UConn Professor's Patented Technique Key to New Solar Power Technology
A novel fabrication technique developed by UConn engineering professor Brian Willis could provide the breakthrough technology scientists have been looking for to vastly improve today’s solar energy systems.
The potential breakthrough lies in a novel fabrication process called selective area atomic layer deposition (ALD) that was developed by Willis, an associate professor of chemical, materials, and biomolecular engineering and the previous director of UConn’s Chemical Engineering Program. Willis joined UConn in 2008 as part of an eminent faculty hiring initiative that brought an elite team of leaders in sustainable energy technology to the University. Willis developed the ALD process while teaching at the University of Delaware, and patented the technique in 2011.
It is through atomic layer deposition that scientists can finally fabricate a working rectenna device. In a rectenna device, one of the two interior electrodes must have a sharp tip, similar to the point of a triangle. The secret is getting the tip of that electrode within one or two nanometers of the opposite electrode, something similar to holding the point of a needle to the plane of a wall. Before the advent of ALD, existing lithographic fabrication techniques had been unable to create such a small space within a working electrical diode. Using sophisticated electronic equipment such as electron guns, the closest scientists could get was about 10 times the required separation. Through atomic layer deposition, Willis has shown he is able to precisely coat the tip of the rectenna with layers of individual copper atoms until a gap of about 1.5 nanometers is achieved. The process is self-limiting and stops at 1.5 nanometer separation.
Solar Portfolio UP 39% for 2012 - Outperforms Markets by 325%
Our solar portfolio currently consists of three stocks - First Solar (FSLR), Jinko Solar (JKS) and MEMC Materials (WFR) all three positions where initiated at the close of the market on November 29 2012
Ontario, Canada Helps Electric Vehicle Drivers Plug In
Ontario government to provide incentives that will fight climate change and support green technology
Careers in Alternative Energy
For alternative energy there is a need for specialized software developers and engineers who design, build, and maintain the networks of sensors and stochastic modeling for wind and solar energy, smart energy grids, congestion pricing and other systems substituting intelligence for natural resources.
PACE Environment a Smart Economic Driver
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing is a municipal funding mechanism that provides up-front financing for commercial and residential property owners to improve their property values and realize the money-saving benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation upgrades utilizing no public dollars.
U.S. 2012 Wind Power Reached Record 13,124 Megawatts, Beats Gas
U.S. wind-energy developers added a record 13,124 megawatts of turbines last year, beating natural gas to become the largest new source of power generation for the first time.
In the fourth quarter alone, 8,380 megawatts of wind farms were completed, more than double that of any prior quarter, according to the Washington-based American Wind Energy Association. That amounted to 42 percent of new power supplies, more than any electricity source including natural gas, coal, solar and nuclear. topping natural gas
Installations accelerated last quarter as developers raced to take advantage of a federal tax credit that was due to expire Dec. 31, and have slumped this year, according to Rob Gramlich, the industry group’s interim chief executive officer. There are 43 megawatts of wind turbines currently under construction in two states. The production tax credit was extended for one year Jan. 1.
California Solar Project Includes Energy
On Monday, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved the sale of power from SolarReserve 's 150-megawatt Rice Solar Energy Project to Pacific Gas & Electric via a 25-year power purchase agreement. This project will be the first large-scale solar project in the state to include energy storage capabilities , SolarReserve reported.
* The Rice Solar Energy Project, located in eastern Riverside County and bearing a $750 million price tag, is expected to generate more than 5,300 direct, indirect and induced jobs during its 24-month construction period, the Santa Monica-based company stated.
* SolarReserve's energy storage capability comes from the use of thousands of mirrors that focus sunlight onto a central tower containing molten salt, Bloomberg reported, which is funneled through a steam generator to produce electricity. The salt retains heat and can produce power at night.
* "Eight to 10 hours of fully dispatchable storage is quite impressive and offers significant benefits to the system that we don't yet know how to quantify fully, but there's definitely value there," said CPUC Commissioner Mike Florio.
