Three different stories this week with a common theme of solar energy. Making use of the sun as an energy source makes sense in so many ways, and there are many ways to capture and utilize the sun. Solar energy encompasses more than just using silicon to make electricity, though. While this week's stories concentrate on that part of solar energy, it's a wider field than that.
At our sister publications, Envirowonklooks to answer the question 'What's in the new government stimulus bill for enviros?'; and on Envirovore we have a story on the rise of restaurant supported agriculture.
Solar Cells Will be Printed Like Money
One of the benefits to solar cells compared to other renewable energy technologies is that they're small and flexible and researchers have been able to come up with lots of different ways to manufacture and use them. From cells so small they could be sprayed onto surfaces to cells built into the slats of blinds, scientists and designers have used their creativity, but what if you could get sheets of solar cells with a hit of the print button? That's just what researchers in Australia think is possible.
Stimulus Could Put California's High-Speed Rail on the Fast Track
In November, Californians voted in favor of 800 miles of high-speed rail connecting cities throughout the state. The initiative promised major reductions in CO2 emissions and tons of new jobs, but the major drawback has been the hefty $10 billion price tag. Californians should have felt some relief recently as President Obama signed the stimulus bill that includes $9.3 billion in incentives for high-speed and intercity rail projects.
Butterflies Inspire New Solar Technology
Nature is full of its own cutting edge technology. A great new example is the Papilio paris species of butterfly discovered by researchers to have tiny solar collectors on their wings. The collectors trap heat from the sun and help keep the butterfly warm in colder weather. Scientists at Shanghai Jiao Tong University are figuring out a way to copy the butterfly's collectors for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. The structure of the solar collectors is like a honeycomb, which helps to scatter and absorb sunlight. The scientists believe that replicating this structure will improve the efficiency of the dye-sensitized cells enough to compete with traditional photovoltaic cells.
Your Solar-Powered Cell Phone is Coming
A new cell phone, the Samsung Blue Earth, set to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in sunny Barcelona next week, will feature solar panels to charge its battery. “We transform the limitations of the mobile phone,” said Wonsik Lee, the vice president of the research and design planning team at Samsung in a statement. The integrated solar panels on the back of the phone can yield a three minute call after a ten minute charge. The phone itself is made from recycled plastic water bottles and the front user interface can adjust screen brightness depending on whether the user is outside or inside.
New Skyscraper Farm Mimics Nature
What grows organic produce, consumes CO2, and is over 30 stories tall? The answer is Eric Vergne’s Dystopian Farm skyscraper, a winner of 2009's Evolo Skyscraper Competition. The Evolo Skyscraper Competition, held each year, encourages some of the world's most creative architects, engineers, and artists to design new structures to meet the needs future urban residents.
Don't forget to check out the news on the other EcoGeek Network blogs, too:
Carectomy - http://www.carectomy.com/
EnviroWonk - http://www.envirowonk.com/
Envirovore - http://www.envirovore.com/
And be sure to check in for more information about all the latest green technologies at EcoGeek.org
No comments:
Post a Comment
Keep a civil tongue.