MakeHeat

” A new technique developed by engineers for producing power-conducting plastics could slash the cost of making solar panels, say researchers.

With mounting concerns about global warming and energy demand, plastics could represent a low-cost alternative to indium tin oxide (ITO), an expensive conducting material currently used in solar panels, according to the researchers.

‘Conductive polymers (plastics) have been around for a long time, but processing them to make something useful degraded their ability to conduct electricity,’ said Yueh-Lin Loo, associate professor of chemical engineering at Princeton University, who led the research team.

‘We have figured out how to avoid this trade-off. We can shape the plastics into a useful form while maintaining high conductivity,’ Yueh-Lin Loo added. …” Read full story at:
http://sify.com/news/plastic-electronics-can-slash-cost-of-solar-panels-news-international-kednkcidcjd.html

From New Jersy, USA:

“…Honeywell’s energy-efficient refrigerant is being used in an organic rankine

cycle (ORC) called the 35Z Micro Power Plant, manufactured by Germany-based Turbolina GmbH & Co. KG. The 35Z Micro Power Plant has a unique design that uses water heated by thermal solar panels to evaporate the refrigerant, which in turn drives a turbine to generate electricity. Because no fuel is burned to create the electricity, the unit does not produce any carbon dioxide emissions. The remaining heat from the 35Z can be used to supply heating andhot water. …”
Honeywell Refrigerant Helps Homeowners Convert the Suns Heat Into Power| Reuters.