Page 4 - North American Clean Energy May June 2018 Issue

editor's note
news bites
EVER SINCE I WAS A KID, I’VE BEEN FASCINATED BY WEATHER
phenomena and natural disasters. I couldn’t get enough of tornados, avalanches, tidal waves – any time the news highlighted our earth’s natural destructive power, I was mesmerized. I’m still amazed by crazy weather, but now that I’m an adult, what really inspires me is human resilience in the face of such destruction. Scenes of people boating around their ooded neighborhoods made me shake my head in disbelief, unable to really grasp the magnitude of what I was seeing. I tried to imagine having my entire life turned upside down just because I happened to live in the path of an uncontrollable disaster. And yet, these people just keep on going, determined to rebuild their lives from the ruins leftover by the storm.
You may have noticed a similar resolve in the achievements of your colleagues in clean energy. No matter the obstacle, you will invariably nd someone – engineer, executive, intern – who has gured out a way to get around it. Not only with weather, but also when it comes to reaching out to the global community. Existing solar and wind installments already occupy the best (most easily-accessible and buildable) real estate on the planet. If companies want to grow, they need to push the boundaries of technology to exploit what’s left. Retro tting only goes so far; remote islands, frozen wastelands, scorched plains, and places inhospitable to people and animals, are the hottest untapped real estate markets for new energy.
Location is everything. It’s a familiar real estate trope, and one that’s particularly prescient
in today’s renewable energy industry. You may have the greatest idea for exploiting natural and renewable energy sources, but if your idea needs a large open space that’s unencumbered by obstructions or restrictions, it’s worthless. Let’s say you want to bring o -grid capabilities to people living where there’s zero infrastructure, or you nd that your “brown eld” is more suited for polar bears than PV, or you discover that you’re just as likely to watch your windfarm towers sway from an air current as they do from an aftershock – these are just a few of the scenarios we explore in this issue.
As companies push further into territory that is less than desirable, they must adapt to the challenges
of the terrain and environment.
is past year’s big storms have also have forced many people to think about contingencies, the reliability of clean energy, and grid stability. We are proud to feature examples
of companies which are making use of unfriendly terrain, designing new equipment to better survive weather phenomena, and coming up with innovative technologies speci cally engineered to withstand some of Mother Nature’s toughest challenges.
Sustainable, natural swimming pools
Considering the low carbon footprint and lower energy consumption, the construction of a Natural Swimming Pool (NSP) has been described as a personally responsible, sustainable consumer choice. NSPs are a complete reinvention of the chemical swimming pool: aquatic plants rooted hydroponically in gravel are used to clarify and purify the water, instead of using toxic, energy intensive mined chemicals. NSPs are sustainable and natural environments built using patented design techniques and energy e cient technology bring a safe, natural, and beautiful swimming experience. Natural Swimming Pools reduce exposure to harmful chemicals since the water is treated biologically. ere are no chemicals (such as salt or chlorine) or devices (such
as ozone generators or UV lights) used to disinfect or sterilize the water, thus preventing toxic chemicals from entering the watershed or our bodies. e movement of the water through the biological lter and regeneration zone, as well as the plants feeding hydroponically is how the water is cleaned. Existing sterile, energy consuming, chemically demanding, swimming pools can be converted into Natural Swimming Pools. In addition to the healthful swimming, the Regeneration Zones help support local wildlife such as honeybees, dragon ies, and other pollinators plus, they are a beautiful, unique landscape feature.
California Natural Pools | www.californiabionova.com
Automobiles with solar roofs
Audi and Alta Devices, a subsidiary of solar-cell specialist, Hanergy in Film Power, plan to work together to integrate solar cells into panoramic glass roofs of Audi models. With this cooperation, the partners aim to generate solar energy to increase the range of Audi electric vehicles. e rst prototype will be developed by the end of 2017. As the rst step, Audi and Alta Devices will integrate solar cells into a panoramic glass roof. In the future, because Alta’s technology is uniquely exible, thin, and e cient, almost the entire roof surface is to be covered with solar cells. e electricity generated from the cells will ow into the car’s electric system and can supply, for example, the air-conditioning system and
seat heaters, a gain in e ciency that has a direct positive impact on the range of an Audi electric vehicle. At a later stage, solar energy could directly charge the traction battery of Audi electric vehicles. e green electricity
will be generated by Alta Devices’ innovative solar cells. ese solar cells are very thin and exible, hold the world- record for e ciency, and perform extremely well in low light and high temperature environments.
Alta Devices | www.altadevices.com
Meg
Rooftop concentrating photovoltaics win big over silicon in outdoor testing
A concentrating photovoltaic system with embedded microtracking can produce over 50% more energy per day than standard silicon solar cells in a head-to-head competition, according to a team of engineers who eld tested a prototype unit over two sunny days last fall. e researchers at Penn State developed a panel of tiny solar cells which tracks the sun with practically imperceptible movement. e researchers report their improved concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system produced 54% more energy than the standard silicon cell over the course of one day. eir improved CPV system also reached 30% e ciency, in contrast to the 17% e ciency of the silicon cell.
Penn State University | www.psu.edu
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