• Embedding a network of highly efficient microscale solar cells between a pair of plastic lenslet arrays leads to fixed-tilt concentrating photovoltaic panels that are less than 1cm thick. (spie.org)
  • Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems leverage the cost of high efficiency multi-junction solar cells by using inexpensive optics to concentrate sunlight onto them," said Noel C. Giebink, assistant professor of electrical engineering, Penn State. (eurekalert.org)
  • Ultra-high efficiency solar cells similar to those used in space may now be possible on your rooftop thanks to a new microscale solar concentration technology developed by an international team of researchers. (eurekalert.org)
  • DP World, a leading provider of global end-to-end supply chain solutions, was awarded Gold in the Environmental Sustainability Programme category at the Gulf Sustainability Awards 2023 for its Solar Power Programme. (tradearabia.com)
  • The researchers tested their prototype concentrator panel outside over the course of a day in State College, Penn. (eurekalert.org)
  • The key components of passive solar energy systems include solar collectors, thermal mass, and insulation. (managenergy.tv)
  • Lastly, insulation plays a crucial role in preventing heat loss, ensuring that the heat generated by the solar collectors and stored in the thermal mass stays inside the building. (managenergy.tv)
  • The prototype features a rooftop lined with photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar panels, wind turbines (designed by Starck), and a rainwater recovery system. (azuremagazine.com)
  • There are two types of solar modules: photovoltaic panels to produce electricity and solar thermal collectors to produce domestic hot water or heating. (copernicus.eu)
  • Known as Roofpedia, it uses a fully convolutional neural network (deep learning) which allows researchers and policymakers to study how cities worldwide are greening their rooftops and using them for photovoltaic installations. (newswise.com)
  • For the landlord/house owner: Mon Toit Solaire provides independent, qualified and quantified information on rooftop photovoltaic power installations and their return of investment. (copernicus.eu)
  • Incidence angle of the sunlight with respect to the panel normal (i.e., perpendicular to the panel surface). (spie.org)
  • Passive solar energy systems utilize natural heat and light from the sun, while active solar energy systems use technology to capture and convert sunlight into electricity. (managenergy.tv)
  • One key aspect of passive solar design is solar orientation, which refers to the positioning of a building and its windows to maximize sunlight exposure during the winter months while minimizing it during the summer. (managenergy.tv)
  • One key feature of an active solar energy system is its use of technology to capture and convert sunlight into usable electricity. (managenergy.tv)
  • Solar panels are installed on rooftops or other areas where they can receive maximum sunlight exposure. (managenergy.tv)
  • These panels consist of photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity. (managenergy.tv)
  • With each tiny solar cell located in the focus of this duo, sunlight is intensified more than 200 times. (eurekalert.org)
  • Active solar energy systems have higher efficiency and can generate electricity even in cloudy conditions, whereas passive systems have limited efficiency and cannot actively control energy capture. (managenergy.tv)
  • The advantages of active solar energy systems include higher efficiency and the ability to generate electricity even in cloudy conditions. (managenergy.tv)
  • The electricity generated by the solar panels is then sent to batteries for storage. (managenergy.tv)
  • Giebink notes that the falling cost of typical silicon solar cells is making them a smaller and smaller fraction of the overall cost of solar electricity, which also includes "soft" costs like permitting, wiring, installation and maintenance that have remained fixed over time. (eurekalert.org)
  • The 25-kilowatt photovoltaic system is expected to supply about 70 percent of the company's annual electricity needs as well as reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24 metric tons annually, according to CF Fresh. (goodfruit.com)
  • For many of us, the image that comes to mind when we think of solar energy is a house with photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof. (spie.org)
  • But, you can't put a system like this on your roof, which is where the majority of solar panels throughout the world are installed. (eurekalert.org)
  • To enable CPV on rooftops, the researchers combined miniaturized, gallium arsenide photovoltaic cells, 3D-printed plastic lens arrays and a moveable focusing mechanism to reduce the size, weight and cost of the CPV system and create something similar to a traditional solar panel that can be placed on the south-facing side of a building's roof. (eurekalert.org)
  • The vision is that such a microtracking CPV panel could be placed on a roof in the same space as a traditional solar panel and generate a lot more power," said Giebink. (eurekalert.org)
  • With Roofpedia, the researchers created an open roof registry with data from 1 million rooftops across 17 morphologically and geographically cities, spanning Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia. (newswise.com)
  • Using this data, the researchers developed the Roofpedia Index, to benchmark the cities by the extent of sustainable roofscape in terms of solar and green roof penetration. (newswise.com)
