![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Nov. 6th, 2008
More Promising Solar News
Nov. 6th, 2008 08:33 amSolar system tracking without trackers. Very cool. I hope it's easily commercialized. That's often the big problem with these "big breakthroughs".
Solar Power Game-changer: "Near Perfect" Absorption of Sunlight, From All Angles - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 03 Nov 08
"An untreated silicon solar cell only absorbs 67.4 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that nearly one-third of that sunlight is reflected away and thus unharvestable. From an economic and efficiency perspective, this unharvested light is wasted potential and a major barrier hampering the proliferation and widespread adoption of solar power.
After a silicon surface was treated with Lin's new nanoengineered reflective coating, however, the material absorbed 96.21 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that only 3.79 percent of the sunlight was reflected and unharvested. This huge gain in absorption was consistent across the entire spectrum of sunlight, from UV to visible light and infrared, and moves solar power a significant step forward toward economic viability.
Lin's new coating also successfully tackles the tricky challenge of angles.
Most surfaces and coatings are designed to absorb light - i.e., be antireflective - and transmit light - i.e., allow the light to pass through it - from a specific range of angles. Eyeglass lenses, for example, will absorb and transmit quite a bit of light from a light source directly in front of them, but those same lenses would absorb and transmit considerably less light if the light source were off to the side or on the wearer's periphery.
Solar Power Game-changer: "Near Perfect" Absorption of Sunlight, From All Angles - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 03 Nov 08
"An untreated silicon solar cell only absorbs 67.4 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that nearly one-third of that sunlight is reflected away and thus unharvestable. From an economic and efficiency perspective, this unharvested light is wasted potential and a major barrier hampering the proliferation and widespread adoption of solar power.
After a silicon surface was treated with Lin's new nanoengineered reflective coating, however, the material absorbed 96.21 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that only 3.79 percent of the sunlight was reflected and unharvested. This huge gain in absorption was consistent across the entire spectrum of sunlight, from UV to visible light and infrared, and moves solar power a significant step forward toward economic viability.
Lin's new coating also successfully tackles the tricky challenge of angles.
Most surfaces and coatings are designed to absorb light - i.e., be antireflective - and transmit light - i.e., allow the light to pass through it - from a specific range of angles. Eyeglass lenses, for example, will absorb and transmit quite a bit of light from a light source directly in front of them, but those same lenses would absorb and transmit considerably less light if the light source were off to the side or on the wearer's periphery.
More Promising Solar News
Nov. 6th, 2008 08:33 amSolar system tracking without trackers. Very cool. I hope it's easily commercialized. That's often the big problem with these "big breakthroughs".
Solar Power Game-changer: "Near Perfect" Absorption of Sunlight, From All Angles - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 03 Nov 08
"An untreated silicon solar cell only absorbs 67.4 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that nearly one-third of that sunlight is reflected away and thus unharvestable. From an economic and efficiency perspective, this unharvested light is wasted potential and a major barrier hampering the proliferation and widespread adoption of solar power.
After a silicon surface was treated with Lin's new nanoengineered reflective coating, however, the material absorbed 96.21 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that only 3.79 percent of the sunlight was reflected and unharvested. This huge gain in absorption was consistent across the entire spectrum of sunlight, from UV to visible light and infrared, and moves solar power a significant step forward toward economic viability.
Lin's new coating also successfully tackles the tricky challenge of angles.
Most surfaces and coatings are designed to absorb light - i.e., be antireflective - and transmit light - i.e., allow the light to pass through it - from a specific range of angles. Eyeglass lenses, for example, will absorb and transmit quite a bit of light from a light source directly in front of them, but those same lenses would absorb and transmit considerably less light if the light source were off to the side or on the wearer's periphery.
Solar Power Game-changer: "Near Perfect" Absorption of Sunlight, From All Angles - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 03 Nov 08
"An untreated silicon solar cell only absorbs 67.4 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that nearly one-third of that sunlight is reflected away and thus unharvestable. From an economic and efficiency perspective, this unharvested light is wasted potential and a major barrier hampering the proliferation and widespread adoption of solar power.
After a silicon surface was treated with Lin's new nanoengineered reflective coating, however, the material absorbed 96.21 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that only 3.79 percent of the sunlight was reflected and unharvested. This huge gain in absorption was consistent across the entire spectrum of sunlight, from UV to visible light and infrared, and moves solar power a significant step forward toward economic viability.
Lin's new coating also successfully tackles the tricky challenge of angles.
Most surfaces and coatings are designed to absorb light - i.e., be antireflective - and transmit light - i.e., allow the light to pass through it - from a specific range of angles. Eyeglass lenses, for example, will absorb and transmit quite a bit of light from a light source directly in front of them, but those same lenses would absorb and transmit considerably less light if the light source were off to the side or on the wearer's periphery.
Near Miss (VP)
Nov. 6th, 2008 08:55 amFunny how this is all coming out now. More spin from the liberal media.
Palin Didn't Know Africa Is A Continent, Says Fox News Reporter (VIDEO)
"According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked 'a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency,' in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she 'didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself.'
Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Fox News reported, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw 'tantrums' over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears."
Palin Didn't Know Africa Is A Continent, Says Fox News Reporter (VIDEO)
"According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked 'a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency,' in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she 'didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself.'
Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Fox News reported, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw 'tantrums' over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears."
Near Miss (VP)
Nov. 6th, 2008 08:55 amFunny how this is all coming out now. More spin from the liberal media.
Palin Didn't Know Africa Is A Continent, Says Fox News Reporter (VIDEO)
"According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked 'a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency,' in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she 'didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself.'
Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Fox News reported, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw 'tantrums' over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears."
Palin Didn't Know Africa Is A Continent, Says Fox News Reporter (VIDEO)
"According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked 'a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency,' in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she 'didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself.'
Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Fox News reported, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw 'tantrums' over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears."