Tag Archive for: solarpanels

Solar panels on global highways are innovative solutions gaining relevance as the world shifts toward green energy.

Study proposes covering highways with 52 billion solar panels

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Geosciences, and Columbia University have proposed a historic initiative they say would generate 60 percent of the electricity the world uses each year and slash carbon emissions by 28 percent. Is that crazy talk? Maybe, maybe not. Here’s the plain language summary of their study, which was published in the journal Earth’s Future on July 15, 2024.

“Global efforts are underway to diversify environmentally sustainable strategies for photovoltaic (PV) installations to enhance the accessibility of green electricity. Here, we propose an innovative strategy to roof highways with PV panels and evaluate their electricity generation potential and social-economic co-benefits. Our analysis reveals that globally deploying highway PV systems across existing highway networks has the potential to generate 17,578 TWh of electricity annually, offsetting nearly 28% of concurrent global carbon emissions. Additionally, the highway PV could potentially prevent 150,000 traffic deaths annually and bring profits amounting to $14.42 trillion over a 25 year lifetime. We emphasize that the highway PV may serve as a crucial nexus for promoting human, environmental, and economic sustainability.” The researchers estimate the nations of the world would need to install more than 52 billion solar panels over their highways to maximize the potential of their proposal.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Lightfoot has solar panels that can boost the scooter’s range by up to 20 miles in the summer, or 10 miles in the winter.

The Lightfoot electric scooter is wrapped in solar panels to address range anxiety

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Otherlab has announced a new electric scooter called the Lightfoot that can extend its range not by fast charging or quick battery swaps, but by soaking up the sun. The scooter is shrouded in two large solar panels that Otherlab says can extend its range by an extra three miles for every hour it’s left in the sun.

The company, which describes itself as an “independent research & design lab” bringing “new solutions in renewable energy,” is planning to make the Lightfoot available for preorder starting today. It will sell for $4,995 and delivery is expected as early as January, 2025.

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Source: The Verge

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London Stadium aims to be one of the greenest venues, saving over 200 tonnes of carbon annually and powering major events sustainably.

Solar panels help drive London Stadium sustainability goals

The project will enable the Stadium to save more than 200 tonnes of carbon emissions a year and generate enough to power all the venue’s major events. It is part of a range of measures to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions at London Stadium. These include solar membranes, LED lighting, chiller and air handling improvements and kiosk energy-saving devices, backed up by a campaign to encourage Stadium staff to reduce energy consumption.

These current measures will reduce the Stadium energy use by 1.9 million kWh by March 2025, and at that point the roof solar savings will drive a further reduction of at least 0.8 million kWh, and a further saving of between 10% -15% on electricity costs. In total, between 2022 and 2026 the stadium will reduce energy drawn from the national grid by 3 million kWh – from 11.5million kWh per annum to 8.5 million.

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Source: POPULOUS

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Old photovoltaic panels are stripped of aluminum and wires, then ground to recycle plastic, glass, silicon, silver, and copper.

How a Brisbane shed is turning old solar panels into silver and copper

In a 50m shed south of Brisbane, solar panels are being turned into silver and copper.

Photovoltaic panels no longer capable of producing electricity are having their aluminium and wires removed before being ground up and refined into plastic, glass, silicon, silver and copper. So far, nothing has gone to waste.

The Pan Pacific Recycling director, John Hill, says recovering the materials, with no toxic fumes and nothing going to landfill, is a “big game changer to the whole industry worldwide”.

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Source: The Guardian

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Researchers at Oxford are developing ultra-thin, portable solar panels from perovskites, cheaper and more efficient than silicon-based panels

Revolutionary’ portable solar panels being developed

Portable solar panels, which could be used on-the-go to charge devices, are being developed by university researchers.

At the National Thin-Film Cluster Facility (NTCF) for Advanced Functional Materials in Oxford, scientists are creating ultra-thin solar panels from perovskites.

According to researchers, perovskite solar panels are cheaper and more effective than those made purely from silicon and can be produced at a smaller size.

