Startling is this fact about solar power that, just about an hour of sunlight hitting the Earth’s surface is sufficient to fulfill the power needs of humans for an entire year!!! However, we know that if our systems were that efficient how much power we could generate with the sun rays coming down on our planet for the whole year. Besides expensive silicon components of a photovoltaic panel and low system efficiency, till now our knowledge on the mechanism behind solar storage was also limited. Bugged by the twin factors of inefficiency and expense a MIT professor Daniel Nocera undertook an exhaustive research at the end of (which he believes) his team has unlocked the ‘nirvana of energy’.The Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy, Prof. Nocera has made a discovery that may change the way we have so far used solar power through PV cells. Being inspired by green plants that photosynthesize and store solar energy all the time in them, Prof. Nocera has developed a simple method to split H2O molecules.

The end products being Oxygen and Hydrogen gases. The hydrogen thus produced may then store the solar energy. His study has resulted in the emergence of a new catalyst. The latter consists of phosphate, cobalt metal, and an electrode. This new catalyst is easy to set-up and works on neutral pH at normal room temperature.When the catalyst is placed in water and current is run through the electrode, oxygen gas is produced. When another catalyst is used to produce hydrogen gas, the oxygen and hydrogen combine inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity.

This simple set up can be used to power a house or an electric car irrespective of time (day or night). The whole set up can be duplicated in large numbers to harness the abundant sunshine bestowed to us by Mother Nature. Whether this clean technology will massively cut down the energy requirements of mankind is yet to be explored. But one this is for sure, this discovery has opened new avenues in the commercial usage of solar power.
Via: Goodcleantech

The Sun is rising in political spheres! Valuing the sun as renewable source of clean solar power, the EU supergrid gets a crucial political backing from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It is jointly decided now that the vast desert of Sahara would be the land where dozens of solar farms will be constructed as a part of the $71 Billion EU supergrid infrastructure. The latter is an initiative taken by the European Commission to meet the continent’s electricity demands in future. The clean power generated by this supergrid will be shared by all the EU countries.
It is projected that each farm of the supergrid will generate upto 200 Megawatts of power. This would then be transferred to EU states via high voltage DC transmission, which is a better option over AC lines. The energy loss incurred over long distances is much lesser when DC lines are used. The decision to build solar panels in Sahara originates from the simple fact that the desert receives intense sunlight throughout year which can be effectively harnessed.

 According to an estimate PhotoVoltaic panels installed in Sahara will be 3 times more energy efficient (in terms of electricity generation) than those fitted in the European countries.
The project’s success will effectively reconfirm that solar power will be the most potent among renewable energy sources which also include wind and geothermal powers.

Via: treehugger

Some mesetto ago gianlkr outlined the problem to install photovoltaic panels in condominium. Well Japan comes the future solution (gianlkr unfortunately have to wait a few annetto): photovoltaic leaves. He designed the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) with Mitsubishi Corp.. and Tokki Corp..