New Block Copolymer Solar Cells Shows Promising Results

A small team of researchers at the Rice and Pennsylvania State universities has developed a new solar cell that is based on organic block copolymers. The research and the new solar cell have led to the possibility of an entirely new class of solar panels.

The organic block copolymers are compounds that self-arrange into certain layers that are effective at absorbing sunlight, and are significantly better at doing so than other substances that uses polymer as their main ingredient.

Depending on which solar panel type (mono-, polycrystalline or thin-film), the best solar panels usually range between 15-20%. Individual solar cell efficiencies are usually a bit higher than this. Researchers have actually pushed cell-efficiencies up to 43.5%.

The research team at the Rice and Pennsylvania State universities has so far not achieved an efficiency rating higher than 3%, but the exciting part is that the organic block copolymers are cheap, which in the long run could mean a new type of solar panel that can compete on the market.

The new solar cell consists of a block copolymer that arranges itself into bands with a thickness of about 16 nanometers. A layer of aluminum is put on the other side. Electrodes at the top and bottom enable current to flow through the device.

“On paper, block copolymers are excellent candidates for organic solar cells, but no one has been able to get very good photovoltaic performance using block copolymers. We didn’t give up on the idea of block copolymers because there’s really only been a handful of these types of solar cells previously tested. We thought getting good performance using block copolymers was possible if we designed the right materials and fabricated the solar cells under the right conditions.” Says project leader and Rice chemical engineer Rafael Verduzco.

Researchers were already experimenting with using polymer components for solar cells back in the 1980s, but so far we have yet to see any breakthroughs come out of the research. It will be interesting to follow the research of block copolymer solar cells in the coming months and years. If you take a look at acomparison of solar panel efficiencies in 2013, a cell efficiency of 3% is far from exciting news. On the other hand,  a cell based on an organic polymer would be significantly cheaper than one that is silicon-based. Maybe they`re actually onto something?

Kako iskoristiti PET anbalažu , a pritom pokriti krov

Solarni kolektor: Green Deal Provider, Enact, goes bust

Solarni kolektor: Green Deal Provider, Enact, goes bust: The Green Deal has suffered its first major business casualty, just four month’s after the Government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme...

Green Deal Provider, Enact, goes bust

The Green Deal has suffered its first major business casualty, just four month’s after the Government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme launched.

Cornwall-based Green Deal Provider Enact Energy Renewables has gone into administration, with 29 job losses.

Ian Walker and Christopher Norman from the Exeter office of Begbies Traynor were appointed joint administrators of Enact on May 30. They said in a statement: "29 members of the company's staff were made redundant […] on account of the company’s insolvency" and the joint admininstrators will now seek to find "a purchaser for some or all of the company’s business undertaking and assets."

"Well regarded"

It is still unclear what caused Enact to enter into administration, but the company, which was established in 1996 to provide renewable energy and energy saving upgrades to households, is described by one leading industry figure as "well regarded". It was the first company in Cornwall to be accredited as a Green Deal Provider and company management met with Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, as recently as April to discuss the Green Deal. 

A Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) spokesperson told GreenWiseofficials were still trying to establish the facts before commenting. However, the news is bound to be a blow for the Government, which launched the Green Deal in order to insulate 14 million homes by 2020. Enact’s fate will be of particular embarassment to the Prime Minister David Cameron, whose new energy advisor, George Eustice, is MP for Cornwall. 

Last week, it emerged that the number of cavity wall insulations has collapsed since the launch of the Green Deal. And despite nearly 9,000 Green Deal assessments being lodged by the end of April, unofficial reports suggest the scheme is struggling to convert assessments into Green Deal Plans, the financial arrangements homeowners enter into with Green Deal Providers to pay for energy saving upgrades to their properties. 

As a Green Deal Provider, Enact was able to offer access to Green Deal funding and finance options to homeowners. According to the companies’ website, before becoming a Green Deal Provider, Enact had undertaken over 300,000 energy efficiency upgrades across the UK by installing solar, loft and cavity wall insulations and heating upgrades.

"This well regarded company is just the latest casualty in an alarmingly long line of those who took at face value the commitment to ensure a seamless transition between the various energy saving programmes abandoned at the end of 2012 - Warm Front, CERT, CESP - and the brave new world of the ECO and Green Deal. One in four of those who were employed last December in installing insulation have now lost their jobs," said Andrew Warren, director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy. 

 
Additional measures

John Alker, director of policy and communications at the UK Green Building Council, said it was too early to draw wider conclusions for the Green Deal from this one case, but the Government should be taking additional action to support the Green Deal market. 

"It’s a great shame when any company goes into administration, especially one providingenergy efficiency and renewables services for over a decade. But I don’t think we can extrapolate too much from just one example, and say there are lessons for the Green Deal more widely – particularly when we don’t have any further information," he said. "Needless to say, everyone would like there to be a much more certain market for Green Deal Providers – which is why we have been campaigning so strongly for additional financial incentives for consumers to take it up."

