Most wind turbines are “horizontal axis,” pointing into the direction of the wind. “Vertical axis” turbines can capture wind energy from any direction, but current designs are less efficient and so get little attention and investment. Andrea Montanari at ECECP looks at innovative companies around the world that are trying to leverage the other advantages they have over the dominant horizontal versions. They are more stable (lower centre of … [Read more...]
Space-Based Solar Power: getting closer as SpaceX and Blue Origin bring down the cost of heavy-lift launches?
“Space-based solar power” (SBSP) sounds great in theory: giant solar farms in space collect unobstructed sunlight 24/7 and beam it to Earth stations, all using technology that already exists. It isn’t getting off the ground (pun intended!) primarily because of the cost of launching thousands of tonnes into space, plus assembly and maintenance. The attraction is that, if it can happen affordably, it could provide a hundred times the energy the … [Read more...]
New thermophotovoltaic cells turn heat into electricity more efficiently than a steam turbine
Over 90% of the world’s electricity comes from heat-generating power plants using coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, and concentrated solar energy. Steam turbines have always been the standard for converting that heat into electricity. On average they are only 35% efficient, with moving parts that cannot cope with temperatures above 2,000 degrees Celsius. Jennifer Chu at MIT describes new research, in collaboration with NREL, that has led to a … [Read more...]
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