News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

The steady rise in demand for energy represents one of the hitting headline-challenges of modern society. Academic institutions around the world are in the field and striving for solutions. Most of the resources used have already woven into daily prerequisites and changes in our advanced civilization will require collaborative brain-efforts.

According to Sally M. Benson, GCEP (Global Climate and Energy Project) Director, generating energy influences life on earth. It affects the whole ecosystem going from atmosphere, food supply, ocean, water resources to terrestrial biodiversity. The challenge faced today is how to sustainably extract energy from the abundance available without harming nature.

There are great scopes as the renaissance of technology is in the forefront. Academic and scientific research in fields such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, computational science, geosciences, nanoscience and informative technology is pinpointing on the topic of global energy through the fabric of civilized development.

Global Climate and Energy Project has a wide research portfolio. Solar energy represents as much as 24 percent of total research. This is in field such as Solar Photovoltaic (20%), solar water splitting (3%) and other solar conversion techniques. The remaining portfolio is led by carbon-based energy systems (30%), and followed by Electrochemistry and Energy Storage (16%), bio-energy (15%), Hydrogen (11%) and 4 percent for explorative research.

Solar Cell Efficiency

In one of the most demanded research is in the field of solar cell effiency. Technology is gearing towards carbon nanotubes to improve solar cell efficiency. The technology can prove to be more cost-effective as well as improving the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. The system allows a better absorption of photons improving the current generation process.

The use of nanotube as energy carriers is also a possible solution. Yet, new structures and electrolyte systems have to be developed to enhance hydrogen storage capabilities.

Another visionary field of research is that one day cars will be fueled by water and sunlight. The science is based on the assumption that sunlight can be used to generate hydrogen from water. In a biological photosynthesis process, there are supposedly two photosensitive membranes having two adjacent semiconductor layers. These two layers absorb an unequal amount of solar spectrum, and this produces a charge that can split water molecules. On one side of the membrane, oxygen is produced and on the other side hydrogen.

GCEP have 27 institutions around the world involved in affronting top global energy challenges. Their commitment to financially support technology development is taking energy revolutions to the line of sustainability.

Reference: GCEP