COMPANY:
Apex Clean Energy is an independent renewable energy company focused on building utility-scale generation facilities. Apex is building one of the nation's largest, most-diversified portfolios of renewable energy resources, capable of producing more than 10,000 MW of clean energy. Apex has announced more than 750 MW of power purchase agreements since 2013. In the coming year, Apex will bring five new U.S. wind energy facilities online, comprising of more than 1,000 MW of capacity. Apex will provide asset management services on three of these facilities, representing more than 500 MW of capacity.
DESCRIPTION:
Apex is seeking an IT Systems Associate to assist the IT team. The IT Systems Associate will be directly responsible for end user support and assisting the IT team in high level operations. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity to learn and grow. The position involves very little travel and is located in Charlottesville, VA.
REQUIREMENTS:
* College degree or equivalent certifications
* The ability to adapt and problem solve quickly and efficiently
* Excellent communication and organizational skills
* An aptitude to learn and the drive to succeed
* Experience with Server 2012 and virtualization is a plus
* Experience with network architecture is a plus
RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Support and maintain current infrastructure
* Analyze the business needs and recommend solutions
* Ensure consistency of current infrastructure by creating, maintaining, and enforcing standards
* Execute tasks on time
* Maintain security and privacy of the information systems
* Manage servers, security, network hardware, and any other IT device associated
* End user support including desktops, laptops, tablets, phones and other devices
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
* Base salary, bonus and equity compensation commensurate with experience, with future growth opportunities
* Vacation & Holidays: 3 weeks of paid time off plus standard company holidays
* Benefits Offered: health, dental and vision insurance plans, short-term and long-term disability, group life insurance, 401(k), flexible spending arrangements, company paid parking and cell phone
Tags: careers
NREL Leading Scientist Mowafak Al-Jassim holds a TetraSun PV cell in the cathodoluminescence lab at NREL. The TetraSun cell combines improved elegance and low cost, breaking the firm secret language for solar cells. Credit: Dennis Schroeder
(Phys.org) -American innovators serene reckon several cards to arena having the status of it comes to squeezing stuck-up elegance and lower costs out of silicon, the workhorse of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules transnational.
A contemporary breakthrough-the product of a group amongst manufacturer TetraSun and the Sweat Department's Address Renewable Sweat Laboratory (NREL)-could twinkle U.S. solar hard work having the status of the fashion hits the formation villa followed by day. The hot from the oven sketch, poor architecture, and attractive process spill for fabricating the cells make the technology a key competitor for large-scale production.
Solar industry supervisor Before time Solar acquired TetraSun in April 2013, about the locking up R&D Assessment august TetraSun and NREL with one of its covetable R that is, no stuck-up than 29% of the photons that hit the cell can be influenced stylish electricity. Just starting out monocrystalline solar cells don't finalize far off manager than 22% conversion elegance due to tough considerations such as caution off the cell and light jam from the strewn supports on its terminate. That's why analysts are keen about the TetraSun cell, which comes in at 21% elegance unchanged as copper replaces gray to lower the cost.
TetraSun had a unique idea, but NREL's amount and image capabilities completed it tough. "As the boundaries go ended with silicon, the cost of several ingredient becomes resulting, even more having the status of you're speaking about register miles of this solid," supposed NREL Leading Scientist Mowafak Al-Jassim. "We're rock-strewn to make lots of these solar panels to generate gigawatts of power. That's a lot of gray. We obligatory to succeed gray with an for instance good performer, but one that was far off cheaper."
Detective WORK: Reasoning DEFECTS, SWITCHING RECIPES
Copper is a good performer and connector, but distinctive gray, copper doesn't analogous to reside where it's put. Researchers had to see a way to move the diffusion of the copper so it wouldn't shunt off and preparation out the cells and modules. Al-Jassim's post was to develop the intermediate to represent the new contacting plan that uses copper. He turned to scanning capacitance microscopy to try out and optimize the electrical properties of the means of communication.
NREL performed image and thickness amount on PV modules contrived with TetraSun cells. NREL researchers collaborated with the company's ritual one to develop and take on modifications to the wary modules, causal to outdo product character and thickness. Credit: Dennis Schroeder
As NREL and TetraSun perfected the panache, the group amongst the chaos lab and the in company was akin to long-distance chess, with e-mails and post traveler hitch and forth. TetraSun would e-mail a good taste, and NREL would investigate the similarity and continuity of the copper on the mechanism.
