Spectrolab Inc

New Solar Arrays to Power NASA's International Space Station Research

As the International Space Station orbits Earth, its four pairs of solar arrays soak up the sun's energy to provide electrical power for the numerous research and science investigations conducted every day, as well as the continued operations of the orbiting platform.

High Performing Hybrid Solar Energy Converter

Researchers are part of a team of scientists who have developed a hybrid solar energy converter that generates electricity and steam with high efficiency and low cost.

Emerging Photovoltaics: Materials Opportunity in New $38Bn Market

The new IDTechEx report, "Materials Opportunities in Emerging Photovoltaics 2020-2040", is based on interviews by multi-lingual, PhD level IDTechEx analysts across the world and 20 years tracking the research and applications. They predict $38 billion dollars in 2040 without colliding with the silicon-in-glass "power station" business. There will be many opportunities for premium pricing of its new specialist materials.

Researchers set world record in solar energy efficiency

Researchers have converted over 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar system into electricity, the highest efficiency ever reported.

Printed electronics invigorates old electronics

Most of the well-known objectives of printed electronics remain elusive because they are glamorous, Olympian dreams based on some very exciting demonstrations in laboratories.

Nantennas and metamaterials for EV photovoltaics

Photovoltaics could be applied to the whole of the outside and inside of the car, even over the lights and the windows

Photovoltaic solar sails in space

The Japanese Space Agency succeeded with an origami space orbiter and zero-gravity sushi experiments. Now comes the first "space yacht". This month in a trial run that will captivate space researchers and science-fiction writers alike, a Mitsubishi H-IIA rocket goes into orbit from the island of Tanegashima and releases its small satellite into the void.

Paybacks from energy harvesting

This article shares some of the research carried out for the new IDTechEx report "Energy Harvesting and Storage for Electronic Devices 2009-2019".

Solar cell efficiency record for space satellite markets

A world record of 40.8 percent in solar cell efficiency with a photovoltaic device has been claimed by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US.

News from SEMICON West and InterSolar North America

IDTechEx report on the SEMICON West event held in San Francisco in mid July - an event with over one thousand exhibitors covering the silicon supply chain.

IDTechEx Photovoltaics Beyond Conventional Silicon 2008 event

This week IDTechEx is holding its first event dedicated to Photovoltaic (PV) technologies beyond conventional silicon. It covers the increasing work on CIGS, CdTe, Organic PV and many other chemistry devices, offering benefits over conventional silicon PV such as cost, weight and ease of installation.

Impossible photovoltaics

Conventional silicon photovoltaics is a non-starter in Antarctica because it is very poor at low angles of incidence of light let alone low levels of illumination or reflected light and it is heavy.

US government to make solar energy more cost competitive

Eleven technology led projects will focus on developing advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) technology manufacturing processes and products.

Investing in the metals that will be needed

Jim Mellon has invested in Emerging Metals Ltd in the UK. He says photovoltaics will be

Inorganic Printed Electronics - The Great Opportunity

The future $300 billion market for printed electronics is emerging via thin film electronics. The contribution of organic materials to this is greatly publicized but the best devices being developed usually rely on inorganic or combined inorganic/organic technology. The more select groups developing these inorganic materials and devices have a great future. IDTechEx has published the first study on Inorganic Printed and Thin Film Electronics. Here Dr Peter Harrop summarises some of the findings.