Monday, December 12, 2011
EMCORE Solar Panels Power NASA's MSL
EMCORE has announced that solar panels manufactured by EMCORE were
successfully launched November 26, 2011 onboard the Mars Science
Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft.
The panels, delivered earlier this year under contract with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Center in Pasadena, CA, will power the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft during its cruise stage to Mars.
The spacecraft is designed to carry the MSL rover "Curiosity" and communicate with the entry vehicle that will carry the rover to the surface of the planet. The solar panels for this mission were designed and manufactured exclusively by EMCORE's Photovoltaic Division, located in Albuquerque, NM.
"We are very proud to contribute to NASA's latest mission to Mars and are committed to supporting NASA with other future missions," said Christopher Larocca, Chief Operating Officer for EMCORE.
"EMCORE has previously delivered, or is in the process of delivering, solar panels for several other NASA missions including the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) to the International Space Station, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and the Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) missions."
EMCORE is a leading manufacturer of highly-efficient radiation-hard solar cells for space power applications. With a beginning-of-life (BOL) conversion efficiency nearing 30% and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode, EMCORE's industry leading multi-junction solar cells provide power to interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites.
The panels, delivered earlier this year under contract with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Center in Pasadena, CA, will power the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft during its cruise stage to Mars.
The spacecraft is designed to carry the MSL rover "Curiosity" and communicate with the entry vehicle that will carry the rover to the surface of the planet. The solar panels for this mission were designed and manufactured exclusively by EMCORE's Photovoltaic Division, located in Albuquerque, NM.
"We are very proud to contribute to NASA's latest mission to Mars and are committed to supporting NASA with other future missions," said Christopher Larocca, Chief Operating Officer for EMCORE.
"EMCORE has previously delivered, or is in the process of delivering, solar panels for several other NASA missions including the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) to the International Space Station, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and the Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) missions."
EMCORE is a leading manufacturer of highly-efficient radiation-hard solar cells for space power applications. With a beginning-of-life (BOL) conversion efficiency nearing 30% and the option for a patented, onboard monolithic bypass diode, EMCORE's industry leading multi-junction solar cells provide power to interplanetary spacecraft and earth orbiting satellites.
Solar Trees Bloom at GM's Tech Facility Event
Envision Solar International participated in a ribbon cutting of a new
Solar Tree structure installation at General Motor's Warren, Michigan
facility on Wednesday, November 16.
More than 100 people attended the event. Speeches were given by James Fouts, the Mayor of Warren, Michigan, Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Envision Solar and Tony Posowatz GM: Global Electric Vehicles and Cindy Brinkley - GM VP, Global Human Resources. GM reiterated its intentions to "plant" many more solar trees in the coming months. The installation consists of Envision's Solar Tree structure which will shade and charge six electric vehicles while providing renewable, solar electric energy to GM'S facility. The deployment includes Solar Tree structures which incorporate Envision's CleanChargeT CIT, "column-integrated" electric vehicle charging stations. The Solar Tree structures also incorporate Envision's EnvisionTrakT multi-axis solar tracking technology which should increase the efficiency of the installation by as much as 25%. Envision Solar has recently released its new proprietary and patent pending EnvisionTrakT technology and has installations in multiple markets across the USA. GM's decision to use Envision Solar's Solar Tree structure dovetails with GM's larger environmental commitment to renewable energy and advanced technologies that reduce the environmental impact of its vehicles and facilities, reduce petroleum dependency and positively impact America's energy security. Desmond Wheatley, President and CEO of Envision Solar stated: "This ribbon cutting event is a proud moment for our company. GM selected us because of the uniqueness and high quality of our products and the paradigm shifting nature of our approach to the EV charging market. Our Solar Tree structures can be installed in any location while our unique tracking solution allows us to always get the most from the sun. "As such they are the perfect visible embodiment of GM and its dealerships commitment to the environment and the future of electric and other highly efficient vehicles. We look forward to installing many more of our iconic tracking Solar Tree structures for GM in the coming months". Robert Noble, Founder and Chairman of Envisions' Board added: "Leading companies worldwide are embracing