Knowledge

The fluctuating price of energy, due to a variety of reasons ranging from geo-political constraints to national and international economic issues, and the fact that these energy resources are finite, can be seen as the main incent...  more

Installing a solar energy system represents an important financial decision for any individual or company. Business owners, corporate boards and individual property owners have a limited amount of financial resources. Therefore, t...  more

Much has been made of the fact that currently available energy sources are polluting and finite.  Furthermore, much has been made of the belief that renewable energy resources collectively hold the potential to meet the energy dem...  more

Since the Industrial Revolution, our energy needs have been met primarily through the burning of polluting fossil fuels, with each century producing a more power-hungry generation than the previous. While this underpinned the rapi...  more

The efficiency of PV solar cells is not only affected by the photovoltaic materials and manufacturing techniques used to produce them, but temperature can cause problems with even the most efficient panels. The efficiency of PVs h...  more

Solar modules require tempered solar glass to protect interior components against the elements. In thin film applications, glass function as a substrate for the deposit of the charging material, such as silicone. Coated glass form...  more

Solar ventilation preheat refers to a solar wall or transpired solar collector, which heats air before it enters a structure. It provides a very efficient method of lowering a building energy costs with a clean renewable source of...  more

A solar-based Utopia would see solar panels on the roof of every building, and solar material integrated into the façade of each building. Every conceivable space that receives direct sunlight would be layered in solar material. U...  more

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), 67.5% of the worldwide electricity consumption comes from fossil fuels — coal (41%), natural gas (21%), and oil (5.5%). Nuclear energy provides 13.5% and hydro 15.9%....  more

The emerging field of optofluidics is offering new techniques for directing light and concentrating with it microscopic precision where it can be most efficiently used. This has the potential for greatly increasing the efficienc...  more