Cornell gurus look to carbon nanotubes for efficient solar cells

You know what we love? Solar-powered gadgets, and carbon nanotubes. Oh, and Ivy League schools. Boffins from Cornell University are now looking to use the multifaceted carbon nanotube instead of silicon to develop efficient solar cells, and judging by the glacial pace at which solar cell efficiency is improving, we’d say the sector could use the boost. The researchers have already fabricated, tested and measured a simple solar cell (called a photodiode, just so you know) that was formed from an individual carbon nanotube. The tube was essentially a rolled-up sheet of graphene, and while the inner workings would take days to explain, the gist of it is this:

“The nanotube may be a nearly ideal photovoltaic cell because it allowed electrons to create more electrons by utilizing the spare energy from the light.”

So, solar-powered F-350 trucks are now a possibility for next year, right?

[Via Graphene-Info]

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Cornell gurus look to carbon nanotubes for efficient solar cells originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar Roads get small DoE contract, confidence to change the world

Solar roadways? Yeah, we’ve seen ’em before, but we’ve yet to see America’s own Department of Energy give any one development company such a notable vouch of confidence. Just recently, the DoE handed over a $100,000 contract to Solar Roadways, which is just enough to build a prototype of the “first ever Solar Road panel.” The 12- x 12-foot panels could theoretically be embedded into roads, and when shined upon, could pipe good, clean electricity straight into the grid. Heck, they could even boast LEDs in order to alert drivers to upcoming accidents or changes in road conditions. Reportedly, each panel would cost around $7,000 (at least initially), and if these were used on the entire US Interstate system, we could pretty much forget about using non-renewable energy sources to power our homes and businesses. Of course, our government is simultaneously wasting money on repaving perfectly good roadways with antiquated asphalt, so there’s a tremendously great chance that this won’t amount to anything.

[Via Inhabitat, thanks Miko]

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Solar Roads get small DoE contract, confidence to change the world originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Novothink unveils first licensed solar chargers for iPhone, iPod

We’ve seen plenty of solar chargers in our day — and we’re somewhat fond of them as a concept. Novothink’s just unveiled the first chargers for iPods and iPhones that’s officially licensed by Apple. These attractive little guys have integrated solar panels on the back with LEDs to let you know the state of your charge. If the sun fails you, there’s also a USB cable for standard, non eco-friendly charging. These chargers only work with the 2nd generation iPod touch — which will be available this month, while versions for the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be outed in November. They’ll run you $70. Hit the read link for more photos.

[Via Inhabitat]

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Novothink unveils first licensed solar chargers for iPhone, iPod originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s E1107 with built in solar panel gets a thorough shakedown

Sure, a cellphone made out of 80 percent recycled materials might be considered pretty environmentally friendly, but a cellphone with a built-in solar panel? Now that’s something with the potential to make Al Gore cry. Enter the Samsung E11077. It’s solar panel-equipped back cover comes in at 1.2-mm thin, and is said to revive a dead battery after just 15 minutes in the sun. Besides the FM radio and flashlight features, the only other noteworthy addition is an “Eco” profile, that essentially just changes screen brightness and shuts the Bluetooth off. If you’re interested, the cost of entry is a reasonable $59, but you’ll probably have to find an importer, as we don’t expect this tree hugger to land stateside any time soon.

[Thanks, Vadik]

Samsung’s E1107 with built in solar panel gets a thorough shakedown originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Devotec Solar Sound Bluetooth speaker hands-on and nano-review

So we’ve been playing with the Devotec Industries Solar Sound Bluetooth speaker system for a couple days now, and we’ve got to say we’re pretty impressed — we just wish it could run directly (and indefinitely) off the solar panel, instead of requiring an internal battery that takes 12-24 hours to charge from the sun or four hours to charge off USB. That said, you will get eight hours of decent audio when the battery is full, and it’s actually relatively loud — you’ll be more than fine indoors and in quieter spots, although cranking things up all the way results in some audible distortion. Of course, it’s A2DP, so setup is a breeze with most Bluetooth devices, including 3.0 iPhones, and you can hook most everything else up with the included 3.5mm headphone cable. (Just keep in mind that Apple doesn’t properly support AVRCP, so the forward and back control buttons don’t work correctly over Bluetooth.) Not bad for $79 — and you won’t have to burn through endless AAs to take your tunes on those summer picnics and beach trips.