5 Ways The Military Is Looking Towards Renewable Energy

The U.S. Military is all about efficiency and effectiveness. In the eyes of the military, the best way to approach any operation is one in which the greatest amount is accomplished by using as few resources as possible. These ideals and parameters fit into the profiles for all of the renewable energy systems that are being developed today. As the military adopts renewable energy, they are able to get jobs done more cheaply and with less strain on the equipment that is already spread very thin.

Net Zero Initiative

This military initiative is meant to drastically lower the carbon emissions being produced by military personnel and military operations. The ideals are based on an inverted pyramid of concerns. At the top of the pyramid is Reduction. Under this idea is Re-Purposing, followed by Recycling and Composting. Energy Recovery is next, resting on top of the pyramid’s smallest component which is Disposal. Heads of U.S. forces in the southeast cite climate change as a primary reason for adopting the program. It is currently making its fastest advances in the technologies used to recycle water and dispose of human waste.

Fossil Fuels Cost the American People

The military is striving to move away from vehicles that use fossil fuels because of the expense of acquiring and transporting these gases. Fossil fuels are not just going into transportation vehicles. The military has been using them to run generators in addition to many other applications in the field. The estimates suggest that using generators to run air conditioners alone in desert regions occupied by the military racks up bills that are close to $20 million. The fluctuation of the markets for fossil fuels is also burdensome on estimating the military budget. A rise in the cost of fuel by $1 translates into a $130 million dollar rise in military expenses over a one year period.

Reducing Dependence and Supply Lines

The U.S. military is the single biggest consumer of energy and oil on the entire globe. Using so much energy requires that they haul around supply lines, truck liquid fuels, and deliver resources via helicopter to various parts of the globe. Military operation extend far beyond combat. They involve disaster relief and peacekeeping efforts as well. These efforts are all more successful when they are not hindered by late fuel deliveries or sieges. Part of eliminating this variable involves making great use of solar and wind power.

It Starts Domestically

All bases in the United States are making the transition to completely electric vehicles. As part of the Pew Project, executive orders and various legislation is attempting to create a military culture that makes good financial sense. The plans include transitioning bases into a position where they have a fleet of over 200,000 electric cars and trucks on hand. The bases will include charging stations for these vehicles in addition to hybrid vehicles as well. The plans have already been rolled out in five states. The maintenance on these types of vehicles is reduced, and the military has found additional uses for their charged batteries in various applications.

The Sun Shines Everywhere

Solar power is currently the backbone for the military efforts regarding renewable energies. The marines and other units deployed throughout the world are now being equipped with portable, large-scale solar-panel modules. These modules are replacing the batteries that, at one point, were standard equipment. The old batteries could last three to four days. The solar panels are lighter, and they allow troops to stay in the field for three and four weeks at a time without any further need for supplies.

World’s largest solar power plant opens with 100MW capacity

"World´s largest solar power plant opens with 100MW capacity" />The United Arab Emirates has opened the “largest concentrated solar power plant in operation anywhere in the world” in Abu Dhabi with their 100-megawatt solar-thermal project, according to Daily Mail UK. This $600million project—which took three years to complete—is believed to have the ability to power 20,000 homes in the country and in turn, reduce carbon emission by 175,000 tons.

“Incorporating the latest in parabolic trough technology, the plant features more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking parabolic trough collectors, covering an area of 2.5 sq/km, or 285 football fields,” writes The Daily Mail UK of the project. ”By concentrating heat from direct sunlight onto oil-filled pipes, Shams 1 produces steam, which drives a turbine to generate electricity. In addition, the solar project uses a booster to heat steam as it enters the turbine to dramatically increase the cycle’s efficiency.”

And because solar power is generated during peak demand the UAE is able to reduce the need for ‘peak shaving’ generators, which are expensive and idle most of the year.

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, partnered with French energy company Total and Spain’s energy infrastructure company Abengoa to build the plant.

“The Middle East holds nearly half of the world’s renewable energy potential,” said Santiago Seage, CEO of Abengoa Solar, an energy infrastructure company that built the plant. “The abundance of solar energy is an opportunity to integrate sustainable, clean sources of power that address energy security and climate change.”

“The region needs more projects like Shams 1, and we look forward to pushing the boundaries of future energy.”

Kako napraviti solarni panel

Kako se rade solarni paneli

polikristalna fotonaponska ćelija

U prijašnjim uputstvima vezano za obnovljive energije govorili smo o energiji sunca i o načinu na koji se iz energije sunca dobiva električna energija.

