The power conversion efficiency of silicon photovoltaics has been stuck at 25 percent for 15 years but cheap tandem solar cells could affordably boost efficiency. One cost-effective way to improve efficiency is to build a tandem device made of silicon and another inexpensive photovoltaic material, he said. “Making low-cost tandems is very desirable,” McGehee said. …
To achieve the goal of limiting global temperature increases to just 2 degrees Celsius (°C) by the end of the century, a halving of global energy-related emissions by 2050 will be needed. A wide range of low-carbon energy technologies will be needed to support this transition, including nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is a mature technology …
McKinsey has projected the effect of regular aging based on current demographic trends for the countries of the world out to 2065. The potential for diminished growth varies considerably among countries. In the developed world, Canada and Germany (-52%) are poised for the biggest drops in GDP growth rates. Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Russia, and Brazil …
A team of physicists at the University of California, Riverside has found an ingenious way to induce magnetism in graphene while also preserving graphene’s electronic properties. They have accomplished this by bringing a graphene sheet very close to a magnetic insulator – an electrical insulator with magnetic properties. “The magnetic graphene acquires new electronic properties …
The first detailed, experiments have been performed on how atmospheric conditions might have reduced the air pressure in footballs used by the New England Patriots in their victory over the Indianapolis Colts nearly two weeks ago. Most or all of the deflation could be explained by environmental effects. A scientific study to simulate the game …
Engineers are shining new light on an emerging family of solar-absorbing materials that could clear the way for cheaper and more efficient solar panels and LEDs. The materials, called perovskites, are particularly good at absorbing visible light, but had never been studied in their purest form: as perfect single crystals. Using a new technique, researchers …
Researchers revealed a new solution-based hot-casting technique that allows growth of highly efficient and reproducible solar cells from large-area perovskite crystal. The researchers fabricated planar solar cells from pervoskite materials with large crystalline grains that had efficiencies approaching 18%, among the highest reported in the field of perovskite-based light-to-energy conversion devices. The cells demonstrate little …
Diamond can run 5 times hotter than Silicon without degrading in performance and is more easily cooled (with 22 times the heat transfer efficiency of silicon), can tolerate higher voltages before breaking down, and electrons (and electron-holes) can move faster through them. Already, semiconductor devices with diamond material are available that deliver one million times …
Israel designs its tanks and armored carriers with a high focus on soldier survivability. Namer is an Israeli armored personnel carrier based on a Merkava tank chassis. They weigh 60 tons. They have a crew of 3 and can carry 12 soldiers. Top speed is 40 mph and it has a range of 310 miles. …
At least twice since 2007 Chinese hackers have stolen data on the F-35 from the developers’ poorly-guarded computer servers. China’s J-31 jet lacks many of the features that were included in the F-35 that were made for the US Marines obsession with jumpjets. War is Boring also explains why the history of the Harrier and …
Foxconn makes many of the worlds smartphones and tablets. They make Apple iPhones and iPads. They also make some android smartphones. The CEO of Foxconn has indicated that he wants to make a lot of robots to reduce the hiring of workers. Currently Foxconn has 1.3 million workers. They are one of the largest private …