Prof Henry Snaith, from the University of Oxford’s physics department, said the new technology will “basically mean you’re going to be able to generate power in more places”.

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Source: BBC

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Trina Solar has launched the first fully recycled silicon solar panel, using 37 patented technologies to reclaim materials from old modules.

China just solved the biggest problem in silicon photovoltaics by creating 100% recycled panels

Trina Solar has given a new twist to the sustainability of the photovoltaic industry with the world’s first fully recycled silicon solar panel, proving that it is possible to reuse them without compromising their efficiency. For context, solar panels last two to three decades before degrading significantly. The problem then is that they cannot be fully recycled or their refurbishment is very expensive.

Chinese manufacturer Trina Solar has created the first fully recycled crystalline silicon photovoltaic panel. The secret lies in the 37 recycling technologies patented by its researchers, which allow silicon, aluminium, glass and even silver to be separated and reused from discarded modules to assemble a new functional and equally efficient panel.

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Source: Reve

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Swiss firm Sun-Ways is testing a system to discreetly install solar panels between railway tracks, showcasing innovative photovoltaic design.

Invisible solar panels hide in railroad tracks to thwart critics

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Solar Panels In Railway Tracks: A Sensible Solution

Laying solar panels in between railroad tracks makes pretty good sense. The main criticisms of rural solar development involve appropriate land use and aesthetic issues, but those matters have long been settled for the many railroad rights-of-way criss-crossing the globe. Railroads are established, permitted, and permanent elements of modern infrastructure. Aside from freight yards and other busy parts of a rail system, railroads are also empty of traffic for long periods of time, allowing for ample sun exposure.

In addition, railroads can offer the solar industry the important element of flat and relatively level sites for development, without having to construct new access roads and other infrastructure. Although the flat configuration and the absence of tracking is not optimal for solar energy harvesting, that can be offset by the savings of reducing racking systems to the bare minimum. The railroad solution also enables developers to avoid disrupting natural habitats or taking space away from other potential land uses.

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Source: Clean Technica

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SolarPanelRecycling.com uses AI to recover key materials from used solar panels, promoting a circular economy and reducing waste.

Solar recycling innovation keeps solar panels out of landfills

With many PV systems now starting to reach their end of life, there is growing concern about what happens to solar panels when they are no longer useful. Without an increase in solar recycling, the U.S. will contribute 10 million metric tons of trash in landfills and other waste facilities by 2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). To put this into context, the U.S. dumps almost 140 million tons of waste each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The National PV Recycling Program, founded in 2016, is a network of recycling and refurbishment providers approved by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) after undergoing an audit process that assesses procedures and technologies.

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Source: PV Magazine

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Carnival and Port of Barcelona teamed up with a Catalonia solar provider to install 1,350 panels at Palacruceros & Helix Cruise Center.

Carnival installing solar power at two Barcelona cruise terminals

The roof-mounted solar panels, a first for the port, are capable of supplying more than 100% of the energy needed to power daily operations and will reduce overall electricity consumption.

Palacruceros and Helix Cruise Center

Carnival and the Port of Barcelona teamed up with a Catalonia-based solar provider to install the 1,350 panels at Palacruceros (Terminal D) and Helix Cruise Center (Terminal E), which will collectively produce 866,000-plus kilowatt-hours per year.

Installation work began in July at Palacruceros and the full project across both terminals is set for completion by the end of 2024.

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Source: Seatrade Cruise News

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A study published in the journal Earth’s Future presents a futuristic vision of transforming highways & major roads into sources of PV energy

The roads of the future could be sources of photovoltaic energy

An international team of researchers presented a solution for the future of solar photovoltaics and road infrastructure with multiple benefits and challenges.

A study published this month in the journal Earth’s Future presents a futuristic vision for transforming highways and major roads into sources of photovoltaic energy.

The proposal includes a network of elevated photovoltaic solar panels that would not only generate clean electricity, but adding an unexpected advantage to the project’s attractions, would also offer shelter to motorists during adverse weather conditions.

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Source: REVE

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