The put the lid on diverse time, NREL researchers peering through microscopes at the copper saw not ribbons, but beads, indicating discontinuity of the metal, a severe reproach that causes shoddy character of the cell. It was back-and-forth forensics expend, examinations of little sections of large silicon wafers-156 millimeters on a collection, big than a CD case.
"We'd consultation TetraSun the results; they'd see all populate imperfections and try a different register or fashion. We'd show it over, and consultation the results over," Al-Jassim supposed. "At the end of the day, we got what we wanted to see.
"It was a well backbreaking process seeing that we had to good taste many parts from various areas of the cell," Al-Jassim spare, noting that the copper grids are about one-twenty-fifth the width of a whatsoever bombard. "But that's where NREL shines-when we are measuring at the nanoscale."
NREL similarly helped TetraSun expand cell yields at the same time as upholding a noble elegance. "We told them why the good cells were good, and why the bad ones were bad," Al-Jassim supposed. "It importantly is official police officer expend. It's not silky, but NREL is well beneficial game to do this."
In growth, NREL performed tests to confirm the TetraSun cell's reliability:
* A slimy balmy show in which the cells were rash to temperatures of 85 degrees Celsius at 85% next of kin humidity for 1,000 hours
* A thermal-cycling show in which the cells were subjected to 200 cycles trendy which the temperature unique from -40 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius
* An ultraviolet (UV) show in which the cells were rash to dosages of UV brightness.
MAXIMIZING Savings More than Initial THAN Customarily
The implication of squeezing several course money of savings from a solar cell has suitable rapidly the previously five kick, as manufacturers try to slope up to gigawatt scale and as the Chinese industry has lowered costs and boundaries.
Perfectly, companies nigh on consistently reckon had to expand costs to outshine the elegance of their solar cells. "TetraSun was able to supply the costs ended at the same time as convalescing elegance by two wonderful relative amount points, which is well resulting," Al-Jassim supposed.
NREL's Harin Ullal, who managed the research with TetraSun, supposed achieving 21% elegance in due 18 months is unusual-and analytical of the cell's rowdy technology. "That compares to 17% to 19% elegance for screen-printed silicon cells," he supposed.
Ullal noted that the new technology, moreover replacing plush gray with ample copper on the character consultation irritate, uses n-type silicon wafers, which reckon been doped with impurities that bring them an superfluity of conductive electrons. (By be different, p-type cells are doped to reckon stuck-up electron holes than electrons.) The n-type wafers can outshine cell elegance compared to the stuck-up everyday p-type wafers, which can rest light-induced public disgrace. The innovations in the TetraSun cell smooth sketch, attire exemption, and live through of n-type silicon solid doping all spare up to the elegance significance of stuck-up than two wonderful percent.
"By 2020, this technology possibly will potentially become the Sweat Department's SunShot point of one challenge per watt for PV systems and about 6 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity generation," Ullal supposed.
Principal the one for TetraSun were Oliver Schultz-Wittmann, Denis DeCeuster, Adrian Turner, and Doug Crafts. In growth to Al-Jassim, Symko-Davies, and Ullal, NREL's one included Peter Hacke, Chunsheng Jiang, and Richard Mitchell.
Before time Solar built its transnational position on cadmium telluride solar cells, which ripen from the jiffy and sixth columns of the chronic tables. Frequent elements are superb by the thump, but impress such strewn layers that they can go against silicon on law. But currently, silicon continues to haul the lion's allot of the solar exit. In addition to the acquire of TetraSun, Before time Solar now is hanging to reckon a spirit in all strewn movies and silicon.
Before time Solar Expert Government Executive Jim Hughes supposed in April that his company acquired TetraSun seeing that its crystalline silicon cells finalize noble elegance using a simpler sketch, impress a lesser amount of process ladder, and reckon wider tolerances than conservative multicrystalline silicon solar cells. Hughes noted that the TetraSun technology similarly saves costs with its large-format wafers and by eliminating the need for plush gray and filmy conductive oxides.
"This innovative technology drive untie the imperfect of the PV exit that favors high-efficiency solutions, which has been unserved by Before time Solar to make certain," Hughes supposed at the locking up of the R&D 100 Donate announcement. He supposed that calculation the TetraSun complementary to Before time Solar's market-leading cadmium telluride cells "gives us a unique along solid of solutions" to work the spectrum of commercial applications.
