This complex is a storage facility to be built by Portland City Storage on the east bank of the Willamette River in Portland. It will have a glass tower rising more than 22 stories and enclosing a giant mechanical arm capable of lifting 40,000 pounds (to conserve valuable riverfront land).
Honda’s Silcion-Free Solar Cells
June 14, 2007 by 6 Comments
Honda has begun selling new thin-film solar cells in Japan. The solar cells are made with a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), rather than the conventional silicon. The cells are said to be “greener” because there is less carbon dioxide generated during their production. Some pundits believe that CIGS cells may become… [Continue Reading]
New Plastic Solar Cells Mimic The Veins In Tree Leaves
April 22, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Researchers at Wake Forest University have announced they they have created plastic solar cells with an efficiency of 6%. Researchers say that have achieved record efficiency for organic or flexible, plastic solar cells by creating “nano-filaments” within light absorbing plastic, similar to the veins in tree leaves. This allows for the use of thicker absorbing… [Continue Reading]
Flexible Solar Cells: SolarRolls by Bruton
April 20, 2007 by 3 Comments
Brunton makes a range of flexible solar cells they call SolarRolls. These weather-proof solar cells can be rolled up quite tightly, and attached to a backpack. Seen here is a 14W model — it produces DC power even during low light conditions. SolarRolls come with a range of plugs, including a standard car lighter socket.… [Continue Reading]
New 3D Solar Cells Created
April 12, 2007 by 4 Comments
Recently, we featured some intriguing spherical solar cells from Japan. But now there’s an announcement that unique 3D solar cells have been created using nanotubes. The 3D solar cells capture photons from sunlight using an array of miniature “tower” structures that resemble high-rise buildings in a city street grid. The tower structures, which are about… [Continue Reading]
New Biofuel Cells: Electricity From Hydrogen and Thin Air
March 30, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Science Daily reports that British scientists have developed a “biofuel cell” that generates electricity from air spike with small amounts of hydrogen. These cells are an inexpensive, renewable alternative to “fuel cells” that have been closely associated with the “hydrogen economy”. At a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society, Fraser Armstrong, described how his… [Continue Reading]
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