Important Innovations

Wearable  Solar Panel Source:  SunUp Innovation from UK This is a wearable solar panel that's called SunUp for easy use to travel with you.  There's a lot unique about this technology.  But a couple of outstanding points.  These are flexible solar panels that can fit around your backpack as you walk to university.  Or they are flexible enough to fit around a tent as you go on a forest adventure.  Or they wrap around your boat in a stream.  This portable system pulls in 15 watts of solar energy to fully charge a mobile device within 12 hours. This device is a national top runner-up at the James Dyson Awards. UK Brunel University Innovation This new, green energy system comes from the UK's Brunel University and design student Bradley Brister.  The design overcomes low efficiency, thin film silicon panels that have traditionally been used in flexible displays to pull in solar energy.  What's innovative is that Brunel has changed the game by using triangles of pol

Ocean Wave-Solar Renewable Energy System Source:  EcoWave Power World's 1st Grid Connected Wave Energy Array The EcoWave Power is a world first.  The Swedish invention converts both wave and solar power into green renewable energy on the same device.  It's deployed in the port city of Jaffa, Israel and is connected to the city's electric grid.  This is the world's only grid connected wave energy array.  The device is now also topped with solar panels to generate more energy.  The innovative tech consists of floaters on coastal water attached to existing man-made structures.  This makes the system accessible and simple to install and maintain. The additional solar panel component is now being deployed and tested in Jaffa. Wave+Solar Power Generation Provides Many Benefits The system converts the rise and fall of coastal water into electricity and has worked effectively for several years. To increase efficiency, the Swedish team added solar panels o

New, Transformative Device to Generate Power from Night Sky Source:   UCLA Renewable and Complements Solar Power This new, inexpensive thermoelectric device may be transformative in energy generation.  It harvests the coldness of space during the night to generate electricity - enough right now to power a LED light at nighttime, but the inventors say it's very scalable.  The device is a significant new innovation from engineers at UCLA and Stanford University.  The gadget works at night when solar systems don't.  The inventors say it's a new approach to power generation when power at night is needed.  It complements solar power that doesn't work at night, giving a 24/7 approach to green, renewable energy. Phenomenon Like Frost Formation The device takes advantage of radiative cooling, the process by which frost forms on grass during above freezing temperatures at night.  The sky facing surface of the technology passes heat to the atmosphere as thermal radiat

Innovative Technological Solution to Storing Renewable Energy 24/7 Availability of Wind and Solar Energy Swiss energy storage company Energy Vault has received a $110 million investment from SoftBank's Vision Fund to enable it to take its unique storage technology global.  The biggest challenge facing the renewable energy industry is storage because of the intermittent and unpredictable nature of wind and solar power.  Energy Vault says its technology enables cheap and efficient storage of wind and solar power and the capacity to deliver it 24/7.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Enery Vault's Energy Storage Innovation : SoftBank's Vision Fund Investing Big in the Swiss Startup Source:  Solar Vault computer rendering Storing Solar and Wind Energy f...

Textile Based Solar Cells Source:  Fraunhofer Institute Innovation from Germany with Many Applications German scientists have invented flexible, textile based rolls of solar cells that are integrated into a glass fiber fabric.  They say that tarps on semi-tractor-trailers  with these new solar cells embedded in them could harvest enough electricity to power cooling systems and other onboard equipment.  It's the invention of scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems in Dresden, Germany. Building Facades The potential uses of these new solar cell rolls are fascinating.  The scientists say building facades could be covered with the photovoltaic textile to generate power.  They envision blinds that provide shade in buildings could also be covered with the solar cells to provide yet another source of clean energy. Commercialization Within Five Years The scientists say there are a number of processes to enable solar cells to be incorporated

Smart, e-Table Solar Powers Your Electronic Devices Brilliant Concept from Barcelona, Spain The Ebort is a sleek, practical table for use in your home or office.  It's also an intelligent, e-table that harvests solar energy to green power your electronic devices with renewable energy. You can recharge four devices at once on the table top, which is wireless, self-sustaining and works off artificial and ambient light.  It's one of those ideas that is so practical, convenient and time saving.  It makes you wonder why didn't I think of that!  For more details on this new invention, go to Important Innovations Collection: Table Solar Charges Electronic Devices : Solar Powered, Green Charging  Table Source:  Proton New Energy Future Ebord Renewable Energy The green charging device - the Ebord ...

Telling Time by the Sun Source:  LunaR Smartwatch 1st Transparent Solar Smart Watch, LunaR The sun has always set time for humans, animals, nature and our universe.  So it seems fitting that an innovation company LunaR has created a smartwatch that is solar powered to tell time.  It's called the LunaR smartwatch. Hybrid Watch with Smartwatch Functionality LunaR is a hybrid smartwatch that offers solar power capability.  There's an embedded solar panel that can draw enough energy from one hour of sun to provide power to the watch indefinitely.  It offers many functions that other smart watches do like built-in fitness training sensors, LED notifications, vibrating message alerts and displaying two time zones at once.  This innovation comes from LunaR, MEDUSA. It's a fascinating new gadget.

Zero Emissions Public Transport Source:  Byron Bay Railroad Company New South Wales, Australia It's the world's first solar powered passenger train.  The railroad is owned and operated in Australia by the Byron Bay Railroad Company.  It's been in service since 2017 and has operated perfectly ever since.  It's a global example of the possibilities of zero emissions public transportation. Solar Technology The train is very efficient, requiring only 8.33 watt hours per passenger kilometer.  It has a 6.5 KW rooftop solar array and a lithium ion battery onboard.  During peak solar hours, it is 100% solar powered.  In fact, it's the world's first, in-service train run from onboard solar power. Solar Express The solar express can carry 100 passengers on a three kilometer route back and forth between North Beach station and Brayton Beach station in New South Wales.  It completes the cycle once an hour.  The original 1949 cars were upgraded from diesel loco

New Innovation to Forward Constant Use of Green Energy Source:  Vattenfall Salt-Based Storage Tech for Wind and Solar Power The main disadvantage of wind and solar power is their intermittent stop and start nature.  SaltX of Sweden has a new technology solution.  It's a salt based power storage system that Vattenfall, the Swedish power producer, is putting to an industrial level test.  If this works, it could make wind and solar energy more constantly available for our use.  The test is based in Berlin and goes through the summer.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Making Green Energy More Constantly Useable : Renewable Energy Innovation from Sweden New Salt-Based Storage Technology System For Green Energy Vattenfall is a Swedish power produc...

Massive Solar Thermal Power Project Megalim Starts Up in Israel Source:  Israel's Megalim Solar Project  Renewable Energy: Multi Billion Dollar Solar Valley The Megalim Solar Project in Israel is now in commercial operation. It's being called Israel's Multi-Billion Dollar Solar Valley. This is the largest renewable energy project in Israel and one of the largest and most complex in the world. It's a huge, concentrated solar thermal power plant delivering renewable energy in the Negev Desert. It's provides a daily clean energy supply to Israel's National Grid. It reminds you of Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion's promise 60 years ago "to make the desert bloom again". Commitment to Renewable Energy Israel is committed to reaching a goal of 10% of its electricity generation from renewables by 2020. The Megalim is a big part of that goal and it's one of the largest solar plants of its kind in the world. It is a joint ve

Breakthrough in Wearables from South Korea Machine Washable, Solar Powered Wearable from South Korea's KAIST This is important new wearable innovation from South Korea's KAIST.  The wearable, electronic textile is machine washable and self powered by solar energy.  It may be a gamechanger in wearables.  For a great news blog with more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: New Washable, Wearable Display : Solar Powered Wearable Source: KAIST New Wearable Display From South Korea's KAIST A South Korean electrical engineering team has...

Super Sponge, Solar Powered, Water from Air Harvester Innovation from University of Texas Austin This is new, solar powered innovation to collect and clean water out of thin air.  It's a hydrogel hybrid developed by engineers at the University of Texas Austin that is powered by the sun.  One of the world's most pressing needs is clean, accessible drinking water.  This new innovation could lead to inexpensive, portable and small water collection and filtration systems.  For more details go to Important Innovations Collection: Super Sponge Absorbs Water from Air : New Hydrogel Collects & Cleans Water from Air Source:  University of Texas Austin Solar Powered Water Harvester This is new inno...

