More Efficient, Cheaper Solar Panels on the Way

By `Lanre Okanlawon

 The past two decades witnessed improvements to conventional processes of manufacturing photovoltaic (PV) cells which translated to increased working efficiencies and significant cuts in production costs. Such changes have made the solar energy technologies more attractive to energy users and competitive with more widely used sources of energy. On the average, solar panels are currently selling for $0.70c per watt- a dramatic decline from 1998 costs of about $10.80 per watt.

More good news- earlier this week, it was announced that a fundamentally new kind of solar cells have been discovered by Professor Michael Strano and his team at MIT and this poses to “re-revolutionalise” the solar energy industry yet again. This peculiar breed of PV cells are made up carbon nanotubes that are able to capture energy from sunlight in the near-infrared region of the spectrum- a feat which cannot be achieved by conventional silicon PV cells. This means that more solar energy will be available to be converted into power- invariably increasing solar cell efficiency. Professor Strano and his team.

Another interesting thing is that the solar cells are entirely made up of carbon atoms that are stable in air. Previous attempts to achieve this proved futile. In Professor Strano’s new discovery, the new all-carbon cells are very stable in air and do not require a layer of polymer to hold the carbon nanotubes into position. This makes the cell structure less complex and easier to attain.

Professor Strano and his team

 A paper written by Professor Michael Strano describing these achievements was recently published in Advanced Material Journal.

 Sources: MIT, Strano Research Group

Are You a Fan of Wind Energy?

Five Interesting Stuff About Wind Energy

1. Asians used wind mills to pump large amounts of water and grind grains as early as 200 B.C.

2. The first modern wind turbine was built in Vermont, U.S.A in the early 1940s.

3. Wind farms currently produce enough electricity to meet the energy needs of more than 10 million families worldwide.

4. An average wind speed of 14 miles per hour is needed to convert wind energy to electricity.

5. A group of wind turbines generating electricity together is called a wind farm. The world's largest wind farm is located, off the coast of Cumbria, United Kingdom.It is made up of 102 turbines and has a total capacity of 367.2MW enough to power 320,000 households.  

Solar Plane Completes Spain-Morocco Flight

By Greenicles Admin

"I can tell you that it was one of the most beautiful flights of my life. I have been dreaming for 10 years of travelling from one continent to another without a drop of fuel."

Above are the words of Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss pilot who completed a 19-hour flight from Spain to Morocco yesterday in a solar energy-powered airplane. This experimental 1,554 mile journey from Europe to Africa was made possible by 12,000 solar cells integrated unto the plane which powered the engines and charged all batteries on-board!

Greenicles: Wow, 10,000 Visitors. Thank You!

By `Lanre Okanlawon

Just a very special note of thanks- our Greenicles blog has just crossed over the major milestone of 10,000 visitors! This week marks a milestone for us. When I first started this blog, I did not imagine this would generate such widespread interest from visitors from over 40 countries worldwide. This is a very BIG thank you for all your interests and kind comments.

Today, there are 10,000 more educated individuals due to this blog. 10,000 visitors that have read for themselves and formulated for themselves their own opinions about this discourse. 10,000 visitors that today have been enlightened as to how new and renewable energy resources can ultimately power our world in an efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

10,000 Visitors, 10,000 Thank Yous with great pleasure and satisfaction that we have just recently realized this feat.

This is just the beginning!

Biogas Power Plant: A Virtual Tour

By Greenicles Admin

The race is still on- the search for that ultimate energy source that will power the whole world. Everyone is looking for the next big thing. One of the alternatives that are getting some huge publicity and installations globally is the power of Biogas which has been greatly underestimated previously. Biogas is mainly made from organic waste. It refers to gas produced by the biological breakdown of materials such as dead plants, animal faeces, kitchen waste  and even those that pile up in landfills. This seems a bit disgusting and outrageous, however it is not by any means a new discovery. 

Here's a quick video to show that Biogas is a credible source of energy and a strong contender to become the ultimate source of power worldwide!

Video Source: Youtube