Ovaj puta ćemo se nešto više zadržati na detaljnom objašnjenju najvažnijeg elementa koji se nalazi u solarnim panelima a to je solarna ćelija.

Postoji više vrsta solarnih ćelija:

• amorfne ili tankoslojne solarne ćelije
• polikristalne solarne ćelije
• monokristalne solarne ćelije

Prve dvije vrste solarnih ćelija koje smo nabrojili imaju nešto manju iskoristivost dok su monokristalne solarne ćelije daleko bolje riješenje. Monokristalne ćelije imaju heksagonalan oblik i mogu proizvesti više energije, imaju nešto višu cijenu.

Sve vrste ćelija se mogu kupiti čak i odvojeno, te ih mnogi ljudi znaju sastavljati u solarne panele kod kuće koristeći potreban alat za taj posao.

Primjerice, neke od solarnih ćelija možete pronaći na internetu i sami ih pokušati zalemiti u sklopu vaših malih kućnih eksperimenata za edukaciju. Da biste uspjeli sami sastaviti solarni modul trebat ćete sljedeće:

• solarna ćelija
• žica za povezivanje ćelija – tab wire
• žica za povezivanje svih ćelija – bus wire
• olovka za čišćenje kontakata – flux olovka
• žica za lemljenje
• kvalitetnija lemilica

Povezivanje solarnih ćelija

U ovom uputstvu ćete saznati više o povezivanju polikristalnih solarnih ćelija. Da biste povezali polikristalnu solarnu ćeliju morat ćete je zalemiti u seriju. Pojedina ćelija daje određenu voltažu ovisno o dimenzijama i specifikacijama.

U našem slučaju se radi o polikristalnoj solarnoj ćeliji koja sama proizvodi 1.5 V (volti), te da biste mogli napuniti akumulator od 12 V trebat ćete zalemiti set od 36-40 komada.

Solarne ćelije povezujemo uz pomoć specijalne plosnate bakrene žice koja je presvučena sa lemom koji je štiti od oksidacije. Ovakva žica se lemi na ćelije sa donje strane a zatim sa gornje strane.

Većina ovih solarnih ćelija ima negativan pol na prednjoj strani i pozitivan pol na stražnjoj strani. Solarne ćelije lotamo najprije sa prednje strane koristeći specijalnu žicu za povezivanje solarnih ćelija, eng(tab wire, tabbing wire).

žica za povezivanje solarnih ćelija

Ova žica je obično širine 1.6 do 2 mm debljine 0.12 mm materijal žice je bakar presvučen sa tinolom koji spriječava oksidaciju.

Teoretski ova žica se može zalemiti samo pritiskom sa lemilicom na žice koje se nalaze sa prednje strane fotonaponske ćelije, međutim ipak ćete morati staviti malo tinola.

Lemljenje kontakata solarnih ćelija

čišćenje kontakata

Prije nego počnete lemiti potrebno je sa olovkom flux-olovka povući linije po žicama gdje ćete lotati.

Ova olovka će vam očistiti površinu od masnoće i tinol će se jače uloviti za kontakte.

lemljenje žice

Prije samog starta pobrinite se da odrežete dovoljno dugačke žice za vaš projekt.
Izmjerite koliko vam trebaju duge žice da biste umrežili dovoljno solarnih ćelija za vaš solarni modul.

Sa lemilicom je potrebno zalemiti žicu po cijeloj dužini kontakta.

Pri ovom poslu je dobro pridržati žicu sa željeznim predmetom kako si ne biste opekli prste.

Ovaj posao bi trebali raditi svi oni koji imaju spretne ruke i puno strpljenja. Nakon što ste zalemili prednju stranu solarne ćelije presavinite žice i zalemite ih na stražnju stranu druge solarne fotoćelije.

Sa stražnje strane druge solarne fotoćelije imate po tri kontakta koje najprije očistite sa flux-olovkom za čišćenje kontakata.

Na svaki kontakt je potrebno dodati malo tinola te zalemiti žice.

lemljenje solarnih ćelija odozdo

Kada ste zalemili sve kontakte na stražnjoj strani potrebno je ćelije odnesti na sunce i isprobati da li daju struju. Ako povezivate puno solarnih ćelija dobro je postepeno provjeravati da li je sve kako treba jer jednom kada sve spojite je pre kasno.

Ovaj posao ćete izvesti na način da spojite žicu na stezaljku negativnog pola na ispitivaču struje, te pozitivan pol na bilo koji kontakt ispod prve solarne ćelije.

provjera napona na spojenim solarnim ćelijama

Postavljanje solarnih panela

Iako je ovaj posao dosta jednostavan, potrebno je puno prakse da biste uspješno zalemili solarne ćelije u module. Nakon svega potrebno je te module nekako zaštititi te ih postaviti u staklo i zasilikonirati kako nebi ulazila voda iznutra.