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Articles tagged with: ‘solar energy‘

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Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission process boosts efficiency of solar panels

By Damir Beciri
3 August 2010

new-solar-testing-from-stanford-universityStanford engineers have found out how to simultaneously use the light and heat of the sun to generate electricity in a way that could make solar power production more than twice as efficient as existing methods and potentially cheap enough to compete with oil. Unlike photovoltaic technology currently used in solar panels (which become less… »

Architecture| Tech»

Green architecture – Suzlon One Earth

By Damir Beciri
One Comment23 June 2010

suzlon-one-earth-1Suzlon Energy Limited (SEL), India’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, received LEED Platinum award for their new corporate headquarters in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Developed on an area of 41,000 square meters (10.13 acres) with a capacity to house 2,300 people, One Earth is one of the largest green building projects in India. The green approach has… »

Architecture| Tech»

Green architecture – Kroon Hall, Yale University

By Damir Beciri
5 February 2010

kroon-hall-1The new home of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies on Science Hill, Yale, was awarded with LEED Platinum certification. Designed by Hopkins Architects and Planners, in collaboration with Centerbrook Architects and Atelier Ten Environmental Designers, Kroon Hall incorporates a wide range of sustainable strategies and design features reflected in its maximum LEED rating…. »

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Team Germany wins Solar Decathlon 2009

By Damir Beciri
17 October 2009

team-germany-solar-decathlon-2009-1“Team Germany” from the Technische Universität Darmstadt has won the 2009 Solar Decathlon with their project surPLUShome. This is the second time in a row that a team from TU Darmstadt wins this international contest after already winning the title in Solar Decathlon’s last edition in 2007. After 9 days and 10 contests, Team Germany… »

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Solé Power Tiles – roofing tiles generating electricity

By Damir Beciri
4 Comments24 August 2009

sole-power-tilesBesides building green surfaces on our roofs we need solar energy harnessing. Shouldn’t our roof tiles accomplish that? Guys from SRS Energy surely think so. Solar energy is a renewable alternative to power plants that burn fossil fuels, finite resources that contribute to pollution, global warming, as well as the reliance on imports for our energy… »

Architecture| Tech»

Green architecture – self-sustainable media wall in Beijing

By Damir Beciri
10 July 2009

greenpixSimone Giostra & Partners Architects have designed the GreenPix – Zero Energy Media Wall – a project applying a self-sustainable digital media LED display on the curtain wall of Xicui Entertainment Complex in Beijing, near the site of the 2008 Olympics. Featuring one of the largest color LED display worldwide and the first photovoltaic system… »

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SolaMate saves energy spent on home temperature regulation

By Damir Beciri
8 June 2009

solamate.jpgSpace heating and cooling represent the most significant proportion of present home energy needs. There are some projects related to the new forms of architecture which should drastically change the process of temperature regulation in order make it more natural and environmentally friendly. We will write about those projects in our future articles. This article… »

Bionics| Tech»

Biomimicry of heliotropic plants – more efficient solar panels

By Damir Beciri
6 Comments30 May 2009

sunflowerslg005.jpgMany plants are heliotropic, gradually tilting towards the sun to optimize solar energy capture. Current sun-tracking solar panels involve the use of motors and electronic control systems, but we believe a biomimetic heliotropic solar panel can be created with the use of alternative materials and designs. Practically, the heliotropic solar panel could be useful in… »