distributed generation solar. They appreciate the economic, environmental and societal benefits of Envision's "Smart" Solar Tree structures. GM is exactly the sort of company we hoped to work with six years ago when I invented the Solar Tree structure. This event marks an important point in our company's evolution." Rob Threlkeld, GM Global Manager of Renewable Energy, added: "GM's decision to use Envision Solar's Solar Tree structure dovetails with our larger environmental commitment to reduce our environmental impact. By continuing to find ways to utilize advanced technologies for the greater good, we are hopeful that these trends will soon become commonplace." Envision's Solar Trees - An architect's vision of beautiful, functional design and clean, solar energy Visionary environmental architect Robert Noble, AIA, LEED AP founded Envision Solar in 2006. Based in San Diego, California, Envision Solar differentiates itself from the market with its offering of advanced, high quality solar with beautiful and iconic design. Their Solar Tree structure, works as a billboard for a company's green credentials while producing clean energy and improving the aesthetics of any parking lot. The company has won numerous awards for their Solar Tree structure, with it becoming the world's most recognized image for solar shade structures. Many businesses today want to make a "green statement" to their customers and employees with highly visible and beautiful solar technology. |
Monday, December 5, 2011
Broadband and Communications
A paper describing the findings, "Broadband polarization-independent resonant light absorption using ultrathin plasmonic super absorbers," was published November 1 in the journal Nature Communications.
"The solar spectrum is not like a laser -- it's very broadband, starting with UV and going up to near-infrared," said Koray Aydin, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science and the paper's lead author. "To capture this light most efficiently, a solar cell needs to have a broadband response. This design allows us to achieve that."
The researchers used two unconventional materials -- metal and silicon oxide -- to create thin but complex, trapezoid-shaped metal gratings on the nanoscale that can trap a wider range of visible light. The use of these materials is unusual because on their own, they do not absorb light; however, they worked together on the nanoscale to achieve very high absorption rates, Aydin said.
The uniquely shaped grating captured a wide range of wavelengths due to the local optical resonances, causing light to spend more time inside the material until it gets absorbed. This composite metamaterial was also able to collect light from many different angles -- a useful quality when dealing with sunlight, which hits solar cells at different angles as sun moves from east to west throughout the day.
This research is not directly applicable to solar cell technology because metal and silicon oxide cannot convert light to electricity; in fact, the photons are converted to heat and might allow novel ways to control the heat flow at the nanoscale. However, the innovative trapezoid shape could be replicated in semiconducting materials that could be used in solar cells, Aydin said.
If applied to semiconducting materials, the technology could lead to thinner, lower-cost, and more efficient solar cells, he said.
"The solar spectrum is not like a laser -- it's very broadband, starting with UV and going up to near-infrared," said Koray Aydin, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science and the paper's lead author. "To capture this light most efficiently, a solar cell needs to have a broadband response. This design allows us to achieve that."
The researchers used two unconventional materials -- metal and silicon oxide -- to create thin but complex, trapezoid-shaped metal gratings on the nanoscale that can trap a wider range of visible light. The use of these materials is unusual because on their own, they do not absorb light; however, they worked together on the nanoscale to achieve very high absorption rates, Aydin said.
The uniquely shaped grating captured a wide range of wavelengths due to the local optical resonances, causing light to spend more time inside the material until it gets absorbed. This composite metamaterial was also able to collect light from many different angles -- a useful quality when dealing with sunlight, which hits solar cells at different angles as sun moves from east to west throughout the day.
This research is not directly applicable to solar cell technology because metal and silicon oxide cannot convert light to electricity; in fact, the photons are converted to heat and might allow novel ways to control the heat flow at the nanoscale. However, the innovative trapezoid shape could be replicated in semiconducting materials that could be used in solar cells, Aydin said.
If applied to semiconducting materials, the technology could lead to thinner, lower-cost, and more efficient solar cells, he said.
Solar Power Could Get Boost from New Light Absorption Design
Solar power may be on the rise, but solar cells are only as efficient as the amount of sunlight they collect. Under the direction of a new McCormick professor, researchers have developed a new material that absorbs a wide range of wavelengths and could lead to more efficient and less expensive solar technology.
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