Tag: energy

In this video we’ll explore the world’s fastest improving new solar technology, and provide an exclusive peek inside the lab of a team working on this breakthrough material.

Imagine an inexpensive solution of perovskite crystals that can make a photovoltaic cell so thin, that just half a cup of liquid would be enough to power a house. A solar panel so lightweight, that it can be balanced atop a soap bubble. That is known as the holy grail of solar energy. So when will we see perovskite solar panels used for a solar power system for your home? Maybe sooner than you expect.

Currently, only 2% of global electricity comes from solar power. And 90% of that, comes from crystalline silicon-based solar panels, the dominant material technology.

While abundant, silicon has downsides related to efficiency, manufacturing complexity, and pollution that prevent it from being an absolute no brainer. Emerging thin films like perovskites present a bright future. Imagine solar cars like a solar tesla, solar yachts, or a solar plane.

Solar cell technologies can be classified into two categories, wafer-based or thin-film cells. Perovskites are the leading contender in emerging thin films. Topics covered in this video include applications, perovskite crystal structure, working principle of perovskite solar cells, efficiency limits, multi-junction solar cells, shockley-queisser limit, how solar works, solar simulator, band gap, manufacturing, vapor deposition, how solar panels are made, and the future of solar power.

Electric vehicles are gaining in popularity, but there are aspects of the user experience holding some people back. One of the big things is how long it takes to charge electric cars and access to plug in charging. If you live in an apartment building or the city, plug in charging can get a bit challenging. But what if you didn’t have to use a charger? Some companies have a solar-powered car available for pre-order today, but what’s the reality behind these solar cars? Can they really provide enough power to fit the bill, and at a cost that won’t break the bank?

Tesla and Elon Musk have been on a mission to make their Solar Roof tiles the go-to solution if you’re considering a new roof plus solar panels. Why buy and install two separate products when you can make one that does both? I don’t know about you, but my neighborhood has a lot of solar panels, but is still looking a little scrimpy on the solar roof front. So what happened? Increased prices, installation times that still take the better part of a week, and new solar roof tile and shingle competition that may beat Tesla on price and installation time. There’s some interesting solar tile and shingle competition out there now, like new solar roof shingles that got a lot of buzz at this year’s CES. But where are they?

Although nuclear energy is reliable and a sustainable energy source, the nuclear energy debate rages on. It’s not considered the go-to solution in the renewable energy transition. Solar, wind, and hydro are getting all the attention. Nuclear reactors are big, expensive, and take a long time to build, but what if we could make them smaller, portable, cheaper, and safer. Small modular reactors are getting a lot of interest with the first versions coming online in China and new locations popping up in Canada. As well as former SpaceX engineers that have made things even smaller … to a micro reactor scale. Could this be the future of nuclear energy?

The world’s largest fusion energy machine has more than doubled its own world record for energy production. We asked a scientist what this milestone means for the future.

European scientists say they have made a major breakthrough in their quest to develop practical nuclear fusion – the energy process that powers the stars.

The UK-based JET laboratory has smashed its own world record for the amount of energy it can extract by squeezing together two forms of hydrogen.

If nuclear fusion can be successfully recreated on Earth it holds out the potential of virtually unlimited supplies of low-carbon, low-radiation energy.

The experiments produced 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds, more than double what was achieved in similar tests back in 1997.

Will thorium reactors be the future of renewable energy? While nuclear power raises fear among many of us, it’s considered one of our better options for a reliable, carbon-free renewable energy future. Alongside small modular reactors, molten salt reactors (MSRs) that use Thorium as a fuel, are considered cheaper, cleaner and safer options to the traditional nuclear reactors. With experimental tests scheduled for a Thorium-reactor in China and US companies developing projects that should be spinning up in the next few years, let’s revisit my previous video, Thorium explained, and molten-salt reactors, and when we’ll be able to see their impact. Could Thorium reactors build a cheaper and safer future for nuclear power?

Alternative fuels like methanol, ammonia and hydrogen are being explored to help reduce carbon emissions from the shipping industry, as well as renewable energy, but is it enough? At the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, nuclear power for ships was proposed. The U.S., China, and South Korea are developing thorium molten salt reactors, as well as small modular reactors for ships, submarines, and offshore power plants, could nuclear energy be the answer? How does nuclear compare to diesel for transportation? Let’s explore nuclear power for shipping and when, or if, it can be the future of transportation & cargo shipping.