Energy Science

USGS: Solar’s Desert Impact Needs Study

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In the excitement of saving the environment with clean energy, we seem to have forgotten the wildlife that also have a stake in a thriving habitat. Scientists at the US Geological Survey (USGS) reviewed existing scientific papers and found that there is a lack of study on the effects of large-scale solar energy developments and operations on wildlife.

USGS scientist Jeffrey Lovich and Maryville College (Tenn.) scientist Joshua Ennen did find a large amount of information in environmental compliance documents and other unpublished, non-peer-reviewed literature, but concluded that more peer-reviewed studies are necessary, particularly on desert habitat where much of the large-scale solar development is unfolding. Peer-reviewed studies are reviewed by experts in the same field of study and then published, making them a more reliable source of in-depth information. Keep reading →

 /  Published December 20, 2011 at 11:30 AM

The Insight Behind Record Solar Efficiency

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It’s not the absorbing of photons that matters most, it’s the emitting of them. That counterintuitive bit of wisdom about boosting photovoltaic cell efficiency is at the heart of work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) that has led to record-breaking solar cell performances.

According to the lab, the most efficient solar cells on the market today are made from monocrystalline silicon wafers that operate at about 23% efficiency – that is, they convert about 23% of the energy hitting the cell into electricity. But based on work by the Berkeley researchers, the private company Alta Devices – founded by lead researcher Eli Yablonovitch – was able “to fabricate solar cells from gallium arsenide that have achieved a record conversion efficiency of 28.4% ,” the lab said. Keep reading →

 /  Published November 29, 2011 at 11:00 AM

National Renewable Energy Lab Isolates Hydrogen For Power

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In efforts to transition to a new energy economy, the US federal government has been loaning money to solar and wind companies. It has also been pouring money into research and development.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado has been around for over 30 years, but funding for the government-owned lab–dedicated exclusively to R&D, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies–has been boosted in recent years. In 2002, the lab received $215.8 million in federal funding. In 2010, the lab received $536.5 million. Keep reading →

 /  Published November 29, 2011 at 6:00 AM
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