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Randburg residents join forces to Green SASaturday 28th January saw dozens of members of the Ferndale and Randburg community flanking workers from employment NGO Fundi, taking up their gardening tools in a joint effort to improve their area.Recycling levy for tyresThe production and import of new tyres in South Africa will be subject to a R2,30 a kilogram levy to be used for collection and recycling, the group which will manage a waste tyre management plan said on Tuesday.Cape Town to get first climate change observatoryCape Town is to get the first climate change observatory in the world by 2014, according to a report on Friday. The observatory would present complex information about global climate change in a relevant, accessible and understandable manner, the SABC reported.International boost for SA renewable energy planSouth Africa has formed an international partnership with four European countries in an attempt to source funding for its renewable energy programme.Billions of investment in green economyGovernment is to invest billions in mass transport systems as a way of greening the South African economy, President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday whilst addressing the World Economic Forum Green Partnership Dialogue at COP17 in Durban.Fundraising to help fight Rhino poachingA fundraising campaign aimed at putting rhino poachers in jail was welcomed on Friday by South African conservationists. Michael Knight, head of park planning and development for South Africa's national parks department, said money raised by the Florida-based International Rhino Federation would be used to support such efforts as teaching park employees how to safeguard evidence at crime scenes.Sasol Karoo decision welcomedSasol's decision not to pursue hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in the Karoo has been welcomed by the Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG). We welcome Sasol's decision, particularly as the company appears to have taken time to actually listen to the people of the Karoo and acknowledge their concerns, the group said on Thursday.Eskom embarks on solar pilot projectEskom has embarked on a pilot project that will see it using the power of the sun to generate electricity at three of its facilities.Green Accord to create 300,000 jobsGovernment and its key partners, such as labour and business, have signed an all-comprehensive Accord geared to create 300,000 jobs in the next 10 years. The Accord, signed by various ministers last week in both Cape Town and Pretoria, is said to be one of the most comprehensive social partnerships on the green economy anywhere in the world .Climate change policy launchedWater and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has announced government's ground-breaking National Climate Change Response Policy. The policy, which was developed over the last six years and approved by Cabinet last week, gives South Africa a clear roadmap to respond to the urgency of climate change as it seeks to push towards a green economy.SA ready for COP17South Africa is ready to host the United Nations Climate Change conference COP17, International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Friday.Eskom sign loan agreements for wind projectEskom signed two loan agreements totalling US $365 million with the African Development Bank on Sunday, which will enable it to implement a renewable wind and solar generator, the electricity parastatal said.KZN launches groundbreaking initiative in the fight against Rhino poachingAs a result of the ever-increasing numbers of black and white rhinos being poached in South Africa, the need to pool resources and co-ordinate activities has resulted in KwaZulu-Natal’s leading conservation agencies joining forces to fast-track urgently needed anti-poaching and conservation interventions.Free access to national parksSouth Africans, young and old, are encouraged to take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the country's national parks free of charge for this week only.Climate Smart Cape Town campaign launchedThe Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Patricia de Lille, yesterday launched the Cape Town Climate Change Coalition’s Climate Smart Cape Town Campaign . The aim of the campaign is to highlight actions that Capetonians can take to reduce carbon emissions.Only the lowest carbon dioxide emitting technologies can avoid a hot end-of-centuryCould replacing coal-fired electricity plants with generators fueled by natural gas bring global warming to a halt in this century? What about rapid construction of massive numbers of solar or wind farms, hydroelectric dams, or nuclear reactors -- or the invention of new technology for capturing the carbon dioxide produced by fossil-fueled power plants and storing it permanently underground? A research team calculated the expected climate effects of replacing the world's supply of electricity from coal plants with any of eight cleaner options.Low-carbon technologies 'no quick-fix': May not lessen global warming until late this centuryA drastic switch to low carbon-emitting technologies, such as wind and hydroelectric power, may not yield a reduction in global warming until the latter part of this century, new research suggests. Furthermore, it states that technologies that offer only modest reductions in greenhouse gases, such as the use of natural gas and perhaps carbon capture and storage, cannot substantially reduce climate risk in the next 100 years.Engineers create tandem polymer solar cells that set record for energy-conversionResearchers in California report that they have significantly enhanced polymer solar cells' performance by building a device with a new "tandem" structure that combines multiple cells with different absorption bands. The device had a certified power-conversion efficiency of 8.62 percent and set a world record in July 2011. After the researchers incorporated a new infrared-absorbing polymer material into the device, the