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2010

Solar power for electric vehicles

Most of the companies developing photovoltaics have been obsessed with reaching grid parity meaning competitiveness with conventional grid electricity generation which is often highly subsidised. More recently, it has been realised that the market for disposable photovoltaics on consumer goods is at least as large and even the potential on electric vehicles by land, water and air, could be an enticing billion square meters a year, comparable to that for buildings.

New electric planes take off

It seems back to front but the unmanned pure electric aircraft have often been huge, including the AeroVironment and Aurora Flight Sciences vehicles that cruise to upper atmosphere on solar energy carrying out surveillance.

New electric aircraft engines

Gas-powered engines could be used during takeoffs, when aircraft use the most energy, while battery-powered motors could power the aircraft while it is cruising or landing.

Huge sales opportunities for EVs and their components into East Asia

Those seeking to create multibillion dollar businesses in electric vehicles, their components, intellectual property and services should look at the world's largest market - East Asia. This region of the world purchases about 56% of the global market value of electric vehicles for land, sea and air and it will still be doing that in ten years time. For Western companies to take this huge opportunity seriously they first need to slay six myths.

New OPV company launched

Cambridge Enterprise, the University of Cambridge's commercialisation office, and the Carbon Trust have announced the launch of Eight19 Limited, a new solar energy company which will develop and manufacture high performance, lower cost plastic solar cells for high-growth volume markets.

Electricity could be collected from the air

Imagine devices that capture electricity from the air ― much like solar cells capture sunlight ― and using them to light a house or recharge an electric car.

Development of roll out solar cells

Rhodia, an international chemical company, has joined with the UK's Carbon Trust in a £4.5 million investment in solar energy start-up Eight19 to develop organic photovoltaic technology.

TSMC begins building solar R&D center and fab in central Taiwan

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company enters into the thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) market.

Laser power for unmanned aerial vehicles

LaserMotive, a Seattle-based company developing laser power beaming systems to transmit electricity without wires, has demonstrated their technology by keeping a model helicopter hovering for hours on just a few watts of laser power.

Self dusting solar panels

Self-cleaning technology he designed for Mars and lunar missions can be used to keep solar panels clean via thin transparent conducting wires embedded on panel surfaces through which a pulsed phased voltage is applied.

American-made vehicles that don't need gas...or a bail out?

Cruise Car has recently introduced a new line of solar electric Low Speed Vehicles (LSV) that not only provide an alternative mode of transportation requiring no gas to operate, but are engineered and manufactured in the United States utilizing up to 45 - 50% of recycled or certified remanufactured parts and materials, all covered by a new vehicle warranty.

New PV physics promises higher efficiency

Researchers from three institutions are uniting under a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to boost the output of solar cells.

14% efficiency with commercial-scale CIGS thin film solar modules

A manufacturer of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) independently confirmed the 14.3% efficiency of its large area production modules.

Clothing could power batteries for military

Scientists have reported progress in using a common virus to develop improved materials for high-performance, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that could be woven into clothing to power portable electronic devices.

The exit from China

2010 is turning out to be the year of the great exodus from China.

Novel thin film photovoltaic cell technology

EnSol AS has patented a novel, prototype thin film photovoltaic cell design based on nanocrystal technology.

NSF-funded project aims to grab more sun for solar cells

University of Oregon-led project with Oregon State and University of Illinois will involve a three-year push.

Development of an energy harvesting film for textiles

Researchers at the University of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) are developing technology that may enable people to power MP3 players and other devices through their clothes and the carpets they walk on.

Harvesting energy from rivers to power small devices

Daniel Hull, an Australian industrial designer based in Melbourne, has designed a portable hydro turbine with the aim of providing cheap renewable energy using water.

Technique to turn windows into power generators

An international team of scientists and industrialists is to meet at the University of Leicester to develop of a revolutionary new technique for harnessing green energy.

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