* According to SolarReserve CEO Kevin Smith , the CPUC was clear that the storage ability was a key factor in approving the Rice contract. "This capability will be crucial as California progresses towards its 33 percent renewable target," said Smith.
Canada's First Off-Shore Wind Farm Set for B.C.
The multiphase project, owned by the NaiKun Wind Energy Group, will consist of 550 square feet kilometres, with a total of 396 megawatts (MW) of energy is set for phase one.
A total of 110 wind turbines are planned, providing British Columbian residents a cleaner alternative, according to the website. This will cut 450,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year rather than using natural gas, and power 200,000 homes.
Located in Hecate Strait, between Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii, the NaiKun wind project is giving a much-needed boost to the province’s energy plan of having no carbon emissions come from new energy projects. Meanwhile clean energy, according to the province, accounts for 90% of all energy produced in B.C., which will certainly be given a boost by this new offshore wind farm.
Novozymes New CEO Says Biofuels May Supply 90% of Revenue
Novozymes A/S (NZYMB), the world’s biggest maker of enzymes used in laundry soap, may get 90 percent of its revenue from biofuel makers by 2030 if more governments startpromoting renewable energy, the company’s next CEO said.
The company currently gets about 16 percent of its revenue from biofuels and less than 1 percent from enzymes for cellulosic-ethanol plants, which turn waste and inedible crops into sugary liquids for fuel, according to Peder Holk Nielsen, who becomes chief executive officer on April 1.
“If the world really wants to secure a significant part of its liquid-fuel consumption based on biomass, this would totally transform the enzyme business,” Holk Nielsen said in an interview. “This would revolutionize the company.”
It’s the most detailed remarks from Holk Nielsen about Novozymes’ strategy since Jan. 21 when he was named to replace Steen Riisgaard as CEO.
U.S. Wind Power Accounted for 6% of Generation Capacity in 2012
The threat that the U.S. Production Tax Credit would lapse on Dec. 31 prompted developers to complete as many projects as they could last month, the London-based research group said. A record 13.2 gigawatts of turbines were installed last year including 5.5 gigawatts in December, the most ever for a single month. Total wind capacity is about 60 gigawatts.
“It’s clear that the economics, aided by the Production Tax Credit, drove wind growth in 2012,” said Amy Grace, lead analyst on wind in North America for New Energy Finance. “Capacity was built without any near-term state mandated demand. This means that in most areas, utilities are buying wind power because they want to, not because they have to.”
The credit has been extended for a year to cover wind farms that start construction in 2013. Previously it only covered projects that started working by the expiration date.
History of Northwest Off-grid Inverter Companies
The main inverter sales in the early days of Trace went to the marijuana growers in Northern California. A young entrepreneur, David Katz was the owner of our main distributor, AEE Solar. They helped to keep the doors open.
Combined Heat and Power Project Finance
The key to implementing CHP is to reduce risk by properly addressing the associated risks: technology guarantees, solid operating and maintenance agreements, long-term natural gas contracts and insurance along with creative financing structured to the individual needs of the property.
Providing Clean Energy for Lighting Using Central Solar Charging Station
In Uniaro Community before the implementation of this project, the community people are used to the traditional energy sources like paraffin lamps , candles and kerosene lanterns for lighting at night. This situation exposed them to various respiratory disease associated with the burning of hydrocarbon based fuel to generate heat and light energy. This is contributed to global warming by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere there having negative effect on the environment.
CSP Industry - Adapt or Else
The CSP industry is going global in an unprecedented rate and there is no way to understand it by confining its development it to one market only. Make no mistake, despite the difficult times, the industry will persevere through the challenging times ahead… but the companies that do not adapt to its changing nature will not.
New 5-MW Solar Project is Mexico's Largest PV Installation
Iberdrola Ingenieria & Construcción Mexico S.A. de C.V. chose SPG Solar's All-Weather SunSeeker tracker for the largest PV solar installation in Mexico, slated to go into production by year end.
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