Stanford University's Rooftop Renewable Energy Device Source:  Stanford University Provides Electricity and Cooling from Sun and Space Scientists from Stanford University have created a first.  A single device that collects heat from the sun and coldness from outer space.  It simultaneously collects space and solar energy, generates electricity and coolness and functions with great efficiency.  Their research results have been published in the journal Joule. Double Layer Panel Their invention is a double layered rooftop panel.  The top layer is composed of standard semiconductor materials that go into solar cells.  The bottom layer is revolutionary and the combination of the 2 layers is being hailed as a potential gamechanger.  The bottom layer is composed of novel materials that collects the space energy and does the cooling. Dual Functions:  Electricity and Cooling The device combines radiative cooling with solar absorption technology.  On the roof the device would

International Research Solar Energy Push Source:  Uppsala University - Water Oxidation thru Photosystem II Detailing Photosystem II Photosystem II is a protein complex that splits water into hydrogen ions and oxygen during photosynthesis.  New images of the process, shown here, have been released by scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden.  A team of international scientists are taking part in this research. Goal: Cheap, Efficient Solar Fuel Power The new images are expected to help scientists to better understand what is a very complicated mechanism - photosystem II.  That detailed understanding could open the opportunity to develop solar fuel devices that are cheap and efficient.  Bottom-line:  photosystem II activates calcium and magnesium metal ions, which are cheap and plentiful, into a powerful water oxidation system.  By understanding the process, chemists potentially could do the same and open up solar fuel possibilities. Renewable Energy Economy Right now, 8

University of Californa - Berkeley Creates Solar Fuel from Gold + Bacteria Source:  University of California - Berkeley The Midas Touch University of California Berkeley researchers have just demonstrated a novel and efficient means of creating biofuels.  They've placed gold nanoclusters that absorb light into a bacterium.  A biohybrid results that produces a high yield of chemical products like biofuels.  It's a new source of sustainable energy. High Value Biohybrid The biohybrid captures sunlight and carbon dioxide to make chemicals useful both on earth and in space.  It's a breakthrough discovery and has just been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Artificial Photosynthesis Producing Solar Fuels The bacterium is photosensitive and is named Moorella thermoacetica.  It has an appetite for gold.  The researchers feed it a nanocluster of 22 gold atoms.  The gold slips through the cell wall.  With great efficiency, it produces solar fuels through

Desert Agriculture Enabled by Seawater and Solar Power Jordan's Sustainable Solar & Seawater Farm Project Ambitious, Innovative Project Jordon has embarked on a very ambitious and innovative project to turn the desert green for farming. They have a pilot project underway in a location that's .62 miles from the Israeli border and 9.3 miles from the Red Sea. Feeding the World One of the most pressing needs facing humanity is feeding the world's growing population.  By 2050, food production needs to go up by 50% to feed the projected global population.  The problem is further complicated by the lack of good water, which is a big issue in Jordan.  Furthermore, food production totals 70% of global freshwater consumption and emits 25% of greenhouse gases.  Changes are clearly needed.  Jordan, which is the 2nd poorest water supply nation and three-quarters desert, is taking an innovative, problem solving lead. Jordan Playing to Its Strengths Jordan has plenty o

China Setting Solar Pace, Technology, Policy Standards Globally Source:   Photo of  China's Solar Farm in Tenggen Desert World's Largest Solar Farm in China It's very clear China is betting the farm that the future of energy is powered in a big way by solar. It has the world's largest solar farm, pictured above, in China's Tenggen Desert that can pump out 1500 megawatts.  China has the world's largest solar energy capacity - a huge, 130 gigawatts. World's Biggest Solar Panel Manufacturer China manufactures 60% of the world's solar panels.  Their technology is setting the framework for the global solar industry. Coal Still a Factor There are some oddities about the China energy market.  2/3rds of China's electricity still comes from coal.  An interesting fact: China's huge solar farms are far away from its major cities that need electricity.  Only 15% of the country's potential solar capacity is being used.  The country has inves

Massive Solar Panels on Lakes to Soak Up the Sun A number of nations including China are chasing this idea...placing massive solar panels on bodies of water to maximize absorption of solar energy and allow the solar panels to operate with greater efficiency. Chinese Solar Leadership:  Largest Floating Solar Farm China is leading the way in emerging solar technology.  It opened the world's largest floating solar farm in 2017. It's on top of a lake that formed after an abandoned coal mine collapsed.  The system's 166,000-panel array generates 40 megawatts of power which is enough to power 15,000 homes.  A larger solar farm in the same locale is opening.  That will generate 150 megawatts and power 94,000 homes.  Overall, China installed 2 times more gigawatts of solar capacity than the US last year. It contributes almost half of the world's total solar capacity. Benefits of Floating Solar Farms Floating the solar panels on water protects farmland and wildlife