HaloIPT’s Wireless Electric Car Chargers

Recharging an electric car in motion using wireless EV chargers seemed more like a SF movie to me.

But reading more carefully, I have found that the IPT (the Inductive Power Transfer) was already launched on the market.

This system consist of: a wireless charging pad that look like an ordinary mat and a receiver pad that must be fitted inside your EV.

So, every time you’ll park your car over those wireless charging pads, they will recharge it (the system is based on the principle of inductive charging).

Researchers have planned to install many of these wireless pads on roads, in order to allow people to recharge their electric vehicles while driving.

Sun-Free Photovoltaics Open New Perspectives in Nano-Technology

Have you ever imagined a photovoltaic system that produces electricity without sunlight? Even it’s hard to believe, MIT researchers developed such a photovoltaic system that can run only on heat. Using any source of heat, this system will be able to generate electricity, giving the necessary boost to the future of renewable energy.

On its surface, this photovoltaic system has billions of tiny nano-pits that can convert heat into precise wavelengths of light. The produced light enables the photovoltaic system to generate electricity from it.

Using this new technology researchers have built a very small power generator. The micro-TPV power generator was designed around a micro-reactor that works as the nucleus of the machine.

Designed by Klavs Jensen, a professor of chemical engineering, the generator is powered by butane and is said to work three times longer than a lithium-ion battery (at the same size). It can be also recharged instantly by simply adding fresh fuel into it.

These new sun-free photovoltaics could be very useful in the area of nano-technology, creating alternatives for powering small devices as sensors, smartphones, laptops etc.

Source: Ecofriend

Nine in 10 homes will have to spend more to qualify for solar subsidies

Energy rating hurdle means 86% of householders would have to spend £5,600 to qualify for feed-in tariff.

Nearly nine in 10 households would have to spend more than £5,000 to make their homes more energy efficient before they could be eligible for solar panel subsidies under new rules announced this week.

Under changes announced on Monday, the solar feed-in tariff (Fit) will be tied to the government's "green deal" loan scheme, that aims to make homes more energy efficient.

Bringing those homes up to standard through insulation and heating improvements would "in most cases" cost up to £5,600, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). The Renewable Energy Association believes the true cost would be higher, at around £7,000.

Morocco to host first solar farm in €400bn renewables network

The vast solar and windfarm project across North Africa and the Middle East may provide 15% of Europe's electricity by 2050.

Morocco has been chosen as the first location for a German-led, €400bn project to build a vast network of solar and windfarms across North Africaand the Middle East to provide 15% of Europe's electricity supply by 2050.

The Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII), a coalition of companies including E.ON, Siemens, Munich Re and Deutsche Bank, announced at its annual conference being held in Cairo on Wednesday that "all systems are go in Morocco", with construction of the first phase of a 500MW solar farm scheduled to start next year. The precise location of the €2bn plant is yet to be finalised, but it is expected to be built near the desert city of Ouarzazate. It will use parabolic mirrors to generate heat for conventional steam turbines, as opposed to the photovoltaic cells used in the UK.

How to Build a Homemade Solar Water Heater

In a world where fossil fuels are running low and where electricity becomes expensive with each passing day, people have to adapt and start living independent of these resources.

Considering all alternative energy sources available today, people should start implementing them in their lives, in their homes.

This is the reason why I chose to show you in this post the simplest way to build a solar water heater for your home.

Assembling this system is not very difficult but it is important to take into account several things:

Before you start installing this solar heating panel, you have to decide where it will work best. It should be installed where it can find maximum sunlight. It is also better if you’ll keep it close to the back up heater.

For maximum efficiency and zero risks you have to use water tight panels sealed with plexi-glass. To make it water proof it should be endorsed with black pond liner.

Today, panels are made of thin cylinders because of their greater efficiency. Plywood tank is a substitute for the thin cylinder, which is a shallow box with the plywood bottom and four walls used for the water tank.

At the bottom of the panel you have to connect the pipes using connectors. The role of these pipes is to drive water from the house to your solar heater. With another set of pipes connected at the top of this heater you’ll send the warm water back to the house.

The color you’ll use to paint your solar heater will be black (including the inner side of the panel). Black color absorbs light rays better than any other color and it stores heat energy efficiently. You have to make sure that the paint dries completely.

Now when you’re almost done, you have to cover your panels with a part of plexi-glass acrylic plastic.

For the purpose of glazing glass is the most appropriate material (for homemade water heaters). To avoid leaks, glazing should be done carefully and also make sure to glue the panes perfectly to avoid condensation.

This homemade solar water heater should not be very difficult to build. Give these plans a try and start build it. Good luck!