Solar panels are finicky devices — they have to be specially mounted, angled and presented with the precisely correct environmental conditions to function at capacity. The complexities make it hard for the technology to gain mainstream appeal. A German startup hopes to change all that with flexible solar cells built using OLED production techniques.
We’ve got a pretty good handle on creating short fusion reactions — just look at the H-bomb. But in the 60 years since the weapon’s invention, we still haven’t figured out sustained fusion reactions — the holy grail of energy production. A new high-power laser on the OSU campus could soon help solve that scientific conundrum.
We recently caught wind of the high-flying turbine blimps that could cut our energy costs by up to 65 percent. Now we get to see a prototype of this glorious feat of human engineering in action. This is not science fiction; the future is here.
Call it the Battle of Maiden. This week, Apple and Greenpeace traded very public barbs over how much clean power is used by Apple’s $US1 billion state-of-the-art data centre in Maiden, North Carolina.
Tomtao juice, Bud Light, home electronics — is there anything clam won’t work well in? Everybody’s favourite bi-valve is now an essential part of an experimental engine — it’s the battery.
Apple’s pretty products do a good job distracting from the bleak reality of how they’re made. As we’ve learned from the Foxconn debacle, that means sub-standard working conditions. But it’s not just people that are affected, but also the environment.
Throughout the developing world, millions of people struggle with a shortage of clean water and steady electricity. This wind turbine could solve both problems in one shot by pulling both power and water straight from the wind.
The most exciting thing to happen to the Cleveland Indians this season isn’t on the baseball diamond. The newly patented turbine on Progressive Field’s rim could make urban wind farms a reality and help relieve Cleveland’s economic woes.
Solar photovoltaic cells and solar thermal collectors both capture the sun’s rays. The first one turns the light into electricity, while the other turns it into hot water for heating. They usually battle for rooftop real estate, but Naked Energy has found a way to merge them both into a single solar solution.
Would you lick an envelope made from used toilet paper? One Israeli firm hopes you will. Don’t gag, paper consumption is at an all-time high (damn Belgium, save some for later) and something must be done.
