The pitch Let us eliminate our current air conditioning (AC) systems for new ones that do away with refrigerant fluids that threaten our environment and consume too much energy. The context Buildings were responsible for 30% of the world’s final energy consumption and 27% of emissions in 2021. …

EU Launches Net Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials Act The pitch A lot happened in the EU last week with the simultaneous launch of the Net Zero Industry Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act. Both acts reinforce the EU’s goal of going to net zero. What are Net Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials Act? The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) sets goals for the local production of some green…

The pitch Salgenx announces a technology that allows a saltwater flow battery also to provide desalination. Such tech is helpful in ships and remote locations like military bases. What is a flow battery? In a flow battery, two dissolved elements circulate on two loops that meet in a membrane allowing ion exchange. Figure 1 illustrates the concept.

Introduction Electric vehicles run on electricity. Solar panels generate electricity. Should electric vehicles (EVs) use solar panels and get a free ride from the sun? Is it worth it? Does adding Photovoltaic cells (PV) to EV make a meaningful addition to the driving range? That is what this article is all…

4 to 11 of March — HYDROGEN BMW behind Hydrogen

Introduction Current photovoltaic panels target visible sunlight. It is so pervasive we call them solar panels. However, a sizable amount of energy is still available as heat, emitted in infrared light, which solar panels cannot convert to electricity. In reality, heat decreases the efficiency of solar panels. But heat is available…

25 of February to 3 of March 2023 — PHOTOVOLTAIC NREL confirms record efficiency for Perovskite solar cell at 25.73% South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed a new process for manufacturing Perovskite solar cells. The technique reduced defects in the crystal structure, resulting in increased cell efficiency. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory tested the cells and confirmed a 25.73% efficiency.

Introduction Indoor Photovoltaics (PV) is nothing new. But the Internet of Things (IoT) is giving it a new life. As mentioned in a previous article about flexible solar panels, one of the first applications of amorphous Silicon cells (a-Si) was powering handheld calculators, starting in the late 1970s (figure 1)

18 to 25 of February — ELECTRIC TRANSPORT Electric Flight