Higher Efficiency with Quantum Dot Solar Cells
by: Eco Geek Latest, 2011-12-28 17:23:00 UTC

Photovoltaic technology has taken another step forward as researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have demonstrated a photocell with an external quantum efficiency over 100 percent using quantum dots. The new cell uses a process called Multiple Exciton Generation (MEG) that produces more than one electron-hole pair per absorbed photon, and reached a level of 114 percent.

This development offers the possibility of increased efficiency in solar panels, and the technology is able to be manufactured using high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing. With the use of quantum dots, photocells could theoretically see as much as a 35 percent increase in power conversion efficiency above contemporary cells. The research cell was constructed as a "layered cell consisting of antireflection-coated glass with a thin layer of a transparent conductor, a nanostructured zinc oxide layer, a quantum dot layer of lead selenide treated with ethanedithol and hydrazine, and a thin layer of gold for the top electrode."

Note that this does not mean that the entire panel would have a total efficiency above 100% (which would be thermodynamically impossible). The quantum efficiency means only that the number of electron-hole pairs created in the cell is greater than the number of photons that are absorbed. Nonetheless, the advance provided by MEG could lead to the next generation of even more efficient solar energy collectors.

image: Lawrence Berkeley Lab and CC-BY-SA 3.0 by Opticks3

Neat Recycled Paper and Cardboard Interior at South African Design Shop in Buenos Aires
by: TreeHugger Design, 2011-12-27 19:05:00 UTC
Opened by design firm The President, the place features magazines, gifts and clothes from South Africa in a hip gallery of the Argentine capital.

Top 6 Green Energy Stories of 2011 – Vote for Your Favorite!
by: Inhabitat , 2011-12-28 15:11:58 UTC

2011 was an incredible year for green energy as the impending challenges of climate change, energy security, and peak oil spurred the development of clean power sources that will propel us towards a more sustainable future. We saw plans unveiled that will transform skyscrapers into towering photovoltaic farms and we watched a forest of massive solar trees sprout in Singapore. We were also amazed to see a 13-year-old wunderkind harness the fibonacci sequence to make a solar power breakthrough, and we brought you a first look at Aquamarine Power’s massive Oyster 800 wave energy generator – read on for our most popular green energy stories from 2011!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", alternative energy, green design, green energy, green power, green technology, renewable energy, sustainable design, sustainable technology, top 6 green energy stories of 2011, top green design stories of 2011

Fjord-cooled data center in Norway claimed to be world's greenest
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-12-23 18:50:24 UTC

Upon completion, Norway's Green Mountain Data Center will be the world's greenest server farm - according to its developers, at least. By piping cool water from a nearby fjord into the mountain halls that will house the server racks, its creators hope to eliminate the need for the power-hungry electric chillers that the sadly fjordless majority of the world's data centers require... Continue Reading Fjord-cooled data center in Norway claimed to be world's greenest

Section: ecoGizmo

Tags: Cooling, Data Center, Eco-friendly, Norway

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Designers turn a Lexus CT hybrid into clothing
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-12-27 01:25:59 UTC

Recycling an old car seems like a reasonable idea, but what about recycling it into clothes? Lexus recently challenged four designers to create fashion masterpieces out of a dismantled Lexus CT hybrid as part of an advertising campaign. Photos of models wearing the final products will be pictured in the January 2012 edition Vogue... Continue Reading Designers turn a Lexus CT hybrid into clothing

Section: Automotive

Tags: Clothing, Design, Lexus, Recycling

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Smart Egg Lamp: A Quirky Lighting Solution Made from a Recycled Egg Carton!
by: Inhabitat , 2011-12-26 22:40:21 UTC

What came first, the light or the egg? Ready-made from a paper pulp egg carton and recyclable glass lights, the Smart Egg Lamp is an eco-friendly lighting solution packed by the dozen. Using energy-efficient light bulbs to create a warm ambient light, Joon & Jung‘s quirky design is compostable, recycled and is its own packaging!

+ Joon & Jung

Photo © Joon & Jung

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Post tags: green lighting, green materials, green products, paper pulp, Recyclable cardboard, recycled egg carton, recycling / compost

Materials Cafe 2012: Call for (Green) Participants
by: Sustainable Design News, 2011-12-26 14:07:05 UTC
The Materials Cafe 2012 is calling for suppliers, manufacturers, designers, and researchers that want to put their sustainable materials, processes or products in the spotlight.

The Materials Cafe is a creative show for materials at the Hanover Fair from April 23 through 27, 2012.



Classic Timbrel Vaults Built With Computers and 3D Routers, Reinventing A Minimalist Technology
by: TreeHugger Design, 2011-12-27 14:09:00 UTC
Learning from the past to design a better future.

Repair It Yourself Shoes: Simplified & Reversible Design Makes It Easy to Fix
by: TreeHugger Design, 2011-12-24 13:00:00 UTC
Doing away with stitches, glue and conspicuous consumption, these shoes are simple to repair, rather than replace.

New handheld devices designed to detect brain injuries on-the-spot
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2011-12-22 22:11:37 UTC

It's sadly ironic that the very properties which make our skulls such excellent brain protectors, strength and rigidity, often work against us after head injuries. Not only does the hard bone conceal damage from concussions and bleeding, say, but it also confines the swelling, causing intra-cranial pressure to surge, a situation that can lead to further brain damage. While CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging systems are crucial to an accurate assessment, they are rarely available to emergency medical personnel at remote accident sites or on the battlefield. To help address the need for rapid and timely diagnosis of head traumas, separate research teams at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) have each developed hand-held devices that use Near Infra-Red (NIR) imaging to quickly detect hematomas (internal bleeding) and other life-threatening traumatic brain injury (TBI)... Continue Reading New handheld devices designed to detect brain injuries on-the-spot

Section: Health and Wellbeing

Tags: Brain, emergency, Infra-red, Injuries, Medical

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