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UrduEven small objects, such as dust and leaves, can block sunlight from reaching solar cells, and understanding how the loss of incoming radiation affects power output is essential for optimizing photovoltaic technology. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers explore how different shade conditions impact performance of single solar cells and two-cell systems connected in series and parallel. They found that the decrease in output current of a single cell or two cells connected in parallel was nearly identical to the ratio of shade to sunlight. However, for two cells running in series, there was excess power loss.
Tag: Renewable Energy
Simple Process Extracts Valuable Magnesium Salt from Seawater
A new, simple, and efficient flow-based method allows researchers to pull a useful magnesium salt from natural seawater using easily available chemicals.
Argonne researchers win four 2022 R&D 100 awards
R&D Magazine has recognized four Argonne projects with R&D 100 Awards.
Faster Fish Tracking Through the Cloud
Near-real-time fish tracking using a new acoustic receiver developed by PNNL can support enhanced fish passage through hydropower dams.
Floating ‘artificial leaves’ ride the wave of clean fuel production
Researchers have developed floating ‘artificial leaves’ that generate clean fuels from sunlight and water, and could eventually operate on a large scale at sea.
Rensselaer Researchers Propose an Affordable and Sustainable Alternative to Lithium-Ion Batteries
Concerns regarding scarcity, high prices, and safety regarding the long-term use of lithium-ion batteries has prompted a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to propose a greener, more efficient, and less expensive energy storage alternative.
Inefficient building electrification risks prolonging fossil fuels
Direct fossil fuel consumption by buildings, burned in water heaters, furnaces, and other heating sources, account for nearly 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
Washington State Academy of Sciences Adds Six PNNL Researchers
The Washington State Academy of Sciences added six people from PNNL to its 2022 class of inductees.
MSU researchers create method for breaking down plant materials for earth-friendly energy
With energy costs rising, and the rapidly emerging effects of burning fossil fuels on the global climate, the need has never been greater for researchers to find paths to products and fuels that are truly renewable.
End-of-life plan needed for tens of thousands of wind turbine blades
A new study led by the University of South Australia indicates tens of thousands of wind turbine blades will end up in landfill by the end of the decade unless end-of-life programs are established soon.
United Airlines, Dimensional Energy reach green fuel pact
United Airlines will fly greener through its friendly blue skies one day, as the airline group agreed June 15 to purchase at least 300 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel from Cornell University startup Dimensional Energy, a company that turns captured carbon dioxide into liquid fuel with renewable energy.
Inspired by Palm Trees, Scientists Develop Hurricane-Resilient Wind Turbines
Wind technology is growing—literally. Today’s offshore wind turbines can tower more than 490 feet above ground, their spinning blades churning out up to 8 megawatts (MW) each—about enough to power 4000 homes in the U.S.
Companies’ Use of Renewable Energy Certificates Masks Inaction on Carbon Emissions
Many firms have set science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to comply with the Paris Agreement. Its goal, first adopted in 2015, is to keep temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius, and preferably as low as 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
Ukraine War’s Supply Chain Impacts Bust Myth of US Energy Independence
The global impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. energy security and undercut the myth that the United States, or any other major manufacturing economy, is truly energy independent yet, according to an analysis by researchers at the energy nonprofit RMI and Duke University.
Mentoring the Next Generation of Marine Researchers
Program pairs PNNL experts with aspiring UW undergraduates who learn through doing on laboratory projects.
PNNL Makes Waves in New Issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
A new journal issue is dedicated to highlighting the Triton Initiative’s recent work advancing environmental monitoring of marine energy.
Power Up: New Polymer Property Could Boost Accessible Solar Power
Lightweight as a window cling and replicable as a newspaper, organic solar cells are emerging as a viable solution for the nation’s growing energy demand.
Economics Study Calculates More Accurate Wind Forecasts Net $150 Million in Energy Savings Every Year
As wind energy occupies an increasingly large share of the energy landscape, a new study by Colorado State University economists and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that more accurate wind forecasts over the last decade have netted consumers over $150 million per year in energy savings.
