Citizen – “ATTESA” Photovoltaic atomic watch – 2 models will out in a limited quantity

CITIZEN - "ATTESA" Photovoltaic atomic watch - 2 models will out in a limited quantity

Citizen is releasing 2 models of photovoltaic atomic watches in its “ATTESA” line in a limited quantity. Only 1,500 watches will be available for each model.

Because it’s a photovoltaic atomic watch, battery changes are not needed on a regular basis. It receives time calibration signals from 4 points in the world (Japan, China, the U.S. and Europe). Titanium is used for its case and band, which resists rust and makes it light and kind to the skin.

BY0045-66F (Silver) – ¥157,500
BY0045-66E (Pink Gold) – ¥168,000

IBM solar collector will concentrate the power of 2,000 suns, keep its cool

IBM alliance's HCPVT solar collector produces 25kW of power, keeps its cool

Modern solar collectors can concentrate only so much energy for safety’s sake: too much in one place and they risk cooking themselves. An IBM-led group is working on a new collector dish that could avoid that damage while taking a big step forward in solar power efficiency. The hundreds of photovoltaic chips gathering energy at the center will be cooled by the same sort of microchannel water cooling that kept Aquasar from frying, letting each chip safely concentrate 2,000 times the solar energy it would normally face. The collector also promises to do more with sunlight once it’s trapped: since the microchannels should absorb more than half of the waste heat, their hot water byproduct can either be filtered into drinkable water or converted into air conditioning.

As you might imagine, IBM sees more than just the obvious environmental benefit. When a receiver will generate about 25kW of energy while costing less to make through cheaper mirrors and structures, a fully developed solar array could be an affordable replacement for coal power that delivers greater independence — picture remote towns that need a fresh water supply. IBM doesn’t estimate when we’ll see production of these collectors beyond several prototypes, but the finished work will likely be welcome to anyone frustrated by the scalability of current solar energy.

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Source: IBM

Wysips solar-cell display reaches 90% transparency milestone, we go eyes-on

Wysips solarcell display reaches 90% transparency milestone, we go eyeson

Wysips popped by our trailer at the show this year to celebrate the 90% transparency of its photovoltaic display overlay achievement with us — and therefore with you. Last time we had a chance to peek through Wysips’ solar cell the transparency was sitting at 70% which was way short of today’s level and manufacturer requirements if this thing is ever to see the light of day. The current setup will not generate enough power to negate the need for a charger, not even close but what it could do is power all your music playback, for example while your phone is exposed to the sun. Wysips’ goal for 2014 is to reach a power return of 10 mWc per cm² as of today the output is closer to 3, though seeing as most of the effort has been focused on reaching this production-ready transparency, they’ve hope this will be attainable. Sampling should begin in march this year with potential for a product in the marketplace in September this year.

Honestly, the demo sets available were pretty worn out looking, though the overlay spoke for itself in that it was still visible at extreme angles but barely when viewing straight on. Part of our demo was plugging an LED into the array that had been retrofit into an iPhone and seeing the LED light come on when the solar cell is exposed and go out when covered. Here’s hoping we get a proper working demo in the coming months though for the here and now, consider us guardedly impressed. A few pics comparing overlay versus no overlay are in the gallery below.

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Sharp unveils semi-transparent solar panels, lets you see the sun while reaping its benefits

Sharp unveils semi-transparent solar panels, lets you see the sun while reaping its benefits

Sharp has announced an unusual photovoltaic panel for the Japanese market that collects energy from the sun while still allowing the light to shine on through. Though it’s rated at a lowly 6.8 percent / 98 watt max efficiency, the glass-like properties make it useful as a construction material (as shown in the balcony railing above), with the semi-transparent nature giving occupants privacy, to boot. The energy-producing cells are embedded in a laminated glass structure and an air slot provides a thermal barrier, allowing the panels to also be used as “windows, curtain wall and eaves” according to Sharp’s PR. Though the system won’t win any potency prizes, it has garnered a design award in Japan, so it won’t blight any landscapes. There’s no mention of pricing or western availability so far, but you can hit the source for all the technical details.

