Tag Archive for: solarenergy

NASA is preparing to test a new, highly advanced solar sail design. It could one day allow spacecraft to travel without bulky rocket fuel.

NASA will unfurl a 860-square-foot solar sail from within a microwave-sized cube

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NASA hitched a ride aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron Launcher in New Zealand yesterday evening, and is preparing to test a new, highly advanced solar sail design. Now in a sun-synchronous orbit roughly 600-miles above Earth, the agency’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) will in the coming weeks deploy and showcase technology that could one day power deep-space missions without the need for any actual rocket fuel, after launch.

The fundamentals behind solar sails aren’t in question. By capturing the pressure emitted by solar energy, thin sheets can propel a spacecraft at immense speeds, similar to a sailboat. Engineers have already demonstrated the principles before, but NASA’s new project will specifically showcase a promising boom design constructed of flexible composite polymer materials reinforced with carbon fiber.

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Source: Popular Science

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Long Beach Airport’s new solar canopies are poised to generate renewable energy that will meet approximately 70% of LGB’s electrical demand

Long Beach celebrates Earth Day with new solar canopies at airport

A gloomy morning did not stop Long Beach from celebrating Earth Day and the expansion of solar energy in the city.

Officials celebrated the installation of solar canopies on top of the parking structures at the Long Beach Airport on Monday, April 22.

“It’s not every Earth Day that we get to unveil these incredible solar projects,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “This is a part of a larger effort that we’ve undergone over the past more than five years to expand solar all across our city.”

Richardson added: “We embrace renewable energy, this project highlights a creative approach to achieving meaningful progress and practically mitigating climate change.”

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Source: Press-Telegram

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A man in the Gaza Strip is using solar panels to clean water for his neighbors in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

Solar panels are being used in Gaza to power wells, creating clean water

A man in the Gaza Strip is using solar panels to clean water for his neighbors – a seemingly small gesture that has large consequences at a time when the region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

“Yesterday, I filled this car with clean water from the well, 6,500 liters, and distributed it among people in need of water,” Mohammed Assalia told ABC News. “Some people use these wheelchairs to transport the water they fill, which is kinda sad but it does the thing.”

As the resource becomes more scarce, Assalia said he is now looking for a way to reach more people in the most devastated area of the Gaza Strip, six months since Israel declared war on Hamas. The high costs involved with the project may hinder his ability to do so without help, he says.

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Source: ABC News

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The Intertubes lit up today with news of a new, 190% efficient solar cell that could finally send fossil fuels packing once and for all.

A new dawn for solar cells: 190% quantum efficiency is possible

The Intertubes lit up today with news of a new, 190% efficient solar cell that could finally send fossil fuels packing once and for all. The research is still in the proof-of-concept stage, but other solar cells that shoot past the 100% mark are already in development, so anything is possible. However, if you’re thinking this blows the Shockley-Queisser theoretical limit to bits, well, guess again.

Solar cells can shoot past 100% efficiency, depending on what that means

The Shockley-Queisser limit refers to the ability of solar cells to convert sunlight to electricity. The theory emerged in the 1960s to describe the upper limit of basic silicon photovoltaic technology. The initial limit was determined to be 30%, later revised upward to 33.7%.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Istanbul Airport will have its entire electricity needs met by a solar energy plant that is slated to be launched by the end of the year.

Istanbul hub to become 1st airport powered entirely by solar energy

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Istanbul Airport will have its entire electricity needs met by a solar energy plant that is slated to be launched by the end of the year, according to its operator, IGA.

IGA will have invested around 212 million euros ($229.74 million) in the project, which will spread over an approximately 3 million square meter area in the central province of Eskişehir.

The plant will have 439,000 solar panels installed, boasting a total capacity of 199.32 megawatts (MW).

The photovoltaic power station is planned to produce 340 million kilowatt-hours of energy annually and will grant the aviation hub the distinction of being the world’s first airport to meet all its electricity needs from solar energy.

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Source: Daily Sabah

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A research team at DGIST in South Korea has unveiled an ingenious device that enhances solar power generation by keeping panels clean.

Self-cleaning solar panels boost efficiency with wind power

A research team at DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology) in South Korea has unveiled an ingenious device that enhances solar power generation by keeping panels free of dust and other contaminants. Harnessing wind power, this self-cleaning device autonomously maintains a vital component of the clean energy revolution.

The challenge of clean solar panels

Solar energy is vital for a sustainable future, but dust, debris, and other environmental contaminants can create a layer of grime that dramatically reduces solar cell efficiency. Traditionally, panels require manual cleaning, a costly and labor-intensive process. This maintenance is especially difficult in deserts, remote installations, and even potential off-world applications.

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Source: Interesting Engineering

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A French town is installing a canopy of solar panels over its cemetery that will distribute energy to local residents.

‘A beautiful idea’: This French town is making its cemetery a source of solar energy

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A French town is installing a canopy of solar panels over its cemetery that will distribute energy to local residents.

The idea didn’t start with solar. Saint-Joachim is located in the middle of the Brière marsh – a vast peat bog north of the Loire estuary.

When it outgrew its churchyard cemetery in 1970, a new graveyard was created to the east of the town’s main island, a drop from six to zero metres above sea level.

Upsettingly for families with loved ones buried there, that means the cemetery often floods in winter. Draining the ground would be a constant battle with the wetland, so Saint-Joachim’s mayor proposed covering the site to stop it from filling up with rainwater.

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Source: Euro News

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Under a newly announced federal grant, every household in the NW Arctic Borough would receive a heat pump and solar system in every village.

In Northwest Arctic, federal grant will bring heat pumps to homes, solar energy to villages

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Under a newly announced federal grant, every household in the Northwest Arctic Borough would receive a heat pump to alleviate the cost of energy, and every village in the region would have a solar energy system — and an additional source of revenue.

In late February, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded rural and remote communities across the country funds to lower energy costs and support the deployment of clean energy. The Northwest Arctic Borough is receiving around $55 million, with grants funded by the 2021 federal infrastructure law. Counting all matches and contributions from regional partners, the total amount of funding for the four-year clean energy project is about $68.5 million, according to the statement from NANA Corp.

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Source: Anchorage Daily News

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Solar workers traveled to the state capital on Wednesday to rally in support of solar energy, calling on lawmakers to keep CA a solar state.

300+ solar workers and supporters rally in support of solar energy

Solar workers traveled to the state capital on Wednesday to rally in support of solar energy, calling on lawmakers to keep California a solar state.

The solar industry is experiencing business closures and significant job losses in every part of the state after the decision of the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, to slash overnight by 70 to 80 percent the value of solar energy contributed back to the grid.

Since then, the solar industry has lost more than 17,000 jobs, representing 22 percent of all solar jobs in the state. A steep 87 percent decline in solar installations is also pushing California off its path to meeting renewable energy goals that are critical to the fight against climate change.

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Source: ewg

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The City Council unanimously voted to allow PWP to enter into a $512.2M , 20yr power contract with Southern California Public Power Authority

Pasadena approves 20-Year, $500 million solar energy contract

The City Council unanimously voted on Monday to allow Pasadena Water and Power to enter into a $512.2 million, 20-year power contract with Southern California Public Power Authority for solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage.

“This solar agreement is an important step forward in meeting our goal to source 100% of Pasadena’s electricity from carbon-free sources by the end of 2030,” said Mayor Victor Gordo. “This contract is especially timely considering Pasadena’s exit from the Intermountain Power Project. The City, Pasadena Water and Power, and the residents of Pasadena are committed to a clean energy future.”

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Source: Pasadena Now

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