Sustentabilidade
Por Bethy, Care 2, 10 de Novembro 2009
Despite a significant boom in the demand for solar power and the sophistication of photo-voltaic technology, many people still reluctant to outfit their homes with the hardware that's needed to take advantage of this free and clean source of energy. What's keeping the average home or business owner from taking advantage of the lower utility bills that solar power has to offer?
Zhong Wang, a scientist at Georgia Tech,
holds up a new solar cell prototype.
Well, among other things, many are turned off by the idea of plunking large, bulky, black panels on top of their home's roof. Thanks to a new technology being developed by scientists at Georgia Tech University, the equipment needed to use solar power might become much more subtle in the near future. MSNBC recently reported that instead of using traditional solar panels, the Georgia Tech scientists are working to capture sunlight and turn it into electricity using fiber optics cables coated with zinc oxide, the same white compound lifeguards slather on their noses. The fiber optic cables, each one two to three times the width of a human hair, could be installed on the roof of a house, car or any other structure with almost total invisibility. One of the biggest hindrances to widespread use of solar power is that, while highly efficient, conventional solar cells are easily damaged, require intense heat to operate at optimum levels, and are very expensive to produce; a cost that is passed on to home and business owners who seek to use them. Fiber optic photovoltaics, on the other hand, are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce. A solution of zinc oxide is heated to about 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), about the same temperature as a cup of coffee. The cables are then dipped into the zinc oxide and allowed to dry. Embed the fiber optics in the walls of a house, or the roof of a car, expose one end of the fiber to light and attach some wiring, and the electricity will start to flow. Raymond Saluccio, CEO of New Jersey based EarthSure, recently announced his company's plans to route light, be it from the sun or incandescent light bulbs, using fiber optic cables connected to underground solar panels. Known as SubSolar, the plan could generate solar power 24 hours a day, seven days a week in hospitals or office buildings where the lights are always on (MSNBC).
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Sustentabilidade
Energia solar sem painéis solares?
Por Bethy, Care 2, 10 de Novembro 2009Despite a significant boom in the demand for solar power and the sophistication of photo-voltaic technology, many people still reluctant to outfit their homes with the hardware that's needed to take advantage of this free and clean source of energy. What's keeping the average home or business owner from taking advantage of the lower utility bills that solar power has to offer?
Zhong Wang, a scientist at Georgia Tech,
holds up a new solar cell prototype.
Well, among other things, many are turned off by the idea of plunking large, bulky, black panels on top of their home's roof. Thanks to a new technology being developed by scientists at Georgia Tech University, the equipment needed to use solar power might become much more subtle in the near future. MSNBC recently reported that instead of using traditional solar panels, the Georgia Tech scientists are working to capture sunlight and turn it into electricity using fiber optics cables coated with zinc oxide, the same white compound lifeguards slather on their noses. The fiber optic cables, each one two to three times the width of a human hair, could be installed on the roof of a house, car or any other structure with almost total invisibility. One of the biggest hindrances to widespread use of solar power is that, while highly efficient, conventional solar cells are easily damaged, require intense heat to operate at optimum levels, and are very expensive to produce; a cost that is passed on to home and business owners who seek to use them. Fiber optic photovoltaics, on the other hand, are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce. A solution of zinc oxide is heated to about 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), about the same temperature as a cup of coffee. The cables are then dipped into the zinc oxide and allowed to dry. Embed the fiber optics in the walls of a house, or the roof of a car, expose one end of the fiber to light and attach some wiring, and the electricity will start to flow. Raymond Saluccio, CEO of New Jersey based EarthSure, recently announced his company's plans to route light, be it from the sun or incandescent light bulbs, using fiber optic cables connected to underground solar panels. Known as SubSolar, the plan could generate solar power 24 hours a day, seven days a week in hospitals or office buildings where the lights are always on (MSNBC).
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- Scientists Reverse Engineer Plants To Make Hydrogen Fuel From Sunlight
Image Credit / Wikimedia In the search for clean, green sustainable energy sources to meet human needs for generations to come, perhaps no technology matches the ultimate potential of artificial photosynthesis. Bionic leaves that could produce energy-dense...
- Infografia- Se A Energia Solar Recebesse Os Mesmos Subsídios Que O Petróleo (estudo De Caso Nos Eua)
Não acredito muito nas subsidiarizações, baseadas no petróleo e carvão (quase em exclusivo e culturalmente imposta/aceite) e nunca/jamais para o nuclear. Acredito mais na socialização de várias fontes de energia renováveis,...
- Energia Solar A 23% (?) : Portugal Em Perfeito Contraciclo Com As Grande Potências Económicas Europeias E Mundiais
Locais do globo com forte potencial para a energia solar [fonte] 1. Espanha, Japão, China projectam-se na energia solar e eólica. Cá a energia solar em 2012 passará para IVA de 23% e sem benefícios fiscais. É o enterro do País? China has...
- Green Power Island: A Vision For Renewable Energy Storage
With plans already drawn for several locales, including Copenhagen, Bahrain, Jiangsu, and Tampa, Florida, each island is designed to enhance the surrounding environment and utilize the space with mixed used capabilities. Built primarily around storage...
- Guia Didático Da Energia Solar: Solar 1- Barragem Sabor-o
No âmbito do "Concurso Solar Padre Himalaya" foi publicado um guia didáctico de energia solar (ainda incompleto) com muito interesse não só para os concorrentes (alunos e professores) como para todos os entusiastas e curiosos da energia solar, o qual...