  • Las Vegas was tops in the solar roof adoption in the Index with a score of 86. (newswise.com)
  • Unlike passive solar energy systems, which rely on natural processes like conduction and convection to distribute heat, active systems utilize mechanical and electrical components to generate power. (managenergy.tv)
  • Net metering, which is offered by utility companies in most states, makes it easy for customers to install solar systems and feed extra power they generate into the utility's electrical grid for distribution to other customers. (goodfruit.com)
  • The photovoltaic (PV) cell (red rectangle) faces downward and slides laterally, together with the middle spacer sheet, to track different solar incidence angles. (spie.org)
  • Because the focal point moves with the sun over the course of a day, the middle solar cell sheet tracks by sliding laterally in between the lenslet array. (eurekalert.org)
  • Because generating more power from a given panel leverages all of these costs over the system lifetime, there is a strong incentive to increase efficiency. (spie.org)
  • Solar energy storage is an important component of active solar energy systems, as it allows for continuous power supply. (managenergy.tv)
  • DP World's Solar Power Programme is the largest rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) programme in the GCC, and the largest distributed rooftop solar project in the Middle East. (tradearabia.com)
  • The pioneering Solar Power Programme reaffirms our commitment to creating a positive impact on our environment as well as our ongoing responsibility towards our communities. (tradearabia.com)
  • The Solar Power Programme is a core pillar of DP World's commitment to the clean energy transition, which includes ambitious emission reduction targets of 28% in carbon footprint by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. (tradearabia.com)
  • In what has been dubbed the 'solar stampede,' -Californians are installing solar energy systems to power everything from Wal-Marts to wineries and offices to irrigation pumps, as business owners and residents take advantage of tax credits and rebates that significantly defray solar energy costs. (goodfruit.com)
  • Grape growers and vintners throughout the state are using photovoltaic panels, placed in vineyards and on winery rooftops, to reduce their power needs, with many receiving rebates from their electric company that, combined with federal incentives, reduce the cost by about half. (goodfruit.com)
  • Mon Toit Solaire, developed by NOVELTIS, is a web-based integrated decision support system for the development of rooftop photovoltaic power generation. (copernicus.eu)
  • For those four days in October, the Solar Power International 2008 convention drew attendees from 70 countries and generated lines stretching out the door for parking, food, and just about everything else. (blogspot.com)
  • This panel achieves ∼200× concentration with an optical efficiency of 80-93% for solar incidence within a 120° full field of view: see Figure 2 (a). (spie.org)
  • Even though the printed plastic lenses were not up to specification, they were able to demonstrate over 100 times solar concentration. (eurekalert.org)
  • As such, Roofpedia indicates a higher concentration of solar-enabled buildings in heartland areas such as Woodlands, Jurong, or Ang Mo Kio as compared to other districts like Pasir Panjang. (newswise.com)
  • Cities have accelerated looking into how underutilised rooftop spaces might contribute to climate action, food production, and other purposes. (newswise.com)
  • Active solar energy systems utilize technology like solar panels and batteries to capture and store the sun's energy for later use. (managenergy.tv)
  • Solar collectors are responsible for capturing the sun's energy and converting it into usable heat. (managenergy.tv)
  • Solar energy is a free, intense, and inexhaustible resource that can for instance be acquired by installing collectors on rooftops. (copernicus.eu)
  • Congress must extend the solar energy tax credit-the ability to lop off 30 percent of the cost of a solar energy project-or the credit will revert to 10 percent after the end of 2008. (goodfruit.com)
  • In Paso Robles, EOS Winery recently completed a $3.8 million project that included ground-mounted panels covering two acres. (goodfruit.com)
  • Frog's Leap Winery in Rutherford was so enthusiastic about its solar project that it hosted a 'Solar Stampede' to educate and encourage other wineries to jump on the solar bandwagon. (goodfruit.com)
  • Mackay said he spent three to four months educating himself about solar energy, the longest part of the project, but noted that installation only took about three weeks. (goodfruit.com)
  • Before any incentives, the solar project cost $185,000. (goodfruit.com)
  • Mon Toit Solaire simulates and calculates the energy potential of a photovoltaic (PV) rooftop project and provides users with reliable technical and financial information. (copernicus.eu)
  • In this article, I will delve into the fascinating world of solar energy systems and explore the key differences between passive and active systems. (managenergy.tv)
  • To tackle this, Dr Filip Biljecki, Presidential Young Professor from the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS) School of Design and Environment, and NUS Master of Architecture graduate Mr Abraham Noah Wu developed an automated tool that uses satellite images to track how rooftops around the world adopt solar panels and/or vegetation. (newswise.com)
  • Previous attempts at such translation-based tracking have only worked for about two hours a day because the focal point moves out of the plane of the solar cells, leading to loss of light and a drop in efficiency. (eurekalert.org)