Solar-Biomass Hybrid System Satisfies Home Heating Requirements in Winter
In Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers in China and the United States outline a computer simulation model addressing the challenge of solar power’s inherent intermittency by adding biomass as another renewable energy source to advance a reliable, affordable heating solution while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The proposed solar-biomass hybrid system is based on distributed multi-generation technology that integrates photovoltaic-thermal and biomass power sources.
Offshore Wind Farms Could Disturb Marine Mammal Behavior #ASA182
When an offshore wind farm pops up, there is a period of noisy but well-studied and in most cases regulated construction. Once the turbines are operational, they provide a valuable source of renewable energy while emitting a constant lower level of sound.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Plans Transition to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
PNNL will demonstrate how new technologies, innovative approaches and partnering with others can lead to net-zero emissions and decarbonization of operations.
Energy, Maritime Leaders to Convene for DOE InnovationXLab Summit
Top scientists and officials from government, academia, Alaskan Native communities, and industry are heading to Alaska to focus on driving energy technologies for a more sustainable Arctic region.
Tidal blade facility to be at leading edge of green energy testing
The world’s first rapid testing facility for tidal turbine blades, which researchers say can speed up development of marine energy technologies while helping to reduce costs, has opened for business.
Algae-powered computing: Scientists create reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell
Researchers have used a widespread species of blue-green algae to power a microprocessor continuously for a year – and counting – using nothing but ambient light and water.
Towards more efficient, non-toxic, and flexible thin-film solar cells
Climate change, one of the major global concerns today, has made it clear that fossil fuels are detrimental to our environment and are not sustainable.
Senator Cantwell, Science Leaders Help Break Ground on $75 Million Grid Storage Launchpad
New facility will accelerate energy storage innovation, increase clean energy adoption and grid resilience.
Lowering the temperature on a hot topic: a climate change primer
Earth Day presents a good opportunity to help clear up some essential questions about climate change; what it is, what is responsible and how we know it’s real.
New method for enabling a more reliable electric grid
Case Western Reserve University chemical engineers are working on a new generation of smaller, safer and less expensive batteries they say could allow electrical energy to be stored four times longer.
Urban planning experts aid first US city decarbonizing all buildings
The city of Ithaca, N.Y., is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to decarbonize and electrify all buildings — part of an effort to be carbon neutral by 2030. It’s the first project of its kind in the nation, and…
Global solar grid risks solar inequity across developing world
India and the U.K. — in partnership with the World Bank and the International Solar Alliance — have launched a new initiative aimed at creating a solar grid across the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Its goal is…
100% Renewable Energy Using Building Science
In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory describe results from a techno-economic analysis aimed at identifying pathways to 100% renewable power systems. By analyzing readily available supply and demand strategies within specific U.S. regions, the team found a combination of resource diversification, excess generation, building efficiency, and demand flexibility improvements could reduce or even eliminate the need for long-duration energy storage in some regions.
Scientists bring efficiency to expanding offshore wind energy
New research shows how to make offshore wind farms more efficient in the face of impending rapid expansion – crucial information as the U.S. Department of the Interior affirmed White House plans to lease federal waters for several giant arrays of wind turbines along the waters of the East Coast.
Argonne taps internationally recognized researcher Shirley Meng as chief scientist for energy storage strategy
A pioneer in material science, Meng’s new role comes with a joint appointment as a professor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at The University of Chicago.
Wind energy can deliver vital slash to global warming
Implementing advance wind energy scenarios could achieve a reduction in global warming atmospheric average temperatures of 0.3 to 0.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, according to new research from Cornell University.
Making Methane from CO2: Carbon Capture Grows More Affordable
PNNL researchers can make methane from captured CO2 and renewably sourced hydrogen, offering a path toward cheaper synthetic natural gas.
