilizing Already Existing And Individually Profitable Holistic Component Technologies
More than 125 MW of “Huerta Solar” PV plants Edwin Koot www.SolarPlaza.com

Aug 2006

A “Huerta Solar” is the Spanish term for solar farm and is a grid-connected solar power plant based on several subsystems, each with their own investor.
Micro Thermoelectric Generator Targets ZigBee Marc Poulshock Thermo Life Energy Corp.

Aug 2006

The main purpose for developing the Thermo Life is to provide energy harvesting for low-power applications where other technologies would prove inadequate or not possible.
Is America ready for Wind Hydrogen? David Gross WaveLength Market Analytics LLC

Aug 2006

While flow batteries and other devices can be used to compensate for wind's intermittent output, it's difficult to match the investor and political enthusiasm for hydrogen.
China's Attempt to Balance the Environment and a Rapidly Growing Economy China-AsiaStocks.com

Aug 2006

China may be positioning to change its global image from environmental disasters to an environmental leader, as it was recently recognized as the world leading investor in renewable energy.
Can Electricity Save Energy Hans De Keulenaer and Joachim Grawe Sealnet

Aug 2006

With the increasing conversion efficiency of electricity in generation, the increasing share of renewable electricity, the high efficiency at the point of use and the potential for system level efficiencies, there is a lot of supporting evidence for a claim that electricity can save energy.
Benefits of 24/7 Battery Equalization Mick Abraham Abraham Solar Equipment

Aug 2006

The equalizer captures energy from batteries with “above average voltage” and dumps that energy into the ones with “below average voltage”. When the overachievers try to excel in voltage, their excess energy is used to bring the underachievers up to par.
Making Green, Inexpensive Hydrogen Fuel -Renewably. Gary P. Hoffman

Apr 2006

Make hydrogen from sea water renewably. This avoids depletion of limited supplies of fossil fuels. It produces no harmful side products. No carbon is released. The investment is recovered and a large return on investment is realized by selling the hydrogen. Everyone wins.
Different Types of Fuel Cells Sandra Curtin FuelCells.org

Apr 2006

There are several other fuel cells in the research labs and in development today. With this wide array of technologies and the myriad of applications, fuel cells are poised to revolutionize the way we think about and use energy today and in the future.
Can Nuclear Power Deliver? Hans De Keulenaer and Witold Czerwiec Sustainable Energy for All

Apr 2006

Too often the energy debate is fragmented, and focuses on advantages of a particular technology and disadvantages of its alternatives. If we exclude the nuclear option portfolio, a plan is needed how to do without it.
Grid Friendly™ Appliances Michael Kintner-Meyer Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Feb 2006

What can home appliances do to help ensure the reliability of the electricity grid? A lot—if they employ smart control technology.
Solar Energy Potential At Different Latitudes Gerardo R. Ayala González Productos A-Chá

Aug 2005

I was surprised to see that, in Germany, where they receive a fewer amount of energy with respect to other countries, by the end of 2003 had clearly invested more in solar panels than many other countries which get more solar energy than them.
Up On The Roof - Algae Appetites May Transform Waste Into Energy Sarah H. Wright, MIT News Office reprinted from Tech Talk, a publication of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology News Office

Apr 2005

The goal: to determine if the system can be scaled up so actual emissions from a live power plant can be transformed from greenhouse gases to, well, green resources.
Hydrogen Solar's Tandem Cell, Chosen For Britain's Science Museum Nanotechnology Exhibition Fuel Cell Markets Fuel Cell Markets

Apr 2005

The Tandem Cell converts the energy of sunlight directly into hydrogen gas by splitting water into it's constituent elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
Safety In Numbers: Distributed Generation's Atakan Ozbek ABI Research

Feb 2005

Distributed generation gives building owners the option to generate their own energy in one form or another. Utilities can maintain the system when the building owners do not want to manage it.
No More Coals To Newcastle! Candida Jones D1 Oils

Feb 2005

The concept of using biodiesel may seem a new one, but it is not. Rudolph Diesel's first engine ran on peanut oil and now, a century later, it seems we are finally learning that natural oils are better for our health, our environment and ultimately our economy than fossil alternatives.
There Is No Global Fresh Water Issue Jan de Koning Zonnewater

Dec 2004

Zonnewater developed a desalination unit based on solar energy (95% thermal and 5% photovoltaic or wind energy), suited for coastal areas with an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. The prototype is a small one cubic meter greenhouse-type construction that produces 40 litres of water per day.
Combining The Sun's Heat And Light Could Boost Water-Splitting Efficiency George Douglas NREL

Oct 2004

Using the sun's heat and light together could be an efficient way to produce hydrogen, which in turn could be used to power cars, homes and businesses.
Xantrex Uses Halt To Enhance Product Reliability Harry McLean Xantrex

Aug 2004

Simply put, HALT is superior to conventional testing because it is cost effective, faster, more accurate, compresses our product time to market, and maximizes customer satisfaction.
A Few Free Energy Devices that Work Dr. Ines Espinoza Vasant Corporation

Oct 2003

A 7 year study of "free energy" devices, sometimes called "over unity" devices, was done to determine if any of these devices generated power by transferring energy from unknown sources and if so to determine where the energy was coming from.
The Value Of Energy Efficiency In Stand Alone PV Systems: A Simple Approach John Richter and Larry Schlussler

Jun 2003

We know that conservation is important, but exactly how many dollars should be invested to save a KWH? We answer this question by comparing the investment necessary to produce one KWH/day with the cost of conserving one KWH/day. Even though a KWH is relatively expensive, with effective investments in conservation you can substantially reduce the total cost of operating a home with a stand alone power system.

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