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Sharp unveils semi-transparent solar panels, lets you see the sun while reaping its benefits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 05:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceSharp Japan (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Spherical glass lens concentrates sunlight by up to 10,000 times, boosts solar cell efficiency

Spherical glass lens concentrates sunlight by up to 10,000 times, boosts solar cell efficiency

Eking out more power from solar cells is an ongoing challenge for scientists, and now architect André Broessel has developed a spherical glass energy generator that’s said to improve efficiency by 35 percent. Acting as a lens, the rig’s large water-filled orb concentrates diffused daylight or moonlight onto a solar cell with the help of optical tracking to harvest electricity. In certain configurations, the apparatus can be used for solar thermal energy generation and even water heating. In addition to the oversized globe, Broessel has cooked up a mobile version of the contraption for domestic use and an array of much smaller ball lenses with dual-axis tracking that offers 40 percent efficiency. These devices aren’t the first venture into concentrated photovoltaics, but they are likely among the most visually impressive. If the Barcelona-based architect’s vision of the future comes true, you’ll be seeing these marbles incorporated into buildings and serving as standalone units. Hit the source links below for the picture spread of prototypes and renders.

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Spherical glass lens concentrates sunlight by up to 10,000 times, boosts solar cell efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourceDesignboom, Rawlemon  | Email this | Comments

IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials

IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials

There have been more than a few solar power efficiency records set in the past few months, let alone years. What makes IBM, DelSolar, Solar Frontier and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo think they can just waltz in and claim a record of their own? By using more commonplace elements in the periodic table, that’s how. The partnership’s new photovoltaic cell based on copper, zinc and tin (CZTS for short) can convert light rays to electric power with a 11.1 percent efficiency rate — still nothing to upset traditional silicon power, but a large 10 percent more efficient than anything else in the class. In its early form, CZTS can already be manufactured through ink printing and could be produced in quantities equivalent to about 500 gigawatts of power per year, or five times more than some of the next-closest alternatives. The group wants to improve CZTS’ efficiency over the course of the next several years, ideally reaching the point where it’s useful as a truly cheap, ubiquitous source of power. We’re looking forward to the day when there’s a little slice of solar energy in just about everything, hopefully including a few more hybrid cars and private aircraft.

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IBM alliance sets efficiency record for solar power cells using common materials originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MIT Technology Review  |  sourceIBM Research  | Email this | Comments

UCLA creates transparent solar cell, dreams of current generating windows

UCLA creates transparent solar cell, dreams of current generating windows

Transparent photovoltaics have yet to grace the face of your smartphone, but don’t give up hope — UCLA researchers are working on a new see-through solar cell that’s showing potential. Using a new type of polymer solar cell, the team has been able to build a device that converts infrared light into electrical current. Current prototypes boast 4 percent energy conversion efficiency at 66 percent transparency — not crystal clear, but certainly clean enough to peer through. According to a study in ACS Nano, the technology could be used in “building-integrated photovoltaics or integrated photovoltaic chargers for portable electronics.” Translation? It could one day be used to build solar windows or better sun collecting smartphones. Don’t get too excited though, the technology still has a ways to go before any of these dreams come to fruition. Still, feel free to head past the break for the team’s official press release, or skip to the source to take in the full academic study.

Continue reading UCLA creates transparent solar cell, dreams of current generating windows

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UCLA creates transparent solar cell, dreams of current generating windows originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 03:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceACS Nano  | Email this | Comments

Panasonic Establishes First Energy Solutions Development Centre in Asia Pacific

On the 3rd of July, Panasonic Asia Pacific announced the establishment of the Panasonic Energy Solutions Development Centre Singapore (PESDCSG) and provided updates on its Punggol Eco Town public residential housing test-bed project. Its participation in the World Cities Summit (WCS) cements its commitment to be the No. 1 Green Innovation Company in the electronics industry by 2018. This vision is achieved through green innovation and the development of total energy solutions.
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Alt-week 7.8.2012: Solar flares, trapping dark matter, and life-sized Lego trees

Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.

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This week we swing by some superhero news, look at how solar panels might shape up in the future, explore a Lego forest and see how to grab dark matter just using some household gold and strands of DNA. Not only that, we discover how the sun likes to celebrate the fourth of July with its own firework display. This is alt / week

Continue reading Alt-week 7.8.2012: Solar flares, trapping dark matter, and life-sized Lego trees

Alt-week 7.8.2012: Solar flares, trapping dark matter, and life-sized Lego trees originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTechnabob, Space, PhysOrg, Wired, Wired (2), Lego Festival  | Email this | Comments