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Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

Nanotechnology boffins create revolutionary technique to harness solar power

Posted by ericww on August 19, 2010

A GROUP of scientists have developed a unique thin film solar cell coating that can turn glass and other surfaces into solar energy generators.  The transparent film has been patented by Norwegian company EnSol AS, which is working with the University of Leicester in the UK to research and develop potential commercial uses.

Professor of Nanotechnology at the University of Leicester, Professor Chris Binns (pictured) , said the collaboration offered a tremendous opportunity to develop a new method for harnessing solar energy:

“The material has been designed by EnSol AS and is based on nanoparticles that can be synthesised in Leicester. In fact, following some initial investment by the company, the equipment we have here at the University of Leicester is uniquely suited in the world to produce small amounts of the material for prototypes.”

Professor Binns added that the technology has the potential to generate power on a large scale and can also be applied to materials other than glass, including building structures and roof tiles.  “Also since it is a thin film that can be coated onto large areas it could become very much cheaper than conventional devices,” he said.

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Energy statistics show solar power is a very slow burn for British energy consumers

Posted by ericww on August 4, 2010

LATEST Government statistics just released on energy generation and energy use in Britain have revealed that electricity generated from solar power is lagging way behind other renewable sources.

The data, published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, comes at an interesting time – when consumer interest in solar power is at its highest due to a rush of new companies offering free solar power to Britain’s householders.

In 2009, biomass accounted for 80.7% of renewable energy sources used, with most of the remainder coming from large-scale hydro and wind generation.   In the same year, the proportion of UK electricity generated from renewables was 6.7 per cent of the total energy generated.

Domestic energy consumption increased by 7 per cent between 1990 and 2009.  However, as a result of the 5.2 per cent decrease (2.8 million tonnes of oil equivalent) between 2008 and 2009, domestic energy consumption has fallen to its lowest level since 1995, 10 per cent lower than the peak seen in 2004.

For context, since 1990, the number of households in the UK increased by 18 per cent, the population by 8 per cent and total household disposable income by 58 per cent in real terms.

In 2008, space heating accounted for 58 per cent of all energy consumed in the domestic sector, water heating a further 24 per cent, with lighting and appliances and cooking responsible for 16 and 3 per cent.

According to DECC’s information: “It is estimated that had the savings through insulation and heating efficiency improvements from 1970 onwards not been made, then energy consumption in homes would be around twice current levels.”

The Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2010 is available from the Stationery Office at a cost of £54 (ISBN 9780115155260) and on the Internet at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/dukes/dukes.aspx

UK Energy in Brief included with this year’s Digest, is a booklet summarising the main figures in the publication.  UK Energy in Brief is also available on the Internet at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/brief/brief.aspx

The 2009 Energy Flow Chart included with this year’s Digest, is a chart showing the UK energy flows of primary fuels from home production and imports to their eventual final uses. The 2009 Energy Flow Chart is also available on the Internet at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/flow/flow.aspx

UK Energy in Brief and the 2009 Energy Flowchart are available on request from DECC, 0300 068 5056.


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Isis Solar to offer free electricity to suitable UK homes

Posted by ericww on July 28, 2010

THOUSANDS of homeowners are being offered the chance to loan their roofs to a solar power firm in return for significantly cheaper electricity bills.

Householders who agree to having the panels installed free of charge will see their bills fall by up to two thirds.

Those who do opt for the scheme must simply agree to keep the power cells on their roofs for 25 years and allow occasional access for maintenance.

The move by firm Isis Solar means people who can’t afford the typical £10,000 cost of installing their own solar panels can go green without digging into their pockets – and take advantage of vastly cheaper power.

It takes advantage of a Government scheme that pays renewable energy firms a set amount for every unit of electricity they generate.

Suitable homeowners must have a south-facing roof with at least 24 square metres of unshaded space to qualify.  In return, they receive a reduced bill for the energy they use.  The surplus electricity generated would be fed into the grid.  Isis Solar plans to install an array of 3.3kwh panels on 18,000 houses within five years.

Lawrence Buckley, its director and Home Zero Home contributor , said: ‘We aim to make domestic solar energy as accessible to as many people as possible, not just the few who have up-front cash.’

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Portable, free hot water… for a non-smelly festival season?

Posted by ericww on June 4, 2010

FESTIVAL season is upon us and, if you’re not one of those hardy types who like to wear the same clothes for a few days and don’t mind missing a shower or two, then SolarStore might just cut it for you.

SolarStore is a great, portable way to heat water using free solar energy. It’s great for camping, or maybe for heating water during a home construction project and maybe even for sharing showers with friends at music festivals.

Constructed of a heavy duty polymer, the patent pending Solarstore is both robust and flexible, and can be used in a variety of different settings. When deflated, it is small enough to pack into a rucksack, yet can inflate to nearly two square meters for maximum solar energy absorption.

Used primarily for domestic outdoor applications, Solarstore can provide up to three full tanks per day at temperatures nearing 80 degrees celcius. This is the equivalent of enough water to wash a car 18 times over, at a temperature hotter than most domestic hot water systems.

We’re not quite first to promote the benefits of this neat product – Five’s Gadget Show have given it a good mention in this clip.  SolarStore is the creation of the Industrial Design Consultancy (IDC), which is a rather clever UK company which has been solving product problems since 1972.  When available, the product will cost around £100.

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French company pioneers ‘wind into water’ technology

Posted by ericww on May 26, 2010

FRENCH company Eole Water has developed a revolutionary system that uses a wind-powered turbine to produce drinking water – and it works best in the world’s driest climates.

The system, according to experts, could be a lifeline in countries worst affected by drought and water scarcity – which, according to the United Nations, affects more than one billion of the world’s population and rising.

The World Bank puts the number of people who will suffer water shortages by the year 2025 at four billion (around half the world’s population) and some analysts are predicting that water reserves could become the ‘blue gold’ of the 21st Century.

Against this background, the primary goal for Eole is to protect its invention via a number of already filed patents and scale up production to meet the likely future demand – while limiting the company’s own environmental impact.  Indeed, you don’t need to read too much between the lines of this company’s literature to see that the business is founded on incredibly laudable ethical principles.

Let’s hope the venture capitalists and potential investors buy into this vision and give the business the capital it requires for expansion; talks are already underway regarding prototyping of the system, followed by industrial scale production, possibly in United Arab Emirates, the US and India, according to Eole’s founder Marc Parent.

So how does the system work?  Simply, the energy generated by the wind turbine is used to cool the humidity in the air and convert it into liquid water.  The invention is based on a simple observation: water is present in air in gaseous form, but the problem is how to capture it and turn it into drinking water?  If you want to see a basic (but less environmentally friendly) version of this process in action for yourself, just inspect any air conditioning unit, where you will see that the by-product of your cooler office or hotel room is… water.

The economics are a potential weakness in terms of scaling up, with the Eole system being 50 per cent more expensive to produce and manufacture than ‘standard’ wind turbines, due to the requirements for internal ventilation, a condenser unit and water storage in the vertical shaft of the turbine.  But Eole’s unit offers a lifespan of around 20 years, with a 10-meter high tower able to produce up to 100 litres of water per day.  Larger diameter models can produce up to 1,000 litres per day.

What a brilliant idea…  Home Zero Home says: Vive la France/Eole Water!


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