Harnessing nature’s solar cells - MIT News Office

Harnessing nature’s solar cells - MIT News Office

Solar power could get boost from new light absorption design

Source: By Sarah Ostman, Northwestern University (Nanowerk News) Solar power may be on the rise, but solar cells are only as efficient as the amount of sunlight they collect. Under the direction of a new McCormick professor, researchers have developed a new material that absorbs a wide range of wavelengths and could lead to more efficient and less expensive solar technology. A paper describing the findings, "Broadband polarization-independent resonant light absorption using ultrathin plasmonic super absorbers", was published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. "The solar spectrum is not like a laser – it's very broadband, starting with UV and going up to near-infrared," said Koray Aydin, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science and the paper's lead author. "To capture this light most efficiently, a solar cell needs to have a broadband response. This design allows us to achieve that." The researchers used two unconventional materials – metal and silicon oxide...

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Metal grating developed by Koray Aydin's research team.

Energy Storage for Solar Power - Technology Review

Stored sunlight: A rendering shows BrightSource’s new thermal storage design. The two large tanks will store molten salt, which can be used to generate steam to drive a turbine.
Credit: BrightSource

Energy Storage for Solar Power
by Kevin Bullis

Startup BrightSource announces a new system that could allow future solar plants to run at night.

BrightSource Energy has become the latest solar thermal power company to develop a system for generating power when the sun isn't shining. The company says the technology can lower the cost of solar power and make it more reliable, helping it compete with conventional sources of electricity.

The company, based in Oakland, California, is building one of the world's largest solar thermal power plants. The 392-megawatt solar plant in Ivanpah, California, however, will not include the storage technology. Instead, BrightSource is working with utilities to determine which future projects could best benefit from storage.

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WARP Wind Amplified Rotor Platforms

This technology and others like it along with the use of recent PV thin film, solar paint material options and onsite storage innovations is where we should be headed. They could prove to be cost effective solutions that can make significant strides to reduce our reliance of fossil fuel power generation. Of course slight modifications may be required to provide reliable safety measures for installation and maintenance personnel as well as producing a safe environment for our wildlife population. View additional information regarding proposed uses at: http://www.warpwindsystems.com/ancillary.html Bravo!

Thanks for your support! Innovative Inventions - Contests & Award Programs

Thank you So Much for helping to support Creative Innovation and the Create to Earn to Give Initiative! Are you an innovative inventor with a winning idea? The sites below can help to make your idea a reality.

1. IdeaConnection: Idea, Innovation and Invention Contests
   This is a fantastic resource that lists current and upcoming innovation contests.
2. The Spirit of Innovation Awards
   The Spirit of Innovation Awards program challenges teams of high school students to create innovative products using science, technology, and entrepreneurship to solve 21st century, real-world problems.