“Science” is always busy with its developments in every field. Every passing day sees something new being discovered. The same thing happened with professor Mazur at the Harvard laboratory. Black silicon, an improvised form of silicon was obtained by passing it through vacuum chambers along with hydrogen hexafluoride, and then treating it with ultra-short, high intensity laser. A company by the name SiOnyx has then obtained exclusive rights to the University’s portfolio of black silicon patents Read the full story »

This could be a breakthrough in technology. Researchers in the US of A have come up with a method that will give flexibility and transparency to efficient silicon-based solar cells. So much so that they can actually be wrapped around a pencil as well as used to tint windows on buildings and cars.

The technique involves processing silicon by slicing its brittle wafers into ultrathin layers and then transferring them onto a flexible surface. We have seen how the popularity of solar cells has increased many folds with the energy crisis cornering America. More and more people are willing to utilize the sun’s energy over oil.
Companies like Sharp Corp are already manufacturing thin-film solar cells but they are a little less efficient because of their rigidity. With the new breakthrough flexibility, solar cells can be easily transported.
License for the technology has been given to a new company called Semprius Inc in Durham, North Carolina.
Via tvnz

One of the best way to envision a green future is via concept vehicles that are designed keeping in mind the environmental concerns of today and tomorrow. That’s why at Ecotalks, we make it a point to keep our readers abreast with the latest in concept vehicles and hybrid cars. Who knows tomorrow one of you may design your own green vehicle and I may be happily covering it over here!

Today, I would like to share with you a few things about a two-seater Embryo. The concept vehicle is a modern car which is designed keeping in mind, the parking problems that we face today (something which is bound to get worst in future).

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The sexy petite vehicle runs utilizing clean technology. It is powered by fuel cells thus hydrogen power ensures a zero emission state! Embryo’s eco-friendliness can be estimated by the fact that the car is made up of recyclable aluminum.

Its exteriors use a soft material which doesn’t compromise with the passengers’ safety. Its interiors are made from silicon. Small size and compact design assures a swift traveling experience for two people. To add-on to the security measures and avoid any possible accident, the smart autopilot takes care of the speeding Embryo. In other words, in this two-seater you are as safe as when you were an embryo inside your mother’s womb!

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Via: Igreenspot

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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