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IMAGE: In terms of efficiency, perovskite solar cells have caught up on silicon solar cells, but some of their properties are not yet understood completely. view more
Credit: Markus Breig, KIT
Photovoltaics decisively contributes to sustainable energy supply. The efficiency of solar cells in directly converting light energy into electrical energy depends on the material used. Metal-halide perovskites are considered very promising materials for solar cells of the next generation. With these semiconductors named after their special crystal structure, a considerable increase in efficiency was achieved in the past years. Meanwhile, perovskite solar cells have reached an efficiency of up to 25.5 percent, which is quite close to that of silicon solar cells that are presently dominating the market. Moreover, the materials needed for perovskite solar cells are rather abundant. The solar cells can be produced easily and at low cost and they can be used for various appli
Engineers created light-activated materials that execute precise movements and form complex shapes without the need for wires, motors or other energy sources. The research could lead to smart light-driven systems such as high-efficiency solar cells that automatically follow the sun s direction.
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ORLANDO, Jan. 12, 2021 -Vehicles have evolved to become more efficient and sophisticated, but their fuel hasn t necessarily evolved along with them. The Department of Energy is determined to identify cleaner burning and renewable alternatives to gasoline, and through the work of two UCF researchers, the DOE is one step closer to that goal.
Research engineer Anthony C. Terracciano and Associate Professor Subith Vasu have developed a model that will help engine designers, fuel chemists and federal agencies determine whether certain biofuels should be implemented as an alternative fuel for vehicles.
The research was conducted as part of the DOE s Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines initiative, better known as Co-Optima. Findings were recently published in Nature
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People often choose the standard option. Choosing to be an organ donor, printing on both sides of the page - such decisions are influenced by which is the standard setting, or default. In fact, economists and sociologists call this the default effect. Researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Warwick in the UK have now managed to clearly demonstrate this effect. Private households, but also self-employed people and SMEs, are more likely to procure sustainably produced electricity if that is their provider s default offer.
The scientists conclude this from an analysis of data from two Swiss electricity suppliers - one large and one medium-sized. This analysis was possible because these electricity companies changed their default offer a few years ago. Prior to this change, they supplied their customers with a conventional electric mix as standard. Anyone wanting power from renewable sources could order it at an extra charge. Following the change, this was the other w
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IMAGE: This animation depicts the two-stage flash configuration, one of several processes described in a new study detailing how EEMPA, a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory-developed solvent, can capture carbon from flue. view more
Credit: (Animation by Michael Perkins | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
RICHLAND, Wash. As part of a marathon research effort to lower the cost of carbon capture, chemists have now demonstrated a method to seize carbon dioxide (CO2) that reduces costs by 19 percent compared to current commercial technology. The new technology requires 17 percent less energy to accomplish the same task as its commercial counterparts, surpassing barriers that have kept other forms of carbon capture from widespread industrial use. And it can be easily applied in existing capture systems.