THIN FILM SOLAR PANELS

Archive for March, 2011

Wind and solar power are surging these days, but with great power comes a great problem: how to guarantee a steady stream of energy when the source comes and goes. The solution, of course, is to find more efficient ways of storing energy. Among the new developments is a light-as-air material called aerogel, aka “frozen smoke.” Aerogels have been around for a while, but the latest twist is a new, more versatile form of aerogel made from carbon nanotubes.

Different Kinds of Aerogel

Aerogels are made by drying certain materials like silica (the foundational part of common sand), alumina (the raw ingredient for aluminum), or even clay and rice husks. The  process is more sophisticated than simple evaporation. It involves replacing moisture with gas, so the material retains a solid shape. Typical aerogels look translucent but they feel a bit like polystyrene. Because of their unique properties, aerogels have a lot of potential for sustainability-related jobs including soaking up oil spills and insulating buildings, but so far their cost has been an obstacle.

Aerogel from Carbon Nanotubes

At the University of Central Florida researchers are developing an aerogel made from carbon nanotubes. The advantage of nanotubes is their relatively large surface area packed into a very small area, combined with conductive properties. When incorporated into a lithium battery, this aerogel could result in vastly improved energy storage. Similar research is being conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Paul Pascal Research Center in France, with the aim of developing low cost production methods.

Future Energy Storage

While some researchers are focusing on futuristic energy storage solutions, there have also been some exciting developments based on conventional materials such as molten salt. Even ancient technologies are getting a new life in alternative energy storage, the flywheel (think potters’ wheels) being one standout example.

Image: Smoke by Adam & Tess on flickr.com.

The results of a recent survey by Sun Connect, an Australian solar power installation company, show that rising electricity bills have a major influence on homeowner’s decisions to go solar. Respondents pointed to high electricity bills, anticipated electricity price rises, and pain caused by high power costs, as significant areas of concern. In fact, when solar panel owners were asked why they originally converted to solar, the results show that people were 2.6 times more likely to identify “electricity bills too high” than to claim “environmental responsibility” as the primary reason behind their shift to renewable energy.

Read more on our sister site, Planetsave: Sun Connect Survey – Economics Drive Solar Panel Installations

Photo Credit: Kate’s Photo Diary

Want to know what energy-efficiency rebates and incentives are available to you without having to tediously search through numerous hard-to-read sites? I’m sure some of you do. A cool new web tool from a Silicon Valley startup, Ennovationz, can do that for you (and quite a bit more).

On the Ennovationz website, you just type in your zip code and it will list all of your local energy efficiency rebates. You can check out how it works for yourself here:

Ennovations has a database of over 8000 incentives, including tax credits, utility rebates, subsidized financing, and much more. The incentives offered come from 750 providers nationwide.

In addition to the tool above, another cool feature I really like allows you to compare your energy bills to those of similar homes in your area. FUN (for people like me, I guess,.. but hopefully for a few normal folks as well). Check it out & make use of it!

Image: Screenshot of Ennovations

A faculty-student research team at Southeastern Louisiana University is about to embark on a study of the power of Rangia clams to filter out oil from polluted water. The project builds on previous investigations into the use of Rangia clams to serve as markers for the amount of hydrocarbons in a body of water.  As a filter feeding organism, Rangia can also suck in and digest other pollutants such as bacteria or viruses. You probably wouldn’t want to make a snack out of an oil-filled clam but at least it would get the job done.

Small Project, Big Potential

The research project is very modest – it’s partly funded by a grant of $2,300 – and the clams aren’t much to write home about either. Rangia is a small clam that is not marketed commercially, though it is sometimes harvested for personal consumption. Its main claim to fame seems to be its ability to be mistaken for the high-value Cherrystone clam. However, it also has the ability to concentrate hydrocarbons in its flesh. If the scale of concentration can reach a certain point without killing the clam, it’s possible that Rangia could be seeded into hard-to-access areas in order to filter out oil and other contamination.

Clams and Green Remediation

The research team plans to study the clams within cages to preserve them from predators, so it would also be possible to harvest the clams and their hydrocarbons for appropriate disposal. If that can be accomplished with minimal use of fossil fuel-burning equipment, it would fit right in with the U.S. EPA’s Green Remediation program, which seeks to reduce the carbon foot print of cleanup projects. A similar green remediation project is already under way in Connecticut, where a researcher is studying the use of shellfish and seaweed to filter excess nutrients from Long Island Sound.

An Ounce of Prevention…

Of course a modest looking clam can’t possibly be tasked with “making things right” in the Gulf Coast communities that are still suffering the aftereffects of BP’s oil spill. The only long term solution is to do what the U.S. is doing right now: transition out of high risk fossil fuels, and adopt safer, healthier means of powering a 21st century nation.

Image: Giant clam by robstephaustralia on flickr.com.