The Peakist

Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology have developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets.

“The process is simple,” said lead researcher and author Somenath Mitra, PhD, professor and acting chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. “Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations.” (more…)

New Solar Cell Breaks the “40 Percent Efficient” Sunlight-to-Electricity Barrier

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Reduce CO2 from electricity generation by 70% by 2050 without nuclear, claims research group

TREC Press Release

A new report, commissioned by the German Government, shows in detail how Europe (including the UK and Ireland) can meet all its needs for electricity, cut emissions of CO2 from electricity generation by 70% by the year 2050, and phase out nuclear power at the same time.

The key to this revolution in electricity supply is the replacement of old polluting power plants that rely on dwindling supplies of fuel with a larger range of non-polluting sources of energy that will be good for thousands of years. (more…)

Big news!

1.  In a significant development this week, our experimental power cycle produced air conditioning and refrigeration temperatures! The refrigerated section attained a chilly 41o F (5oC). The energy source was simmering water at 159o F (71o C), typical of temperatures obtained from common, rooftop solar hot water collectors. This test was in preparation for demonstrating an air conditioner fueled by renewable energy sources. Our simple vapor cycle uses a venturi to produce the evaporation of refrigerant, and requires no compressor, no feedpump, & no absorption to cycle the process.
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STAMFORD, Conn., BERKELEY, CA, and LISBON, PORTUGAL, APRIL 27, 2006 – GE Energy Financial Services, PowerLight Corporation and Catavento Lda announced today that they will build the world’s largest solar photovoltaic power project. The 11-megawatt solar power plant, comprising 52,000 photovoltaic modules, will be built at a single site in Serpa, Portugal, 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of Lisbon in one of Europe’s sunniest areas. (more…)

Diderot has summarised Lovelock’s argument for nuclear energy for us. Perhaps the most contentious issue facing us today, whilst nuclear energy has always been the bete noire of environmentalists Lovelock has endorsed nuclear energy as the only practical solution to the twin crisis of global warming and energy supply. Diderot writes:

Lovelock devotes chapter 5 of his new book, “The Revenge of Gaia”, to a
discussion of our major energy options.  The background to the
discussion is Lovelock’s belief that the planet is poised to flip into a
new hotter stable state with average temperatures 8 degrees higher than
now.  It’s an equilibrium that Gaia has reached many times before, most
recently 55 million years ago when carbon dioxide was at a concentration
similar to the one we are currently creating.  No one knows when we’ll
flip but all known climate systems are now in positive feedback and we
can expect to move to ‘hot earth’ within the next century.  When we do
most parts of the planet will become uninhabitable, the sea will swallow
London.

With that in mind, Lovelock considers the energy options: (more…)

By Richard Black
Environment Correspondent, BBC News website

“It feels very good,” says Lynn Stevenson. “We like it; it’s like we’re in control and managing something.”
Solar and wind rooftop generation plant at the Stevenson house

I am standing with Lynn and husband Chris in the shed outside their newly-built house in Robertson, New South Wales, 150km (100 miles) from the hustle and bustle of Sydney.

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