device's architecture proved to be widely applicable and the power-conversion efficiency jumped to 10.6 percent -- a new record -- as certified by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.New battery could lead to cheaper, more efficient solar energyScientists have found that a new type of battery has the potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of solar power.New tool for analyzing solar-cell materialsAn online tool called "Impurities to Efficiency" (known as I2E) allows companies or researchers exploring alternative manufacturing strategies to plug in descriptions of their planned materials and processing steps. After about one minute of simulation, I2E gives an indication of exactly how efficient the resulting solar cell would be in converting sunlight to electricity.Biosolar breakthrough promises cheap, easy green electricityScientists are turning the term "power plant" on its head. A team of researchers has developed a system that taps into photosynthetic processes to produce efficient and inexpensive energy.New tool determines value of solar photovoltaic power systemsConsistent appraisals of real estate outfitted with photovoltaic installations are a challenge for the nation's real estate industry, but a new tool addresses that issue.Engineer wants to 'sculpt' more powerful electric motors and generatorsA researcher is developing several technologies that could improve the performance of electric motors and generators. And that could make a real difference in building sustainable energy systems.In solar cells, tweaking the tiniest of parts yields big jump in efficiencyBy tweaking the smallest of parts, engineers are hoping to dramatically increase the amount of sunlight that solar cells convert into electricity.Researchers' refinement increases solar concentrator efficiencyResearchers have discovered that changing the shape of a solar concentrator significantly increases its efficiency, bringing its use closer to reality.Transparency limits on transparent conducting oxides identifiedComputational materials researchers have used cutting-edge calculations to determine fundamental optical transparency limits in conducting oxide material tin oxide.Nano research could impact flexible electronic devicesA new discovery shows that the flexibility and durability of carbon nanotube films and coatings are intimately linked to their electronic properties and could impact flexible electronic devices such as solar cells and wearable sensors.Greenhouses and solar power: Crop testing with a special photovoltaic panel for greenhousesA new photovoltaic module allows electricity to be generated without greenhouse crops being affected by over-shading.Keeping electronics cool: Findings on modified form of graphene could have impacts in managing heat dissipationAn engineering professor has made a breakthrough discovery with graphene, a material that could play a major role in keeping laptops and other electronic devices from overheating.Paint-on solar cells developedImagine if the next coat of paint you put on the outside of your home generates electricity from light -- electricity that can be used to power the appliances and equipment on the inside. Scientists have just created an inexpensive "solar paint" that uses semiconducting nanoparticles to produce energy.Towards artificial photosynthesis for solar hydrogen generation: Algal protein gives boost to electrochemical water splittingWater splitting in photo-electrochemical cells to yield hydrogen is a promising way to sustainable fuels. Scientists have now made major progress in developing highly efficient electrodes – made of an algal protein, thus mimicking a central step in natural photosynthesis.Discovery of a 'dark state' could mean a brighter future for solar energyThe efficiency of conventional solar cells could be significantly increased, according to new research on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion.New solar-powered classroom brings science to schools in developing countriesAn innovative project is using solar generators to provide IT resources and 'hands-on' science for students in developing countries.Building a sustainable hydrogen economyThe concept of the hydrogen economy (HE), in which hydrogen would replace the carbon-based fossil fuels of the twentieth century was first mooted in the 1970s. Today, HE is seen as a potential solution to the dual global crises of climate change and dwindling oil reserves. A research article suggests that HE is wrong and SHE has the answer in the sustainable hydrogen economy.Giant super-Earths made of diamond are possible, study suggestsA planet made of diamonds may sound lovely, but you wouldn't want to live there. A new study suggests that some stars in the Milky Way could harbor "carbon super-Earths" – giant terrestrial planets that contain up to 50 percent diamond. But if they exist, those planets are likely devoid of life as we know it.'Fool's gold' aids discovery of new options for cheap, benign solar energyPyrite, better known as "fool's gold," was familiar to the ancient Romans and has fooled prospectors for centuries -- but has now helped researchers discover related compounds that offer new, cheap and promising options for solar energy. These new compounds, unlike some solar cell materials made from rare, expensive or toxic elements, would be benign and could be processed from some of the most abundant elements on Earth.Nanoparticle electrode for batteries could make grid-scale power storage feasibleResearchers have used nanoparticles of a copper compound to develop a high-power battery electrode that is so inexpensive to make, so efficient and so durable that it could be used to build batteries big enough for economical large-scale energy storage on the electrical grid -- something researchers have sought for years.New material can enhance energy, computer, lighting technologiesResearchers have created a new compound crystal material that promises to help produce advances in a range of scientific and technological