  • By sandwiching the cells between the lenslet arrays, the researchers solved this problem and enabled efficient solar focusing for a full eight hour day with only about 1 centimeter of total movement needed for tracking. (eurekalert.org)
  • The result is a CPV panel with an approximate thickness of 1cm. (spie.org)
  • Because the total panel thickness is only about a centimeter and 99 percent of it -- everything except the solar cells and their wiring -- consists of acrylic plastic or Plexiglas, this system has the potential to be inexpensive to produce. (eurekalert.org)
  • The researchers emphasised that each city has its unique characteristics, and the exact benefit of greenery or solar panels on rooftops much depends on the urban form and design. (newswise.com)
  • We partnered with colleagues at the University of Illinois because they are experts at making small, very efficient multi-junction solar cells," said Giebink. (eurekalert.org)
  • A passive solar energy system uses the natural heat and light from the sun to provide heating and lighting in a building. (managenergy.tv)
  • A Washington State produce marketer has also installed a solar-energy system. (goodfruit.com)
  • Mr Wu elaborated that the scoring system considers both building count and total building area, thus allowing users to study the degree of adoption by individual owners as well as the overall extensiveness of rooftop solar and vegetation cover in other cities. (newswise.com)
  • Although this approach is well-suited for large, open-land areas, it is incompatible with the limited space and compact panel profile required for rooftop installation. (spie.org)
  • When the panel is fixed at latitude tilt, this angular range enables year-round operation for approximately 8 hours per day-see Figure 2 (b)-for a hypothetical installation in central Pennsylvania. (spie.org)
  • The programme has seen the installation of over 157,000 solar panels across the expansive 57 square kilometres of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and Port Rashid on the rooftops of buildings, parking lots and warehouses. (tradearabia.com)
  • I had to really look beyond the concept to isolate the real costs and benefits of solar. (goodfruit.com)
  • Furthermore, the integration of solar panels on rooftops is simple, the running costs are low and maintenance is simple. (copernicus.eu)
  • Sustainable roofs, such as those with greenery and photovoltaic panels, can contribute to the roadmap for reducing the carbon footprint of cities but while studies have been done to gauge their potential, few track the actual performance of cities. (newswise.com)
  • This could be due to the high solar potential of the geographical area. (newswise.com)
  • By collecting such data, Roofpedia allows to gauge how cities might further utilise their rooftops to mitigate carbon emissions and how much untapped potential their roofscapes have. (newswise.com)
  • This is derived by considering both the area coverage and the number of buildings equipped with solar and green roofs in a city as a percentage value of the entire area. (newswise.com)
  • The scores in the Index are normalised, and while Singapore scored highly on total area coverage, it is behind some other cities for having relatively fewer buildings equipped with solar panels. (newswise.com)
  • Photovoltaic panels are positioned on the rooftop of organic produce marketer CF Fresh to put sunshine to work. (goodfruit.com)
  • CF Fresh, an organic fruit and vegetable marketer in Sedro Woolley, Washington, recently installed one of the largest solar energy projects connected with Puget Sound Energy. (goodfruit.com)
  • With passive and active solar energy systems, this dream becomes a reality. (managenergy.tv)
  • Passive solar energy systems are cost-effective with minimal maintenance requirements, while active systems are more expensive to install and maintain. (managenergy.tv)
  • Passive solar energy systems are designed to maximize solar heating and natural lighting, reducing the need for artificial heating and lighting sources. (managenergy.tv)
  • With this understanding of passive systems, let's now explore the key components of active solar energy systems. (managenergy.tv)
  • The CAMS solar radiation data provides critical information on the amount of solar radiation available at the location of the Mon Toit Solaire service, which would otherwise have to be obtained from surface measurements over a sufficiently long period. (copernicus.eu)
  • Range of angles for the light rays incident on the solar cell. (spie.org)
  • Lattice constant of the hexagonally patterned solar cell array. (spie.org)
  • Mackay said that they installed a heat pump at the same time as the solar panels. (goodfruit.com)
  • Several wineries are powered completely by solar energy, with others receiving 30 to 50 percent of their energy from solar. (goodfruit.com)
  • California's rush to solar is most evident in the wine industry, which prides itself on its sustainability and environmental stewardship. (goodfruit.com)
  • Fortune Magazine) -- No one loves Arnold Schwarzenegger more than the solar industry. (blogspot.com)
  • You wouldn't have guessed that just a week before, the financial meltdown had felled sector after sector, including the once-shining solar industry. (blogspot.com)
  • Mr Wu said, "While Singapore has ambitious plans to considerably expand its solar energy deployment by 2030 as part of the SG Green Plan, rooftop solar deployment is largely driven by the government. (newswise.com)