MakeHeat

Graphene organic photovoltaics: Flexible material only a few atoms thick may offer cheap solar power

If you could plug your windows into the grid AND get the infrared solar gain for either space or water heating, you’d have a win-win situation.

“…A critical aspect of any OPV photo-electronic device is a transparent conductive electrode through which light can couple with active materials to create electricity. The new work indicates that graphene, a highly conductive and highly transparent form of carbon made up of atoms-thick sheets of carbon atoms, has high potential to fill this role. …”

via Graphene organic photovoltaics: Flexible material only a few atoms thick may offer cheap solar power.

“… The Lumenhaus home is an 800-square-foot, 1-bedroom residence with an open floor plan that can be extended to the outside decks. The house integrates an innovative Eclipsis System developed by the same institute that uses advanced weather monitoring systems to automatically open or close the shading system. …”

Virginia Tech designs zero-energy Lumenhaus home for Solar Decathlon | Solar Feeds News and Commentary Blog Network.

Nice roundup of ideas for saving/reusing energy and producing electricity, better lighting and more.  If only the steel industry would use the waste heat to sell to the iron smelters->brass smelters-> aluminum smelters -> silver smelters -> gold smelters -> lead smelters -> steam generators ->hot water heating for area homes.

via TheStar.com | Business | Body heat turning on cellphones .

“… By funding Symyx’s work, the DOE hopes to foster the development of an advanced heat transfer fluid that can operate within a temperature range from 80 degrees Celsius up to 500 degrees Celsius. The new heat transfer fluid, when used with other advanced technologies, could significantly decrease solar electricity cost to as low as 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt hour. Lower costs would make solar thermal electricity competitive with gas and coal and would offer a clean, renewable source of energy. …” 

 == Hope it’s non-toxic. 

Symyx Awarded Grant From Department of Energy for Solar Thermal Energy Research.