08-05-2016, 11:03 PM
Researchers at the University of Kentucky working with scientists from Daimler in Germany and the Institute for Electronic Structure and Laser in Greece have discovered a single atom-thick flat material that could upstage graphene and advance solar energy conversion. The material, which is reported in Physical Review B, Rapid Communication, is made up of silicon, boron and nitrogen - all light, inexpensive and earth abundant elements - and is stable, a property many other graphene alternatives lack.
Silicon based material could upstage graphene for solar energy conversion | Electronics EETimes
Saule Technologies has created a prototype for a thin, flexible solar panel. The translucent material can charge cellphones and might even replace roof-mounted solar panels.
Saule Technologies made thin solar cells that can charge phones - Business Insider
Thankfully, there is a third possibility: an alternative source of energy. In order to make a visible difference and truly change the world, the source would need to be cheap, environmentally friendly and more efficient than those currently available. One of those new sources could be osmotic power generation, also known as blue energy. Blue energy isn’t exactly a new concept. This method of producing power was first uncovered in the 1970s by professor Sidney Loeb. Osmosis describes a spontaneous movement of solvent molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from the region of lower solute concentration into a region of higher solute concentration, in an effort to equalize concentrations on both ends of the membrane.
This breakthrough in ‘blue energy’ could change the world - MarketWatch