News tagged with solar charging

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

Shedding light on nature's nanoscale control of solar energy

Nature's process for storing solar energy occurs in light-absorbing protein complexes called photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs). Across billions of years of evolution, Nature has retained a common light-absorbing ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created Apr 18, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

TWINS/IBEX spacecraft observed impact of powerful solar storm from inside and outside Earth's magnetosphere

(PhysOrg.com) -- For the first time, instrumentation aboard two NASA missions operating from complementary vantage points watched as a powerful solar storm spewed a two million-mile-per-hour stream of charged ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Mar 28, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Voyager 1 hits new region at solar system edge

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered a new region between our solar system and interstellar space. Data obtained from Voyager over the last year reveal this new region to be a kind of cosmic ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 05, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (37) | comments 118 | with audio podcast

Self-organization gives rise to more efficient organic solar cells

Organic 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. ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Oct 24, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Researchers create two-segment nanotubes with distinct semiconducting domains

(PhysOrg.com) -- A group of researchers working in Japan has devised a means of creating dual segmented nanotubes where each segment has separate and distinct semiconducting properties. The team describes ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Oct 21, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast report

Morphology matters: The effect of processing on solar cells

The dramatic influence of polymer processing conditions on the performance of polymer solar cells is highlighted by a new paper in the Journal of Polymer Science: Polymer Physics.

Chemistry / Polymers

created Oct 19, 2011 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Nanorods made of fullerenes improve performance of polymer solar cells

The biggest obstacle to making use of solar energy has been the excessively high price of solar cells made of inorganic semiconductors. In contrast, solar cells based on semiconducting polymers are affordable, ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Sep 16, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

Better, faster, cheaper: Doing business with the sun

The change in energy policy has been decided; Germany needs more green energy. From Sep. 5-9 in Hamburg, everything will revolve around our biggest energy supplier: the sun. At the European Photovoltaic Solar ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Aug 12, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 3

New production process for NiO/Ni nanocomposite electrodes for supercapacitors

(PhysOrg.com) -- Conversion to renewable energy sources like wind and sun is only a question of time. Because wind and solar radiation vary in strength, the increase in renewable energy sources will cause ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Jun 07, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study raises questions on what causes silicon solar cell degradation

(PhysOrg.com) -- After several hours of exposure to sunlight, silicon solar cells experience light-induced degradation, which can decrease their efficiency by up to 10%. In a new study, scientists have attempted ...

Physics / Condensed Matter

created Jun 03, 2011 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (4) | comments 1 | with audio podcast feature

New inorganic semiconductor layers hold promise for solar energy

(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of researchers from the University of Chicago and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has demonstrated a method that could produce cheaper semiconductor ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Jun 02, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Plainville, Conn. gets a solar carport

(PhysOrg.com) -- The city of Plainville, Conn. got a brand new carport, and this one runs entirely on the power of the sun. The carport makes use of solar panels that have been mounted of the roof in order ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created May 27, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 4 | with audio podcast weblog

Panasonic releases wireless solar charging table

(PhysOrg.com) -- Most of us forget how much our cell phones are a part of the day-to-day of our lives until we don't have access to them. I'm not just talking about when you leave it at home, in a callous ...

Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets

created May 23, 2011 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast weblog

3-D nanocone solar cell technology cranks up efficiency

(PhysOrg.com) -- With the creation of a 3-D nanocone-based solar cell platform, a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Jun Xu has boosted the light-to-power conversion efficiency of photovoltaics by ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created Apr 29, 2011 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (13) | comments 7 | with audio podcast