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Solar power is becoming an increasingly important part of the US energy system, and new innovations are making harnessing the sun's power as efficient as ever, and new innovations are allowing for solar panels to be easily integrated across many sectors. Take a look at this article to learn more about where solar technology is headed!

Self-cleaning solar panels boost efficiency with wind power Solar energy is vital for sustainable future, but dust and other environmental factors dramatically reduces its energy efficiency. #solar #solarselfcleaning #solarpanelcleaning #solarpanel

🎉 Exciting times in solar energy! Researchers at Rice University have hit a major milestone that could make perovskite solar cells market-ready. By tweaking the chemistry of perovskite films, they've achieved nearly flat performance over 1,000 hours at 85°C. Can you imagine solar panels that are lighter, more flexible, and cheaper? Let's talk solar innovations! 🌞 #RenewableEnergy #SolarPower #TechForGood https://lnkd.in/evqkk8Qp When I first heard about perovskites, I couldn't help but think of their potential to revolutionize our energy landscape. Imagine all the possibilities such advancements bring, like affordable solar-powered homes or flexible panels that wrap around buildings! What do you think? Could this be the game-changer we need for a sustainable future? Drop your thoughts below! 👇

A new type of solar power technology based on a material called perovskites promises solar panels that are more efficient, cheaper and easier to make, lightweight and perhaps even flexible. There is a dark side to perovskite photovoltaics though: they degrade under humidity and heat. This has kept the technology from scaling up and being adopted widely. But now, researchers from Monash University have developed perovskite solar cells that can heal themselves to maintain performance. This self-healing ability could be an important step towards increasing the reliance of next-generation perovskite solar panels. The researchers reported their new strategy in a new paper in the journal Nature.

https://lnkd.in/dGB-SMyU A group of international researchers developed a new type of solar module that can produce both electricity and heat from the sun – with a curved mirror that concentrates the sunlight onto a row of photovoltaic cells, it converts the light into electricity while the excess heat from the cells is transferred to a fluid that can be used for heating or cooling. It is called ECOSun—Economic Cogeneration by Efficiently Concentrated Sunlight. The concept behind this module has been known since the 70s but has so far never been implemented successfully due to high costs and technical challenges. The researchers managed to overcome these obstacles by introducing three major innovations. According to Interesting Engineering, the first innovation uses strong and cost-effective silicon solar cells that can withstand the high temperatures of the concentrated sunlight being amplified by a factor of 60 to 120 by the parabolic trough mirror. The second innovation is the mirror manufactured by IMK Solarmirrotec, which was made using industrial production methods that reduce costs and increase efficiency. The third innovation is the optimization of the cooling system, which allows the waste heat from the solar cells to be used for many different applications (like climate-neutral heating and cooling of buildings or industrial processes). The heat is reportedly transferred to a fluid that flows along the back of the cells in a system of pipes and can then be either stored or distributed. Armin Buchroithner, who led the designing process, claims this approach can significantly contribute to the energy transition as a clean, sustainable, independent solution to supply electricity and heat. “Given the rising energy prices and the desire for energy independence, the importance of independent, efficient, and cost-effective solutions for the supply of electricity and heat is increasing,” he says. #technews #power #solar

#Energy | 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 | A team of researchers at ETH Zürich, led by Dr. Emiliano Casati and guided by Professor Prof. Dr. Aldo Steinfeld, has made a significant advancement in solar energy technology. They developed a new thermal trap using a quartz rod coupled with a ceramic absorber, which efficiently converts sunlight into heat. Lab experiments showed this innovative thermal trap can achieve temperatures up to 1050 degrees Celsius, a remarkable improvement over the previous maximum of 170 degrees Celsius. This research is pivotal as it enhances solar absorption efficiency, potentially supporting high-temperature solar plants. Further technical and economic analysis is underway, but the potential impact on renewable energy is substantial. 👉 Learn more >> https://lnkd.in/dyi2yykK 👉 Original publication >> https://lnkd.in/dq4HabSQ 🇨🇭 Follow #ScienceSwitzerland for the latest news and emerging trends on Swiss science, technology, education, and innovation >> www.swissinnovation.org Follow us >> Science-Switzerland #Science | #Education | #Research | #Innovation

Solar energy, which is a leading sustainable and renewable source of heat and light, is widely accessible. It is critical to effectively harness this clean and plentiful energy to satisfy the increasing worldwide demand for energy. This study aims to investigate the effects of colour filters and tilt angles on the electrical output characteristics...

A recent study by researchers from IPVF and EDF R&D highlights how sodium ions are a key factor in the degradation of heterojunction (HJT) solar panels in damp environments. By testing various module configurations, they found that using sodium-free glass significantly reduces degradation, especially on the front side of cells. 🌞 This research could lead to more durable solar technology, improving reliability and performance for the future of clean energy! ⚡️ The impact of sodium, moisture on heterojunction PV module performance: https://lnkd.in/dcP29avr #SolarTech #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #Innovation

A recent study by researchers from IPVF and EDF R&D highlights how sodium ions are a key factor in the degradation of heterojunction (HJT) solar panels in damp environments. By testing various module configurations, they found that using sodium-free glass significantly reduces degradation, especially on the front side of cells. 🌞 This research could lead to more durable solar technology, improving reliability and performance for the future of clean energy! ⚡️ The impact of sodium, moisture on heterojunction PV module performance: https://lnkd.in/dFYnDEUS #SolarTech #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #Innovation

MIT identified NET Power as a potential gamechanger in 2018, so why has the legacy media ignored it? "What’s the big deal? To date, adding systems that can capture emissions from power plants has been complicated and expensive, jacking up the cost of producing electricity. Net Power expects that after it builds a few commercial-scale plants, it will be able to beat the costs of standard natural-gas plants. That means the technology could provide a cheap, clean, and flexible source of power for the grid, capable of ramping up and down with demand more easily than standard solar and wind plants can. That promise is why energy researchers have been closely following the $140 million demonstration plant—and why MIT Technology Review placed the facility on its 2018 list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies."