Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels
Published

Cheap, sustainable hydrogen through solar power      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new kind of solar panel has achieved 9% efficiency in converting water into hydrogen and oxygen--mimicking a crucial step in natural photosynthesis. Outdoors, it represents a major leap in the technology, nearly 10 times more efficient than solar water-splitting experiments of its kind.

Geoscience: Earthquakes Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

The adverse health effects of disaster-related trauma      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study has found that individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to experience disaster-related home loss, and they are also more likely to develop functional limitations following the disaster. 

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels
Published

A step towards solar fuels out of thin air      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Chemical engineers have invented a solar-powered artificial leaf, built on a novel electrode which is transparent and porous, capable of harvesting water from the air for conversion into hydrogen fuel. The semiconductor-based technology is scalable and easy to prepare.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Space: Exploration
Published

Space solar power technology demo launched into orbit      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The launch represents the first in-situ test of the technology to harvest solar energy in space and transmit it to Earth.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Skiing over Christmas holidays no longer guaranteed -- even with snow guns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

For many people, holidays in the snow are as much a part of the end of the year as Christmas trees and fireworks. As global warming progresses, however, white slopes are becoming increasingly rare. Researchers have calculated how well one of Switzerland's largest ski resorts will remain snow reliable with technical snow-making by the year 2100, and how much water this snow will consume.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Improving the operational stability of perovskite solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have found a way to improve the operational stability of perovskite solar cells, a crucial step towards their commercialization.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Space: The Solar System
Published

The world's largest turbulence simulation unmasks the flow of energy in astrophysical plasmas      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers uncover the long-hidden process that helps explain why the Sun's corona can be vastly hotter than the solar surface that emits it.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

New study models the transmission of foreshock waves towards Earth      (via sciencedaily.com) 

As the supersonic solar wind surges towards Earth, its interaction with our planet's magnetic field creates a shock to deflect its flow, and a foreshock filled with electromagnetic waves. How these waves can propagate to the other side of the shock has long remained a mystery.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Scientists discover a novel photophysical mechanism that has achieved record-breaking efficiency for organic photovoltaics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) are a promising, economical, next-generation solar cell technology for scalable clean energy and wearable electronics. But the energy conversion loss due to the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in OPVs has hindered further enhancement of their power conversion efficiency (PCE). Recently, researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) overcame this obstacle by inventing a novel device-engineering strategy to successfully suppress the energy conversion loss, resulting in record-breaking efficiency.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Ammonium is the secret ingredient in stable, efficient, scalable perovskite solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new pathway to creating durable, efficient perovskite photovoltaics at industrial scale has been demonstrated through the first effective use of lead acetate as a precursor in making formamidinium-caesium perovskite solar cells.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Tandem solar cell achieves 32.5 percent efficiency      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers report a new world record for tandem solar cells consisting of a silicon bottom cell and a perovskite top cell. The new tandem solar cell converts 32.5 percent of the incident solar radiation into electrical energy.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Catalyzing 'net-zero' green hydrogen from the sun      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have discovered an important in-situ protonation process that the photodynamics and separation of charge carriers in a photocatalyst, leading to efficient hydrogen generation from water using visible solar light. The process is enabled in an interstitial phosphorus doped carbon nitride structure, with only earth-abundant non-metallic elements, for its cost-effectiveness and high potential for practical applications.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Offbeat: Earth and Climate
Published

Producing 'green' energy -- literally -- from living plant 'bio-solar cells'      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Though plants can serve as a source of food, oxygen and décor, they're not often considered to be a good source of electricity. But by collecting electrons naturally transported within plant cells, scientists can generate electricity as part of a 'green,' biological solar cell. Now, researchers have used a succulent plant to create a living 'bio-solar cell' that runs on photosynthesis.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Good vibrations turbo charge green hydrogen production      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have used sound waves to boost production of green hydrogen by 14 times, through electrolysis to split water.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Offbeat: Earth and Climate
Published

Paper-thin solar cell can turn any surface into a power source      (via sciencedaily.com) 

MIT researchers developed a scalable fabrication technique to produce ultrathin, flexible, durable, lightweight solar cells that can be stuck to any surface. Glued to high-strength fabric, the solar cells are only one-hundredth the weight of conventional cells while producing about 18 times more power-per-kilogram.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Economical eco-friendly fabrication of high efficiency chalcopyrite solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Clean, sustainable energy solutions are essential to meet the ever-increasing energy demands of the human population. High efficiency solar cells are promising candidates to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. In this regard, solution-processed copper indium gallium sulfur diselenide solar cells (CIGSSe) solar cells have generated significant interest owing to their excellent photovoltaic properties, such as high absorption of visible light, stability, and tunable bandgap. However, large scale, practical applications are limited by a two-fold challenge.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Built to last: The perovskite solar cells tough enough to match mighty silicon      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have demonstrated a new way to create stable perovskite solar cells, with fewer defects and the potential to finally rival silicon's durability.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Health benefits of using wind energy instead of fossil fuels      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study finds that the health benefits associated with wind power could more than quadruple if operators turned down output from the most polluting fossil-fuel-based power plants when energy from wind is available. However, compared to wealthier communities, disadvantaged communities would reap a smaller share of these benefits.

Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Large band bending at SnS interface opens door for highly efficient thin-film solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Tin sulfide (SnS) solar cells have shown immense promise in the rush to develop more environmentally friendly thin-film solar cells. Yet for years SnS solar cells have struggled to achieve a high conversion efficiency. To overcome this, a SnS interface exhibiting large band bending was necessary, something a research group has recently achieved.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Cooling down solar cells, naturally      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Too much sun and too much heat can reduce the efficiency of photovoltaics. A solar farm with optimally spaced panels facing the correct direction could cool itself through convection using the surrounding wind. Researchers explored how to exploit the geometry of solar farms to enhance natural cooling mechanisms.