pursuits. The material, called erbium chloride silicate, can be used to develop the next generations of computers, improve the capabilities of the Internet, increase the efficiency of silicon-based photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy, and enhance the quality of solid-state lighting and sensor technology.Why solar wind is rhombic-shaped: Temperature and energy equipartition in cosmic plasmas explainedWhy the temperatures in the solar wind are almost the same in certain directions, and why different energy densities are practically identical, was until now not clear. With a new approach to calculating instability criteria for plasmas, researchers have solved both problems at once. They were the first to incorporate the effects of collisions of the solar wind particles in their model. This explains experimental data significantly better than previous calculations and can also be transferred to cosmic plasmas outside our solar system.A light wave of innovation to advance solar energy: Researchers adapt classic antennas to harness more power from the sunEngineers are developing a solar panel composed of nano-antennas instead of silicon semiconductors. They say that through the use of these antennas, a much higher conversion rate from light into usable energy can be achieved -- and could lead to a more cost-effective way to harvest and utilize "green" energy.Engineers solve energy puzzle: How energy levels align in a critical group of advanced materialsMaterials science and engineering researchers have demonstrated for the first time the key mechanism behind how energy levels align in a critical group of advanced materials. This discovery is a significant breakthrough in the development of sustainable technologies such as dye-sensitized solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes.Hybrid power plants can help industry go green: Affordable solar option for power plantsResearchers have developed a technology that combines the conventional fuel used in today's power plants with the lower pressures and temperatures of steam produced by solar power. His new "hybrid" power plant is a potentially cost-effective and realistic way to integrate solar technology into existing power plants.Astrobiologists discover 'sweet spots' for the formation of complex organic molecules in the galaxyScientists have compiled years of research to help locate areas in outer space that have extreme potential for complex organic molecule formation. The scientists searched for methanol, a key ingredient in the synthesis of organic molecules that could lead to life. Their results have implications for determining the origins of molecules that spark life in the cosmos.Solar power could get boost from new light absorption designResearchers have developed a new material that absorbs a wide range of wavelengths and could lead to more efficient and less expensive solar technology.Solar energy: Solar concentrator increases collection with less lossConverting sunlight into electricity is not economically attractive because of the high cost of solar cells, but a recent, purely optical approach to improving luminescent solar concentrators may ease the problem, according to researchers.Taking the pulse of charge-separation processes: Self-organization gives rise to more efficient organic solar cellsOrganic solar cells have the potential to convert sunlight into electrical energy in an economical and environmentally friendly fashion. The challenge is that they still work less efficiently than inorganic semiconductors. Ultrafast measurements on hybrid cells now reveal a route to double their efficiency.New record voltage for organic solar cells opens the tech to consumer electronicsScientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. They have achieved and demonstrated a record voltage for organic photovoltaic cells that means these highly flexible, low cost solar cells can now be devolved for commercial uses in a wide range of consumer electronics.Redox flow batteries, a promising technology for renewable energies integrationToday there is a wide variety of energy storage technologies at very different stages of development. Among them, the Redox Flow Battery (RFB) is an innovative solution based on the use of liquid electrolytes stored in tanks and pumped through a reactor to produce energy. Researchers are currently working in the development of high performance RFBs.Mobile electrons multiplied in quantum dot filmsResearchers have demonstrated that several mobile electrons can be produced by the absorption of a single light particle in films of coupled quantum dots. These multiple electrons can be harvested in solar cells with increased efficiency.New Saudi Arabias of solar energy: Himalaya Mountains, Andes, AntarcticaMention prime geography for generation of solar energy, and people tend to think of hot deserts. But a new study concludes that some of the world's coldest landscapes -- including the Himalaya Mountains, the Andes, and even Antarctica -- could become Saudi Arabias of solar.Cheaper yet efficient thin film solar cells createdResearchers in Singapore have exploited advanced nanostructure technology to make a highly efficient and yet cheaper silicon solar cell.Measuring elusive solar neutrinos flowing through the Earth, physicists learn more about the sunUsing one of the most sensitive neutrino detectors on the planet, physicists are now measuring the flow of solar neutrinos reaching Earth more precisely than ever before. The detector probes matter at the most fundamental level and provides a powerful tool for directly observing the sun's composition.Wireless window contacts: No maintenance, no batteriesWindow contacts tell us which of a house's windows are open or closed. Researchers have now developed a fail-safe system that is particularly easy to use and needs no wiring or batteries. The sensors harvest the energy they need to run from ambient radio signals.Krypton Hall effect thruster for spacecraft propulsionElectric propulsion (EP) is the future