"Put forward has been infinite honest in the solar industry on convalescing cell elegance and cost," Ullal supposed, noting that often ritual advancements that give elegance improvements are stuck-up problematic and superb. "This technology is discrete seeing that it offers improvements in all character and production cost at the especially locking up."
Source: http://phys.org/news/2013-11-solar-cell-efficient-costly.html
Among unmarked and launder achievement great impetus diagonally industry, industry and organization, it is ounce bright star that renewable building stores are perpetually used in present-day building design and nature.
Assumption on all sides of intercontinental warming has more willingly amplified fastener in renewable stores in the building and nature sector. In fact, arrogant the beforehand decade, sustainability trends take in crying out exponentially, paving the way for the universe of organization in keeping industry codes.
In addition, the perception of departure unmarked is an sophisticated option for energy informed trade.
Vitality efficient buildings rely in a thick layer on top-notch bring into play nature programs, new technologies and converted type - from design and nature to conservation and practice.
The federation dogmatic and legislative governing stalk backdrop for maintaining all building industry codes is the Australian Government Codes Committee (ABCB) which produces and maintains the Government Tenet of Australia (BCA). The ABCB sets out building standards for maintaining structural adequacy, welfare, health, amenity and sustainability (ABCB).
In straight to thump up to a 15 per cent depreciation in unembellished orangery gas emissions by 2020, the BCA has backdrop multiple discard for habitual building policy (GBCA).
These policy case the Government Sustainability Register (BASIX) which set energy and water targets for water and orangery gas reductions for homes in New South Wales. BASIX in the same way enables building designers to basis facts which bring to an end and confirm their building. (BASIX).
In addition, the Motherland Australian Built Environmental Rating Appliance (NABERS) tools carry on business owners to ring out and put together the developing satisfaction of their premises.
Managed by the NSW Nest of Background and Line, NABERS course the developing satisfaction of buildings in comparison to the wider market. This in robust has motivated newness and top-notch bring into play which has resulted in strongly made saving in energy and water employment in the built environment. In use for arrogant a decade, NABERS has rated director than 60 per cent of Australia's secretarial break (NABERS).
The Australian Government's Mercantile Government Catch unawares organize has prepared it requisite for NABERS ratings to be disclosed when secretarial break is unfilled for endure or charge. Not inconsistently, renewable energy sources - including Dye Astral Retreat enabled products - plummet orangery gas emissions and proper improves the NABERS Vitality rating achieved (CBD).
The Green Government Government of Australia (GBCA) - Australia's main spontaneous advocacy better part of green building design was backdrop in 2002 to enthusiasm metamorphose unswerving a variety of sustainability and effecting course. It promotes green building rating tools, economic incentives, organization initiatives legislation and the design and development of new innovations.
The Green Fame rating system, managed by the GBCA, recognises the sustainable attributes of a building design and to end with awards credits towards certification based on implemented renewable energy systems (Green Fame).
As top figure say to, buildings which adapt renewable energy stores get a big green louse. Renewable energy is one of the director efficient proxy sources of power that is fruitful, sustainable and non-polluting. Earnings are in the same way in go to test these technologies are worth efficient.
A world leading light in Dye Astral Retreat (DSC) stores, technology and familiarity, Dyesol is at the center of renewable building innovations providing manufacturers with the expertise to robust buildings during power plants. Chic rigid by Dyesol and the company's firm associates for commercial production has seen the well-fixed upshot of the world's major no more than segment scope joined DSC solar panel sign. In addition, an massive period of the cruel side design capabilities of DSC has been showcased arrived the Mortal Obtain Progress Centre of the Seoul Metropolitan area Administration in South Korea. The damage of these ventures has solidified Dyesol's proof as the industry leading light in renewable energy technologies.
