05-17-2014, 01:33 PM
Working in the solar industry, I’ve noticed that the number of people calling who are interested in installing solar-electric (photovoltaic) systems increases substantially after a natural disaster. It’s very understandable considering that after Hurricane Sandy, for example, 8.1 million homes lost power in 17 different states as far west as Michigan, and for some towns in New Jersey and New York the power stayed out for up to two weeks. Unfortunately, the truth is that the most common and most affordable option for going solar, a grid-tie system, has one big fat Achilles heel: your grid-tied solar panel system will not work when the grid is down.
A Power Backup Solution For The Achilles Heel Of Grid-Tie Solar | CleanTechnica
Lithium ion batteries based on this Silly Putty material are said to last three times as long as the industry standard smartphone battery, according to UCR Today, a campus publication.
Silly Putty Material in Smartphone Batteries - Business Insider
Since the material is 1 million times thinner than a sheet of paper, it could easily be used to make smartphones much sleeker than they are today. It's flexible nature also makes it an attractive option for wearable computing devices. Reports have also suggested that it could even deliver internet 100 times faster on your smartphone. Samsung has already locked in 38 patents pertaining to the use of graphene in the United States, with 17 other applications pending, according to Bloomberg. Apple has at least two pending patent applications involving graphene.