Turning Hazelnut Shells into Potential Renewable Energy Source
In Journal for Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers share their work on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of wood vinegar and tar fraction in bio-oil produced from hazelnut shells pyrolysis at 400 degrees Celsius to 1,000 C. The researchers found the wood vinegar and tar left over after burning the shells contained the most phenolic substances, which laid a foundation for the subsequent research on antioxidant properties.
How Do Wind Turbines Respond to Winds, Ground Motion During Earthquakes?
Wind power has experienced fast growth within China during the past decade, but many wind farms are being built within regions of high seismic activity. In Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers present their work exploring the dynamic behaviors of wind turbines subjected to combined wind-earthquake loading. The group discovered that changes in the wind increase and decrease the response amplitude of the wind turbine under weak and strong earthquakes, respectively.
Waste to Energy: Biofuel from Kelp Harvesting and Fish
Using existing fish processing plants, kelp and fish waste can be converted to a diesel-like fuel to power generators or fishing boats in remote, coastal Alaska.
LLNL optimizes flow-through electrodes for electrochemical reactors with 3D printing
To take advantage of the growing abundance and cheaper costs of renewable energy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and engineers are 3D printing flow-through electrodes (FTEs), core components of electrochemical reactors used for converting CO2 and other molecules to useful products.
Machine learning provides a shortcut to simulate interactions in materials for solar energy harvesting
Computer simulations can help us understand interactions in materials for solar energy harvesting, but they can be extremely complex. Researchers at Argonne have simplified these modeling tasks using machine learning to speed up materials development.
Bottling Clean Energy in Chemical Bonds
Of the various methods to store renewable energy, one stands out for holding onto energy for months at a time: storing energy in the chemical bonds of molecules such as hydrogen.
Department of Energy awards $4.15 million to Argonne to support collaborations with industry
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $4.15 million to Argonne National Laboratory to support collaborations with industry aimed at commercializing promising energy technologies.
Sensor Data Identifies Turbine Wake Clustering, Improves Wind Farm Productivity Via Yaw Control
In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers describe a real-time method for potentially helping turbine farms realize additional power from the clustering of their turbines. Their method requires no new sensors to identify which turbines at any given time could increase power production if yaw control is applied, and validation studies showed an increase of 1%-3% in overall power gain.
Renewable energy OK, but not too close to home
When it comes to transitioning from carbon-based to renewable source energy systems, Americans are on board. They’re less keen, however, having these new energy infrastructures—wind turbines or solar farms—built close to their homes, which creates hurdles for policymakers.
Baylor Study Evaluates Biodiversity Impacts of Alternative Energy Strategies
Climate change mitigation efforts have led to shifts from fossil-fuel dependence to large-scale renewable energy. However, renewable energy sources require significant land and could come at a cost to ecosystems. A new study led by Ryan McManamay, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental science at Baylor University, evaluates potential conflicts between alternative energy strategies and biodiversity conservation.
100% Renewable Microgrid “Takes Off” at Airport in Northern California
The Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid’s community partners today announced construction activities on what will be the first 100% renewable, multi-customer microgrid in California.
UAlbany Atmospheric Scientists Lead DOE Project to Enhance Offshore Wind Research Buoys
The collaborative project aims to design, install and deploy a buoy-based flux measurement system that can provide new insight on offshore wind conditions and improve forecast models.
Steering Wind Turbines Creates Greater Energy Potential
For wind farms, it is important to control upstream turbines in an efficient manner so downstream turbines are not adversely affected by upstream wake effects. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, researchers show that by designing controllers based on viewing the wind farm system as a coupled network, it is possible to extract power more efficiently.
New, Tiny Battery Powers Big Insight into Fish Passage for Hydropower
PNNL scientists developed a tiny battery and tag to track younger, smaller species, to evaluate behavior and estimate survival during downstream migration.
A novel energy storage solution featuring pipes and anchors
What do pipes and anchors have to do with storing energy? More than you might think! A new IIASA-led study explored the potential of a lesser known, but promising sustainable energy storage system called Buoyancy Energy Storage.