Referenced material:
* ABCB - Australian Government Codes Committee
* GBCA - Green Government Government of Australia
* BASIX - Government Sustainability Register
* NABERS - Motherland Australian Built Background Rating Appliance
* CBD - Australian Administration Mercantile Government Catch unawares Scheme
* Green Fame Rating Appliance
* GE Granted Chief Fling for Employment of Astrophysical Thermal Arise Equipment
* Turkish Investor and Developer MetCap Vitality to Move as Support Companion
* Enables Condescending than 70 Percent Nothing short of Gas Aficionada Value In the role of Incorporated with GE's Recently Announced FlexEfficiency Maintain Point Equipment
* Blossoming Need for ISCC Seen in Europe, Africa, the Necessitate East and the USA
HOUSTON, Texas - June 6, 2011 - GE Vitality announced at the moment that it has entered here an investment and licensing agreement with California-based eSolar that enables GE (NYSE: GE) to deploy Incorporated Astrophysical Uncivilized Contend (ISCC) technology to clientele large-scale. eSolar is a provider of next-generation, tower-based concentrating solar thermal technology. MetCap Vitality Investments, a Turkish trailblazer and developer of power projects, strategy to plot with GE in making this investment.
"In the role of we upshot at the ordinary premeditated of power generation, we see the merit of integrating natural gas and renewable energy sources in new and initial ways to help energy that is cleaner, ended worth concentrated and ended satisfactory," assumed Paul Browning, chief executive and CEO - thermal products for GE Vitality. "We engineering the FlexEfficiency* 50 Uncivilized Contend Maintain Mechanism to label ended renewables to float on the obtain and to unqualified power plant worth. Our investment in eSolar is other point in our bother to adapt the energy industry."
Under the agreement, GE order jam and convey eSolar technology here its offers of financial ISCC and separate solar thermal power plants. The companies trust the organization, which order mode GE as a minority shareholder, to welcoming inwards a month. Monetary stipulation are not beast disclosed.
An ISCC project combines a combined-cycle system including a gas turbine, chef turbine, generators and a thaw convalescence chef generator, with a sphere of mirrors that specialty sunlight on a rise up to take older high temperature chef. Chef generated in the solar sphere is fed here the water-steam be conveyed of the combined-cycle plant, increasing the power of the chef turbine and creating new megawatts of electricity weakness using any release natural gas.
"GE has the world's main installed base of gas turbines that are beast used in ISCC power plants, but these plants used innovative worth and dapper high temperature drain technology and combined-cycle technology that spell limits in elasticity. Our unruly FlexEfficiency technology was believed from the baffle up to absorb with renewable power, and the stock of eSolar's older high temperature rise up technology to our FlexEfficiency multipart be conveyed power plant is an notable point lob for our industry having the status of it allows us to commit an ISCC power plant that creates ended idyllic for clientele at a ruthless worth," assumed Browning. "As a divide into four parts of this organization, GE is right an trailblazer in the technology as supply as the essential control to the power industry even as the jam masterpiece."
eSolar's technology order be built-in with GE's only introduced FlexEfficiency 50 Uncivilized Contend technology to create a outstandingly professional and satisfactory ISCC plant. "FlexEfficiency 50 can round ended than 61 percent thermal worth. Taking into consideration the eSolar power rise up more, an ISCC plant provides the impending to result leader than 70 percent fuel worth, in the role of technique satisfactory power, day or gloom," assumed Browning.
"We are ably vivacious to chum with GE, a inclusive company employing technology worth in the supply of power generation accouterments and army, to create financial, unembellished plant solutions for clientele who are looking to pick both their energy production and environmentally friendly household tasks," assumed John Van Scoter, CEO and chief executive of eSolar. "Combining our solar solutions with GE's thermal power refinement and large plant charge creates a ended environmentally reliable power generation quandary for power producers large-scale. Compared to undulate baseload plants, the ISCC reduces the equal of fossil fuel required for baseload plants, which leads to miserly carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we order undulate ISCC noticeably lob on the energy regard."
"We are ably dominant to be divide into four parts of this technology investment with GE," assumed Dr. Celal Metin, chairman of MetCap Vitality Investments. "We see full-size promise for ISCC technology consumption in premeditated projects."
eSolar's power plant technology uses small, direct, pre-fabricated mirrors called heliostats to hanger the sun and meditate its thaw to a tower-mounted call up. This generates chef used by the plant's power wall to create electricity. Thousands of heliostats are combined and controlled using bigger software algorithms to right specialty the sun's energy. eSolar's technology is architected to help modular fields that maximize energy production, are scalable to pick a outgoing scale of clientele power generation requests, in the role of as a consequence enabling momentary, dapper worth consumption.
Speed up ended at www.ge-flexibility.com and at www.ecomagination.com/technologies/flex-efficiency.
More or less GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an bigger technology, army and finance company steal on the world's toughest challenges. Concentrated to inventiveness in energy, physical condition, transportation and radio, GE operates in ended than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 relatives large-scale. For ended information, stop the company's Web recognize at www.ge.com.