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Devotec Solar Sound Bluetooth speaker hands-on and nano-review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Devotec debuts Solar Sound Bluetooth speaker system

Devotec Industries has mostly kept itself occupied with solar chargers and the like to date, but it looks to be branching out somewhat with its latest product, which appears to be one of the first solar-powered Bluetooth speakers to hit the market. Obviously designed primarily with portability in mind, the Solar Sound packs a pair of 2W speakers, along with a retractable 3.5mm cable to accommodate your non-Bluetooth devices, a built-in mic for some hands-free calling when paired with a phone, a nifty touch panel display, and a promised 8 hours of use from the internal battery (which recharges in 12 to 24 hours from the solar panel, or four hours via AC or USB). Sold? Then you can pick one up right now for $79.

[Via TestFreaks, thanks Vincent D]

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Devotec debuts Solar Sound Bluetooth speaker system originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota’s giant solar flowers popping up across US to bring good will, free WiFi, and charging stations

Now here’s a smart marketing campaign. In an effort to raise awareness / interest in its 2010 Prius, Toyota planted five 18-foot tall “solar flowers” in Boston’s Prudential Plaza and provided free Wi-Fi and electricity that was “partially powered” by the solar panels attached to the petals and stem. The so-called “Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine” just disappeared from Boston but will next germinate in New York, followed by Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. We’re not exactly in the market for a car right now, but we promise to think about it while we lovingly enjoy the free laptop charge and internet access.

[Via PhysOrg]

Read – Flickr set from Boston
Read – Schedule

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Toyota’s giant solar flowers popping up across US to bring good will, free WiFi, and charging stations originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE’s Smart Grid aims to cut home energy consumption to zero, promote world peace

Judging by the company’s recent infatuation with energy-efficient LED lighting solutions, we’re not at all surprised to see General Electric launching a daunting initiative that aims to cut homeowner energy consumption to zero by 2015. The so-called ‘Smart Grid’ is part of the Net Zero Home Project, which combines solar and wind energy (for on-site power generation) along with specialized appliances that can “communicate with utilities to participate in utility-run demand-response programs.” In other words, these intelligent devices can turn themselves down or off when no one’s around in order to shave peak-time consumption, and the in-your-face nature of always knowing exactly how much juice you’re wasting should also encourage conservation. Of course, we have all ideas that a Smart Grid-certified home will run you quite a bit more than you’re willing to pay, but hey, Ma Earth deserves it — doesn’t she?

[Via CNET]

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GE’s Smart Grid aims to cut home energy consumption to zero, promote world peace originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Solar-powered night garden fills Jerusalem with tranquility, world peace soon to follow

Juxtaposing the manmade and the natural in artistic expression oftentimes leads to creepy results. It is no mean feat, then, that the Jerusalem night garden — built out of steel wires, laser-cut panels and 1W to 3W Power LEDs — feels like a warm and welcoming place to visit. Whether it is the clean energy source, producing 720W of electricity per hour, or the ethereal light and movement of the flowers, something about the exhibition awakens the wistful child we’ve got locked away in the Engadget dungeons. He cries out for more of this aesthetically pleasing eco-friendly design, which in this case even comes with a specially composed soundtrack. To see if you agree with such juvenile enthusiasm, check out the video after the break.

[Via inhabitat]

Continue reading Video: Solar-powered night garden fills Jerusalem with tranquility, world peace soon to follow

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Video: Solar-powered night garden fills Jerusalem with tranquility, world peace soon to follow originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Neoluxiim demos solar-powered e ink display

We’ve been sort of wondering when we’d see a solar e-ink display, and here we are — Neoluxiim is demoing this panel for use in point-of-sale advertising. What’s interesting here is that the background appears to be in color while the text is black, but we’re assuming that’s just a fixed image behind the e-ink layer. Everyone ready for impulse purchasing to go high-tech? Video after the break.

Continue reading Neoluxiim demos solar-powered e ink display

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Neoluxiim demos solar-powered e ink display originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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