of astronautics. It can already compete successfully with chemical thrusters, especially for attitude control, orbit transfer and/or orbital station-keeping as well as for the main propulsion system for deep space missions. However, xenon, the propellant of choice in most EP devices, has a substantial drawback: its cost is very high. On the basis of the experience with plasma jet accelerators, a team of scientists and engineers from Poland has designed the Hall effect thruster optimised to work with krypton, a much more affordable noble gas.Advance offers new opportunities in chemistry education, researchResearchers have created a new, unifying method to describe a basic chemical concept called "electronegativity," first described almost 80 years ago by Linus Pauling and part of the work that led to his receiving the Nobel Prize. The new system offers simplicity of understanding that should rewrite high school and college chemistry textbooks around the world, even as it opens important new avenues in materials and chemical research.Novel energy-storage membrane: Performance surpasses existing rechargeable batteries and supercapacitorsResearchers in Singapore have developed a novel membrane with a performance that surpasses existing rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors, promising a low-cost, environmentally-friendly energy source.Researchers use carbon nanotubes to make solar cells affordable, flexibleResearchers have found that metallic carbon nanotubes are 50 times more effective than semiconducting ones when used as transparent conductors in organic solar cells.Copper film could lower touch screen, LED and solar cell costsCopper nanowires may be coming to a little screen near you. These new nanostructures have the potential to drive down the costs of displaying information on cell phones, e-readers and iPads, and they could also help engineers build foldable electronics and improved solar cells, according to new research.Cheap and efficient solar cell made possible by linked nanoparticlesResearchers have demonstrated that electrons can move freely in layers of linked semiconductor nanoparticles under the influence of light. This new knowledge will be very useful for the development of cheap and efficient quantum dot solar cells.Lessons to be learned from nature in photosynthesisLessons to be learned from nature could lead to the development of an artificial version of photosynthesis that would provide us with an absolutely clean and virtually inexhaustible energy source, say researchers.Scientists lay out plans for efficient harvesting of solar energySolar power could be harvested more efficiently and transported over long distances using tiny molecular circuits, according to research inspired by new insights into natural photosynthesis.Nature offers key lessons on harvesting solar power, say chemistsClean solutions to human energy demands are essential to our future. While sunlight is the most abundant source of energy at our disposal, we have yet to learn how to capture, transfer and store solar energy efficiently. According to a new study, the answers can be found in the complex systems at work in nature.Producing flexible CIGS solar cells with record efficiencyNew technology has yielded flexible solar cells with an 18.7% record efficiency. Key to the breakthrough is the control of the energy band gap grading in the copper indium gallium (di)selenide semiconductor, also known as CIGS, the layer that absorbs light and converts it into electricity. Scientists achieved this by controlling the vapor flux of elements during different stages of the evaporation process for growing the CIGS layer.Colloidal quantum dots: Performance boost next-generation solar cell technologyResearchers have created the most efficient solar cell ever made based on colloidal quantum dots (CQD). Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductors that capture light and convert it into an energy source. Because of their small scale, the dots can be sprayed on to flexible surfaces, including plastics. This enables the production of solar cells that are less expensive to produce and more durable than the more widely known silicon-based version. In a new study, the researchers demonstrate how the wrappers that encapsulate the quantum dots can be shrunk to a mere layer of atoms.Installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems in U.S. declined significantly in 2010 and 2011The installed cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2010 and into the first half of 2011, according to the latest edition of an annual PV cost tracking report.Electronic bucket brigade could boost solar cell voltagesSome ferroelectric materials can develop extremely high voltages when light falls on them, which might greatly improve solar cells if scientists could figure out how they do it. Researchers have solved the mystery for one ferroelectric, bismuth ferrite, revealing a principle that should apply to other materials too. The secret is an electronic "bucket brigade" that passes electrons stepwise from one electrically polarized region to the next.Parabolic mirrors concentrate sunlight to power lasersBorrowing from modern telescope design, researchers have proposed a way to concentrate sunlight to ramp up laser efficiency.Messy better than neat: Tangled coat of nanowires increases solar cell efficiency by absorbing more lightSometimes neatness may not be necessary. Researchers have demonstrated that a tangled coating of randomly positioned nanowires can increase solar cell efficiency by absorbing more light.A guiding light for new directions in energy production: Optofluidics could help solve the energy challengeOptofluidics is the study of microfluidics -- the microscopic delivery of fluids through extremely small channels or tubes -- combined with optics. In a new review, researchers argue that optofluidics is poised to take on one of this century's most important challenges: energy.Rebalancing the nuclear debate through educationBetter physics teaching with