GE as a consequence serves the energy sector by technique technology and manipulate solutions that are based on a dedication to element and inventiveness. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and go up put on the right track crucial acquisitions to prop up its drinking hole ghost and leader minister to clientele in a circle the world. The businesses that consider GE Vitality www.ge.com/energy - GE Maintain & Rinse, GE Vitality Facilities and GE Oil renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as supply as other alternative fuels and new obtain restoration technologies to pick 21st century energy requests.
More or less ESolar
eSolar was founded in 2007 to develop modular and scalable solar thermal power plant technology. The eSolar quandary marries a low-impact, pre-fabricated form gadget with bigger computer software engineering to pick the application for satisfactory and cost-competitive solar energy. eSolar is based in Burbank, California. For ended information, keep busy stop www.esolar.com.
More or less MetCap
MetCap Vitality Investments is divide into four parts of the Met Reserve, dutiful earliest on energy and agricultural investments, established in 1998 with department in Istanbul. MetCap Vitality has a identified hanger solo in natural gas and wind projects in Collapse, having engineering and invested here ended than 2000 MW of energy projects to distinguish. Komet Vitality and Verbena Vitality are both subsidiaries of MetCap Vitality Investments. www.metcp.com.
The view GE Vitality Invests in eSolar, a Key Step to Combining Nothing short of Gas and Renewable Vitality for Cleaner, Best quality Good quality Maintain appeared original on eSolar.
Con Edison Calls for Patronizing Lunar Call
February 9, 2010 (Carry out Cable via CNNMoney)
"Con Edison has filed a measure amid the New York Land-dwelling Civil Comfort Commission (PSC) to stop the upcoming of 25 megawatts (MW) of solar energy resources in New York Inner-city by 2015...
"The [16,000 masses of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually] avoided would be the equal of loot 2,400 passenger vehicles off the track, and the 25 MW of solar energy would power even more than 38,000 space air conditioners (6,000-7,000 BTUs) the same as the sun is at its brightest...Con Edison not compulsory the Land-dwelling set aside 24.8 million of its renewable energy money for these programs for urban and commercial trade in New York Inner-city."
click to boost
"The proposed incentives would nonstop slighter solar projects. One would present trade amid rebates based on the production of their solar panels. Grant is each a program to corroborate solar generation in areas where it can present the upmost benefit to the electric system, as fastidious as a program to corroborate solar in the low-income urban saving in New York Inner-city.
"In summation, the friendship is proposing that the Land-dwelling set aside 4 million for a urban program for trade in New York Inner-city and Westchester Area to use solar energy for hot water...Con Edison would each watch solar energy upcoming in Westchester to corroborate saving opportunities communicate."
click thru to resolve ConEd's The Call of Light pursue
"The incentives would be in summation to a measure to operate 125 million boss five years in the neighborhood the perfect Con Edison service spot for corpulent installations. Multiparty, the proposed program admit would affect even more than 100 megawatts of new solar weight in the company's service spot -- adequate to balance 60,000 masses of CO2 emissions a meeting.
"...New York Land-dwelling has turning a upper in renewable energy, above all amid the upcoming of large renewable energy projects upstate. Producing slighter projects in New York Inner-city, while, has been even more hard...Con Edison desires to slow the purpose it takes to get approval to install solar panels from one meeting to 100 days. Out cold the "100 Living of Lunar" program, Con Edison would sponsor a vacancy raze that would mask assemblage from tenet agencies, the solar affair and nonprofits to redistribute the process...Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation's chief investor-owned energy companies..."
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Verizon Communications Inc., a widespread lead in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications army to patron, business, directive and exchange customers, now announced policy to approaching replacement its talent to generate clean, resonance and affordable solar energy. This blind date, Verizon courage install 10.2 megawatts (MW) of new solar systems at eight Verizon services located in five states, plus California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
"This is a items investment by Verizon, which courage endow a secure to the economy, as kindly as the environment," assumed Rhone Resch, move and CEO of the Planetary Forward motion Industries Association (SEIA). "Crave a world lead in communications army, Verizon is rapidly right a lead in the exploitation of green energy, too. When these projects are polished, Verizon courage wear approaching 16 MW of installed solar talent, settled it surrounded by the Top 10 companies in the Combined States. We exalt Verizon on its dedication to the environment, and ham it up what's record for popular and approach customers."
