Danish researchers bring some color to rooftop PV
Scientists led by the Technical University of Denmark have begun a project to design solar cells that can be produced in different colors with minimal effect on performance, making them suitable for building-integrated and other applications with aesthetic considerations.
New aluminum batteries for renewables storage
The devices, developed by a European research team, are said to have twice the energy density of conventional aluminum devices. The scientists used a cathode made of anthraquinone, instead of one based on graphene, increasing energy density.
Two major ammonia plants powered by green hydrogen planned for Queensland
As part of a broader push to develop a domestic hydrogen industry, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $2.9 million for two studies into using solar and wind-powered hydrogen for ammonia. Both project are located in Queensland and presently use natural gas as feedstock.
Finkel’s CCS persistence spreads us too thin
Australia’s chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel continues to voice his support for some modicum of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Australia’s hydrogen future, providing a lifeline to fossil fuel producers. While Finkel’s argument holds some water, it holds nowhere near enough water to produce a hydrogen economy.
Australia joins solar powered space race
The Australian Space Agency (ASA) has joined the next generation, or rather this generation, space race, between the U.S. and China. A $150 million investment from the Morrison Government into the ASA will see Australia partner with NASA on its next sustainable exploratory missions.
We can make roof tiles with built-in solar cells – now the challenge is to make them cheaper
Despite being such a sunkissed country, Australia is still lagging behind in the race to embrace solar power. While solar panels adorn hundreds of thousands of rooftops throughout the nation, we have not yet seen the logical next step: buildings with solar photovoltaic cells as an integral part of their structure.
As EVs build momentum, why is electric aviation still grounded?
Why is electric aviation still up in the air? Or rather, why isn’t it up in the air? We have Teslas on our roads, Melbourne’s trams are powered by solar, and trains are connected to the grid already, but why is electric aviation lagging behind?
Live fast, die young: MIT study proposes use of 10-year panels
Research has found even short-lived, 10 to 15-year solar panels could provide enough return for bankable projects. The researchers believe panel costs, coupled with an industry mindset now fixed on the final solar energy price rather than costs per kilowatt installed, may open opportunities for PV products currently snubbed because of a short lifecycle.
ARENA investigates use of renewables in industrial process heating
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is allocating $460,500 in funding to investigate opportunities for using renewables in process heating in manufacturing.
The blackest black for more efficient solar cells
MIT scientists claim to have created a material 10 times more black than anything witnessed to date. It is said to be able to absorb more than 99.96% of incoming light and reflect 10 times less light than other superblack materials. The invention may be interesting for the development of black silicon PV technology and carbon nanotube-based solar cells.
