World’s first dual-tower solar thermal plant boosts efficiency by 24%

Two 650-foot-tall (200-m) towers have risen in China’s Gansu Province. Combined with an array of 30,000 mirrors arranged in concentric circles, the new facility is expected to generate over 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.Continue … Continue reading World’s first dual-tower solar thermal plant boosts efficiency by 24%

Double-action solar tower promises clean energy all day and night

Researchers in Jordan and Qatar have come up with a remarkable design for a “twin technology solar system” (TTSS) capable of generating clean energy 24/7. This double-action design promises more than twice as much energy as a standard solar updraft tow… Continue reading Double-action solar tower promises clean energy all day and night

Recycled soot coating captures solar heat better than graphene

Tackling climate change doesn’t just require efforts like renewable energy – we need to clean up existing processes too. Now, engineers have developed a way to use soot from emissions to improve solar thermal devices, making them not only cheaper to pr… Continue reading Recycled soot coating captures solar heat better than graphene

Rooftop system converts CO2, water and sunlight into kerosene

Engineers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated a pilot system that can produce fuels from sunlight and air. The device captures carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere and uses solar energy to convert it into syngas, which is then converted into liquid… Continue reading Rooftop system converts CO2, water and sunlight into kerosene

Efficient solar desalination unit uses titanium-coated diaper material

Desalination is an important technology that may help expand the world’s supply of drinking water. Now, engineers in China have demonstrated a new, relatively simple design for a solar still with a high efficiency and low cost.Continue ReadingCategory:… Continue reading Efficient solar desalination unit uses titanium-coated diaper material

Electricity-free radiative system cools buildings and heats water

Air conditioners and other cooling systems are among our biggest consumers of electricity, so finding ways to passively cool buildings will be important in our increasingly warmer future. Now, researchers at the University at Buffalo have developed a p… Continue reading Electricity-free radiative system cools buildings and heats water

Ultra-clear aerogel designed for better, less costly solar collectors

We may hear a lot about photovoltaic panels, but solar collectors are also quite useful – the devices collect heat from sunlight, which is used in applications such as the heating of homes. Now, MIT has announced the development of a new mate… Continue reading Ultra-clear aerogel designed for better, less costly solar collectors

Rosy tech offers better, cheaper water purification

“Solar steaming” is an eco-friendly form of water purification in which sunlight is used to heat tainted water, turning it to steam which condenses back into liquid. That clean liquid is then collected as drinking water. A new system offers i… Continue reading Rosy tech offers better, cheaper water purification