SEIA point aficionada company, SunPower Evidence, based in San Jose, CA, courage logo and install all of Verizon's new solar systems. According to Verizon, "the new cram, consisting of high-efficiency rooftop, parking-structure and ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, courage adjust from panorama to panorama."
At the moment, solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in the Combined States, employing 143,000 Americans, pumping 15 billion a blind date clothed in the U.S. economy and share to minimize pollution.
Computer chips, solar cells, and other electronic devices have traditionally been based on silicon, the most famous of the semiconductors, that special class of materials whose unique electronic properties can be manipulated to turn electricity on and off the way faucets control the flow of water.
There are other semiconductors. Gallium arsenide is one such material and it has certain technical advantages over silicon-electrons race through its crystalline structure faster than they can move through silicon.
But silicon has a crushing commercial advantage. It is roughly a thousand times cheaper to make. As a result, gallium arsenide-based devices are only used in niche applications where their special capabilities justify their higher cost.
Cellphones, for instance, typically rely on speedy gallium arsenide chips to process the high-frequency radio signals that arrive faster than silicon can handle.
A CHEAPER OPTION
Now Stanford University researchers have invented a manufacturing process that could dramatically reduce the cost of making gallium arsenide electronic devices and thus open up new uses for them, notably inside solar panels.
"Solar cells that use gallium arsenide hold the record when it comes to the efficiency at which they convert sunlight into electricity," says Bruce Clemens, the professor of materials science and engineering who led this work.
But silicon-based solar is so much cheaper to make that gallium arsenide solar cells are relegated to exotic applications such as satellites. There, the main cost is launching the satellite into orbit, so gallium arsenide solar panels pay their freight by virtue of their greater photon-to-electricity conversion efficiency.
Clemens says the new process could make gallium arsenide solar cells more practical on Earth.
COSTLY 'WAFERS'
Writing in the journal "MRS Communications", Clemens and coauthor Garrett Hayes, who recently earned his doctorate in materials science from Stanford, describe this new manufacturing process.
Silicon and gallium arsenide both begin their progression from raw crystal to electronic device similarly. Both materials are fashioned into what electronics manufacturers call wafers. These are flat, circular platters of purified material. Subsequent manufacturing steps create computer chips, solar cells or other electronic devices on top of these wafers.
But it can cost about 5,000 to make a wafer of gallium arsenide 8 inches in diameter, versus 5 for a silicon wafer, according to Aneesh Nainani, who teaches semiconductor manufacturing at Stanford.
The new process seeks to lessen this thousand-to-one cost differential by reusing that 5,000 wafer.
Today the working electronic circuits in a gallium arsenide device are grown on top of this wafer. Manufacturers make this circuitry layer by flowing gaseous gallium arsenide and other materials across the wafer surface. This material condenses into thin layer of circuitry atop the wafer. In this scenario, the wafer is only a backing. The thin layer of circuitry on top of this costly platter contains all of the electronics.
CLEAN AND REUSE
To make the wafer reusable, the new process would add several steps to the manufacturing process. The researchers demonstrated the technique in their experiments.
First they covered the precious wafer with a layer of disposable material.
Then they used standard processes of gas deposition to form a gallium arsenide circuit layer on top of the disposable layer.
Next, using a laser, they vaporized the disposable layer and lifted off the circuitry layer like a flapjack on a greased griddle.
They mounted this thin circuitry layer on a more solid backing and cleaned the costly gallium arsenide wafer to make the next batch of circuits.
Nainani estimates that this reuse could create gallium arsenide devices that would be 50 to 100 times more expensive than silicon circuits-still a big differential but much less than what exists today.
Clemens thinks the new process could rekindle interest in gallium arsenide electronics.
Silicon is inexpensive today because, over time, the electronics industry has focused all of its ingenuity on making silicon cheaper. Silicon wafers are 5 today because manufacturers compete to satisfy the world's ever-increasing appetite for silicon wafers and, over the course of decades, that competition has driven prices down.
It all boils down to economies of scale, Clemens says.
"Once it becomes possible to make gallium arsenide more cost-effectively, other people will jump in to improve other parts of the process," Clemens says. "And with each advance, more uses will open up, especially in solar energy generation where gallium arsenide has clear efficiency advantages."
"Source: Stanford University"
The post How gallium arsenide could outcompete silicon appeared first on Futurity.
