News tagged with solar cells

Sun-powered plane waits for better weather to continue trip

The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse is waiting for weather conditions to improve before continuing on its first transcontinental flight, organisers said Wednesday.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 30, 2012 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 2

Scientists hone in on size and environmental influence of the quantum dots used in hybrid solar cells

(Phys.org) -- Sometimes to answer big questions, you need to start small-very small. Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Chemical Imaging Initiative did just that when they analyzed cadmium ...

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created May 31, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Dopant gives graphene solar cells highest efficiency yet

(Phys.org) -- By taking advantage of graphene’s favorable electrical and optical properties, and then adding an organic dopant, researchers have achieved the highest power conversion efficiency yet for ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 21, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (11) | comments 14 | with audio podcast feature

Sharp develops concentrator solar cell with world’s highest conversion efficiency of 43.5%

Sharp Corporation has achieved the world’s highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 43.5% using a concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell. These solar cells are used in a lens-based concentrator ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 31, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 1

Sun-powered plane trip delayed by wind

The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse has been delayed by strong winds during a stop-off on its first planned intercontinental flight, organisers said on Monday.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 28, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 2

New inexpensive, environmentally friendly solar cell shines with potential

(Phys.org) -- The limitations of conventional and current solar cells include high production cost, low operating efficiency and durability, and many cells rely on toxic and scarce materials. Northwestern University researchers ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 23, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (13) | comments 4 | with audio podcast

Nanomedicine: Quantum dots appear safe in pioneering study on primates

A pioneering study to gauge the toxicity of quantum dots in primates has found the tiny crystals to be safe over a one-year period, a hopeful outcome for doctors and scientists seeking new ways to battle diseases ...

Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine

created May 20, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 8 | with audio podcast

Building a better solar panel -- one molecule at a time

(Phys.org) -- One of the fundamental building blocks in modern chemistry, an organometallic chemical compound called ferrocene, has never been structurally defined - until now.

Chemistry / Materials Science

created May 25, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

'Metamaterials,' quantum dots show promise for new technologies

(Phys.org) -- Researchers are edging toward the creation of new optical technologies using "nanostructured metamaterials" capable of ultra-efficient transmission of light, with potential applications including ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Solar plane ends first leg of intercontinental bid

The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse landed safely in Madrid early Friday at the end of the first leg of its attempt at an intercontinental flight without using a drop of fuel.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 25, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Research group creates highly sensitive photodetector from graphene and quantum dots

(Phys.org) -- Researchers in Spain have succeeded in building a photodetector that is a billion times more sensitive than other such detectors based on graphene and could herald the use of graphene based light ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 15, 2012 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (7) | comments 3 | with audio podcast report

Solar-panel-like retinal prosthesis could better restore sight to blind

(Phys.org) -- Using tiny solar-panel-like cells surgically placed underneath the retina, scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a system that may someday restore sight to people ...

Physics / Optics & Photonics

created May 13, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Electron transport in dye-based solar cells

European scientists studied electron flow in systems of organic photosensitive dyes and titanium-based materials. Results are particularly relevant to increasing the efficiency of a cost-effective class of ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created May 30, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists design solar cells that exceed the conventional light-trapping limit

(PhysOrg.com) -- The best performing solar cells are those that are thick enough to absorb light from the entire solar spectrum, while the cheapest solar cells are thin ones, since they require less, and potentially ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created Jan 20, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (37) | comments 27 | with audio podcast feature

Scientists investigate mystery of telephone cord buckles

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ranging in thickness from a few nanometers to several micrometers, thin films and coatings play a role in a wide variety of applications. The reflective metal layer on a mirror, the coatings ...

Physics / General Physics

created Mar 27, 2012 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (4) | comments 4 | with audio podcast feature

Solar cell

A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the light source is unspecified. Assemblies of cells are used to make solar panels, solar modules, or photovoltaic arrays. Photovoltaics is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells in producing electricity for practical use. The energy generated this way is an example of solar energy (also called solar power).

For more information about Solar cell, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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