a particular emphasis on radioactivity and radiation science could improve public awareness through education of the environmental benefits and relative safety of nuclear power generation, according to scientists. Experts have suggestsed that it might then be possible to have a less emotional debate about the future of the industry that will ultimately reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.New type of solar cell retains high efficiency for long periodsScientists are reporting development of a new genre of an electrolyte system for solar cells that breaks the double-digit barrier in the efficiency with which the devices convert sunlight into electricity.Innovative superconductor fibers carry 40 times more electricityResearchers in Israel have developed superconducting wires made of single sapphire crystals that can be used in high-powered cables. They take up much less space and conduct energy far more efficiently than current superconductor technologies -- and have the potential to revolutionize energy transfer.Photovoltaics among fastest growing industries in the worldThe photovoltaic (PV) industry production more than doubled and reached a world-wide production volume of 23.5 gigawatt (GW) of photovoltaic modules. Since 1990, photovoltaic module production has increased more than 500-fold from 46 megawatts (MW) to 23.5 GW in 2010, which makes photovoltaics one of the fastest-growing industries at present.Innovative organic solar cell architecture sets new performance level, Belgian researchers demonstrateResearchers in Belgium have demonstrated an organic polymer-based single junction solar cell with 6.9 percent performance in an innovative inverted device stack. The polymer was also integrated into a module resulting in excellent module level efficiencies of 5 percent for an aperture area of 25 square centimeters.Down to the wire: Inexpensive technique for making high quality nanowire solar cellsResearchers have developed a solution-based technique for fabricating core/shell nanowire solar cells using the semiconductors cadmium sulfide for the core and copper sulfide for the shell. These inexpensive and easy-to-make nanowire solar cells hold great promise for future solar cell technology.Current power price path will squeeze SA competitivenessSouth Africa’s international competitiveness will increasingly be dampened by the rapid rate at which the domestic electricity price is rising, Energy Intensive User Group chairperson Mike Rossouw said on the second day of the Africa Energy Indaba in Sandton. He said that, while electricity prices were steadily, and understandably, increasing across the world, the rapid rate of increase in South Africa’s electricity tariffs was not sustainable and manufacturing and mining investors were already looking elsewhere.World Bank bars Alstom units for 'improper payment'The World Bank on Wednesday barred two subsidiaries of French engineering company Alstom from participating in projects financed by the global development bank for the next three years for "improper payment" in a Zambian hydropower project. A settlement between the World Bank and Alstom, which the Bank said had acknowledged the "misconduct," includes a restitution payment of about $9.5-million by Alstom Hydro France and Alstom Network Schweiz (Switzerland).African clean-energy projects showcased to investorsPotential investors were given exposure to ten small-scale African clean-energy projects, representing a potential combined investment value of $297-million, at an event held in Johannesburg this week. The gathering, known as the Africa Forum for Clean Energy Financing, or Africef, was hosted by the Climate Technology Initiative’s Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI PFAN), a global multilateral initiative designed to connect clean energy project developers with investors and financiers.Around 215 000 solar water heaters installedAbout 215 000 solar water heater (SWH) systems have been installed nationally to date as part of the South African National SWH Strategy and Implementation Plan of 2009.BHP not to build DRC plant, setback for hydro planBHP Billiton's decision to abandon plans for an aluminium smelter in the Democratic Republic of Congo could create problems for the planned Inga 3 hydro power project, the Energy Minister said on Wednesday. "The problem is real but there are alternative solutions," Energy Minister Gilbert Tshiongo told Reuters, but added the government was confident of finding other backing for the project.Cape Town initiates net-metering pilot projectThe City of Cape Town has initiated a net-metering pilot project to allow domestic energy producers to feed electricity back into the grid, Dr Anthony Keen told an audience at a South African National Energy Association meeting in Cape Town on Tuesday. “I am pleased to be able to report to you that there are three of us in Cape Town . . . [and] we’ve been privileged [that] the City of Cape Town has accepted us onto a pilot project for grid feed-in,” said Keen, a medical doctor who is pursuing his interest in sustainable energy after retiring from an academic career at the University of Cape Town’s medical school.Areva unveils hydrogen storage systemA hydrogen storage system, designed to store excess electrical energy produced by a solar photovoltaic plant, has been installed on Corsica by French nuclear and renewable energy company Areva.Impact of Green Climate Fund to receive attention at power eventThe launch of the Green Climate Fund at the seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will have a significant impact on the generation sector, says events organiser African Utility Week director Claire Volkwyn.Investment in renewables to boost SA energy reputationIncreased investment in the local renewable energy sector will increase South Africa’s global reputation as a viable source and supplier of alternative energy sources, such as solar power, says technology and equipment company DuPont sub-Saharan Africa regional director Carlman Moyo. |