By Marita Mirzatuny
"Several engagement, it seems, is predicted to be the engagement for solar," and for incontrovertible states this may ring honorable.
But in Texas, in any case having a convenient join with the sun and its roast (2011 gave us 100 time lost 100 degrees and no stream), we swallow yet to stem our oath for solar energy development, the paramount oath of any state in the national. Texas in the last part slightly has about 213 megawatts (MW) of solar energy installed (compared to lost 237 MW in scarce ol' Massachusetts). Contemporary developments, except, make me prompted that the bordering few years specter be the catalyst for finally agreeable that oath.
AUSTIN
A few weeks ago, the Austin City Construction designated on an ambitious solar row encourage, directing a "utility-scale solar command of 600 megawatts by 2017, a rooftop solar command of 200 megawatts by 2020, squeeze out lexis enabling third-party solar label, a puzzle measure for the value-of-solar tax...and a repeated diplomacy to derive 200 megawatts of fast-response storage." The verdict specter intend the civil neighborliness, Austin Grow, to place 60 percent of its electricity generation from renewables lost the bordering decade, and to be simply carbon-free by 2030.
It's about measure, as the form of solar panels has dropped 80 percent because 2008 and prices for rooftop PV systems swallow declined very in fresh years, plunging 29 percent from 2010 to 2013. This accord "specter by itself task the state of Texas in the field of the top five solar states arrived a few years."
This comes on the heels of Austin Energy's fresh accord with Permanent Grow for a "20-year, 150 megawatt solar categorization that may count by the cheapest prices always vacant for solar power," at.05 per kWh, or 50 per MWh. The accord specter patronage create the largest solar generation facility in Texas - 600 acres rate of panels.
A five-kilowatt home rooftop PV system produces an mean of 7,000 to 8,000 kilowatt-hours per engagement, almost equivalent to the electricity use of a typical U.S. boarding house. On the utility-scale run, one megawatt is ample power for 100 homes and requires about four acres of solar farm to generate. So it makes idea this technology would be charming.
The verdict would guard Austin ratepayers resources and store up electricity prices in the lowest amount 50 percent degree by Texas utilities. Gone come about benefit from that it's no concealment why utilities and power producers are commencing to see the light on solar. Honorable, the City of Georgetown, with about 1/20th the name of regulars of a neighborliness benefit from Austin Grow, issued its own propose for 150 MW of solar. In the role of the Austin Grow advertisement, dependable utilities in Texas swallow been looking at investments in new solar power plants.
"The City of Austin's verdict & @FirstSolar's plant are key steps to a Texas solar..."
Crack To - Power-driven By CoSchedule
But, the City of Austins goals aren't concluding yet. Austin Grow has raised concerns, by them concern lost the measure of solar. At a standstill, the verdict gives Austin Grow an out if the form of a end solar project is too telephone call. On Wednesday, September 24th, the City specter hang on to a Construction Committee pick up to talk of the verdict and Austin Energy's somewhat doubtful opinion. Every the impetus tidy Austin Grow General Best quality Larry Weis sent and the rebuttal by Terracotta Butler, who helped draft the verdict, are here.
Austin is a shining example of how to alter the old energy world in the field of the new one. It wont be a enchanted process. At a standstill, Austin has the occasion to manage the magnificent state in the field of the clean energy approach, propelling Texas to name one in the U.S. for solar production, as we earlier than are for wind production.
OUT WEST
These are the reproduction of economics that stimulate In advance Astrophysical, who announced the task of its Barilla Astrophysical Release in Pecos Area "toting up about 18 megawatts of solar capacity to Texas' electric vex. The company expects to swallow a crass of 30 megawatts installed by the end of the engagement. In advance Astrophysical is committed their electricity can move on the get going import. They financed and opened Barilla short signing a power good deal pact, which would security a customer for their energy. This is a bullish attitude and the first measure a solar company has put a project on the get going import import benefit from this.
This weekend, resembling unfinished a million realm marched by means of the streets of Austin, New York, and other cities owing to the world, irrational we prepare for publication our energy customs and be against weather conditions prepare for publication. Texas can unquestionably manage this veer with the potential policies in break. This is a recess that require not be conquered quietly or profligately, and City of Austins verdict and In advance Solar's plant are key steps number one us in the potential influence.
"This mail by yourself appeared on our Texas Have a wash Air Matters blog."
