Renewables
A strategic push into solar-powered lighting
Philips Lighting has accelerated its strategic push into solar-powered lighting as it launches a new generation of solar-powered products and systems. These include an innovative all-in-one solar street light, Philips SunStay, which combines solar panel, battery and light in one housing, and Philips LifeLight, a solar lantern which comes with a replaceable battery.
Plant fibres help develop green options for transport industry
University of Portsmouth researchers and teams from around the world are at the forefront of a drive to develop greener composite materials from agricultural waste to be used in the automotive, marine and aerospace industries. A team from the University’s School of Engineering is designing and developing lightweight materials from renewable resources including agriculture biomass – a process that could provide significant environ...
Organic thin film achieves power conversion efficiency of 13%
Scientists from the Imperial College London, Monash University, CSIRO, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have reported an organic thin film for solar cells with a non-fullerene small molecule acceptor that achieved a power conversion efficiency of just over 13%. By replacing phenylalkyl side chains in indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene-based non-fullerene acceptor (ITIC) with simple linear chains to form C8-ITIC, they impr...
Finding the best way to deliver multifunctional solar car parks
A new guide created by BRE National Solar Centre and carport design and manufacturing company, FlexiSolar looks at the best way to deliver multifunctional solar car parks that combine renewable energy generation with energy storage and EV charging points.
Fast EV charging and battery energy storage solutions in Bratislava
Fast electric vehicle (EV) charging technology and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) have been announced by Delta, to support Greenway’s GridBooster stations in Bratislava, Slovakia. This innovative infrastructure consists of two EV Chargers and one is from Delta Fast EV Charger, with capacity of 50kW currently, but scalable up to 150kW and a BESS that can store 52kWh of energy and dispense up to 60kW of power to efficiently manage ...
Giant curtain aids cloud forests study
A researcher from Lund University in Sweden has managed to install a huge curtain in a remote cloud forest in South America. The aim is to study how these valuable forests are affected if clouds are elevated due to global warming. The world’s cloud forests are facing the threat of rapid climate change, as global warming may lead to clouds being pushed higher up in the sky. If the lowest level of clouds, known as the cloud base, is rais...
Duo aim to power the largest market for EVs in the world
SAIC Motor and Infineon Technologies have announced the establishment of a joint venture to manufacture power modules for the dynamically developing electric vehicle market in China. SAIC Motor holds a stake of 51% of the JV and Infineon 49% respectively. The partners have received all approvals by public authorities.
New generation of fast charging stations unveiled in Amsterdam
Dutch charging company, Fastned has unveiled its new generation of fast charging stations. At the new stations electric vehicles can charge at up to 350kW, that is up to 100 times faster than at home. Thanks to their modular design, the new stations can also be easily extended. The first 350kW station at service area ‘De Watering’ is located on the A8 highway near Amsterdam.
HPS to present all-in-one energy storage system at upcoming trade fairs
Home Power Solutions will be presenting Picea, what the company claims to be the world's first all-in-one unit to supply year-round power from the consumer's own photovoltaic system, at trade fairs in March and April.
Cost-effective catalyst converts CO2 into usable energy
Imagine if carbon dioxide (CO2) could easily be converted into usable energy. Every time you breathe or drive a motor vehicle, you would produce a key ingredient for generating fuels. Like photosynthesis in plants, we could turn CO2 into molecules that are essential for day-to-day life. Now, scientists are one step closer.