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Powering up Africa through innovation
January 16, 2018 Editor 0
Recent World Bank investment climate surveys find that the top two constraints for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa are access to finance and access to energy. Given that SMEs contribute disproportionately to boosting job creation, GDP, and exports, addressing these two constraints is critical to promoting economic development on the continent. A new […]
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Stanford technology makes metal wires on solar cells nearly invisible to light
November 26, 2015 Editor 0
A solar cell is basically a semiconductor, which converts sunlight into electricity, sandwiched between metal contacts that carry the electrical current. But this widely used design has a flaw: The shiny metal on top of the cell actually reflects sunlight away from the semiconductor where electricity is produced, reducing the cell’s efficiency. Now, Stanford University […]
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Rice researchers demo solar water-splitting technology
September 7, 2015 Editor 0
HOUSTON — (Sept. 4, 2015) — Rice University researchers have demonstrated an efficient new way to capture the energy from sunlight and convert it into clean, renewable energy by splitting water molecules. The technology, which is described online in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters, relies on a configuration of light-activated gold nanoparticles that […]
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Innovations and investment in solar energy technologies
July 22, 2015 Editor 0
Innovations and investment in solar energy technologies have spurred rapid growth in the industry in recent years. For example, in the United States, solar energy is the fastest growing segment of the renewable energy market. In just four years, solar usage in the country increased more than 400 percent. Globally, solar energy production has created […]
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Stanford study could lead to paradigm shift in organic solar cell research
November 20, 2013 Editor 0
Organic solar cells have long been touted as lightweight, low-cost alternatives to rigid solar panels made of silicon. Dramatic improvements in the efficiency of organic photovoltaics have been made in recent years, yet the fundamental question of how these devices convert sunlight into electricity is still hotly debated. Now a Stanford University research team is […]
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Scientists develop heat-resistant materials that could vastly improve solar cell efficiency
October 16, 2013 Editor 0
Scientists have created a heat-resistant thermal emitter that could significantly improve the efficiency of solar cells. The novel component is designed to convert heat from the sun into infrared light, which can than be absorbed by solar cells to make electricity – a technology known as thermophotovoltaics. Unlike earlier prototypes that fell apart at temperatures […]
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