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Microscopic algae called diatoms could help triple the electrical output of experimental, dye-sensitized solar cells, according to researchers at Oregon State University and Portland State University.
I won’t bother to summerize…
Filed under: Solar Power | Tagged: Bio-Fuels, Nanotechnology, Solar Power | 3 Comments »
Nobody.
By most estimates we have used about a third of the coal deposits on the planet.
Led by western Europe, industrialized nations are moving towards a sustainable future. Unfortunately this may mean that developing nations will reject sustainable technology in favor of the technologies we left behind.
With the rise of Nanosolar it may eventually become more cost effective than coal, particularly given our dependence on cheap oil for extraction. Most likely we will sell our coal to countries that want it.
So we will all feel better about getting our energy in a clean way but is it possible to stop the use of coal?
US Coal Deposits:
Filed under: Global Warming | Tagged: Coal, Global Warming, Nanotechnology | 7 Comments »
This is well written article on converting Carbon Dioxide and water into energy using nanotubes. The potential of nanotechnology often seems to good to be true and I really hope the promise pans out.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl803258p
Filed under: Solar Power | Tagged: Nanotechnology, Solar Power | Leave a comment »
Nanotechnology is great despite what you may have read in the Michael Crichton novel “Prey”. I suppose the only problem is that our hands are too big.
There has been a new breakthrough in the manufacturing of nano particles and by breakthrough I mean research by college students. Metallic glass can be used to create a mold that is very durable and suited to casting nano size particles.
The most immediate application for this technology (aside from a space elevator) would be their use in making nano solar panels. These nanosolar panels are already being mass produced worldwide but are obviously limited by the time is takes to create atom sized machines.
This is a good segue into why certain kinds of patents are bad. The worst kind, I just have to mention, is the patenting of Genes and the reasons are endless and I would have thought obvious. The more relevant kinds of bad patents are the ones that stifle the use of innovative new technologies. Lets say that this nanoimprint technology discovered by Yale is licensed to an established solar power company. This seems fine except they didn’t license the technology to use it, they just don’t want to compete with it.
Call it a pre-emptive strike on progress. The new technology will sit on the shelf so the old technology can continue turning a profit.
Oddly enough the same thing often happens in Hollywood. A major studio will often buy scripts that are similar to something they are producing so as to avoid competition at the box office.
References:
http://www.technologyreview.com/business/22167/?a=f
http://www.nanosolar.com/index.html
Filed under: Solar Power | Tagged: alternative energy, Nanotechnology, Solar Power | 9 Comments »
It can be done, we have the technology.
and if that’s not reason enough…
The launching of a Satellite will be a simple and relatively inexpensive proposition. No more Giant expenditures of rocket fuel so comcast can have more premium channels.
Space exploration will be come much less expensive and maybe we can reduce NASA’s budget as well. As interesting as space exploration is, I really don’t see any practical benefits to it, at least not until someone figures out how to travel faster than the speed of light.
The largest benefits is that Orbiting Solar Arrays could be put into place inexpensively. These are basically solar panels in space, satellites and the space station are power by the same technologies. The difference in terms of producing power for earth is that the amount of energy is increased enormously because there is no atmosphere to block the radiation, as well as the fact that they get sun twenty four hours a day.
The elevator would be made of carbon nanotubes and would operate on the principles of centripetal force.
Filed under: Solar Power | Tagged: Nanotechnology, Solar Power, space elevator | 1 Comment »
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