Posted by GreenStreet.net on June 9, 2010
While silicon is actually the market common semiconductor in the majority of electric products, which includes the pv cells that pv panels employ to transform sun rays into power, it is hardly the most efficient component available. For instance, the semiconductor gallium arsenide and similar substance semiconductors provide nearly double the performance as silicon in solar devices, yet they are rarely used in utility-scale applications mainly because of their high construction value.
University. of Illinois. (http://illinois.edu/) professors J. Rogers and X. Li investigated lower-cost techniques to manufacture thin films of gallium arsenide that also granted adaptability in the types of products they can be integrated into.
If you could lower significantly the price of gallium arsenide and other compound semiconductors, then you might expand their variety of applications.
Usually, gallium arsenide is placed in a individual thin layer on a small wafer. Either the ideal unit is made specifically on the wafer, or the semiconductor-coated wafer is break up into chips of the preferred dimension. The Illinois group considered to put in numerous levels of the material on a single wafer, producing a layered, “pancake” stack of gallium arsenide thin films.
If you increase ten layers in 1 growth, you simply have to load the wafer one time. If you do this in 10 growths, loading and unloading with temperature ramp-up as well as ramp-down get a lot of time. If you consider what is necessary for every growth – the machine, the research, the time, the workers – the overhead saving this approach gives is a significant expense decrease.
After that the experts independently peel off the layers and transfer them. To accomplish this, the stacks alternate layers of aluminum arsenide with the gallium arsenide. Bathing the stacks in a solution of acid and an oxidizing agent dissolves the levels of aluminum arsenide, freeing the individual small sheets of gallium arsenide. A soft stamp-like device selects up the layers, one at a time from the top down, for transfer to one more substrate – glass, plastic-type or silicon, based on the application. Then the wafer could be reused for another growth.
By executing this it’s possible to generate a lot more material more rapidly and much more price efficiently. This process could create bulk quantities of material, as compared to merely the thin single-layer manner in which it is usually grown.
Freeing the material from the wafer additionally opens the chance of flexible, thin-film electronics produced with gallium arsenide or many other high-speed semiconductors. To make products which could conform but still keep higher efficiency, that’s significant.
In a document shared online May twenty in the journal Nature (http://www.nature.com/), the team explains its methods and displays three types of units using gallium arsenide chips produced in multilayer stacks: light products, high-speed transistors and photo voltaic cells. The creators additionally provide a comprehensive cost comparison.
Another benefit associated with the multilayer technique is the release from area constraints, especially essential for photo voltaic cells. As the layers are eliminated from the stack, they could be laid out side-by-side on one more substrate to create a much larger surface area, whereas the standard single-layer method restricts area to the size of the wafer.
For solar panels, you need large area coverage to catch as much sunshine as achievable. In an extreme situation we might grow enough layers to have 10 times the area of the conventional.
Up coming, the team plans to explore more possible item applications and other semiconductor materials which might adapt to multilayer growth.
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About the Article author
Shannon Combs
- Shannon Combs is currently writing for the
residential solar power reviews weblog, her personal hobby weblog based on guidelines to assist home owners to conserve energy with sun power.
Posted by GreenStreet.net on January 14, 2010
Yeah you read that right – April Fools Day has not come early. Houston, USA, company Recompute has developed a fully working computer where the usual materials made to construct a PC (ABS plastic, aluminium, steel, etc.) have been replaced by recyclable and renewable corrugated cardboard and non-toxic white glue. Electronic components are kept to the bare minimum.
Sustainable computer made from cardboard
With 8 USB ports it is designed to take advantage of existing / recycled hardware. A keyboard from a previous computer or portable hard drive can be used for example.
And for disposal, Recompute can be disassembled quickly and easily without tools allowing the electronics and cardboard case to be recycled easily. Thus, sustainability is maintained throughout it’s lifecycle of manufacture, use and disposal.
But will the design conscious Mac fan boys and tech savvy Windows geeks view this as a serious alternative to their desktop PC’s? With dual Windows and Ubuntu operating systems Mac fans at least can appreciate the real clever design that has gone into producing this, and Windows techies can geek out at the fully loaded specifications.
The Recompute has just gone into production and we sincerely hope to eventually see this alongside the existing computers in our local PC World. Time will tell how the product fares in the wider market, but it at least shows the major manufacturers that you can produce a full spec, well designed, sustainable computer without using harmful products that end up in polluted landfills in developing countries.
For more information, visit: www.sustainable-computer.com
Posted by GreenStreet.net on November 8, 2009
Save energy - and cash!
You want to do your bit to protect the environment, but you’re not sure how? Start fighting climate change today, with these easy steps.
You can cut your carbon footprint by making your home more energy efficient – and save money at the same time. Now that’s difficult to argue with!
Top 10 tips for saving energy at home
- Tweak your timer
Set your heating and hot water to come on just when you need it, not all the time.
- Be a curtain twitcher
Close your curtains to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.
- Trigger happy
Always turn off the lights when you leave a room, and avoid leaving appliances on standby. Remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge.
- Is your laundry economical?
Try to fill up your washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher before switching it on. One full load uses less energy than two half loads.
- Go green: buy energy saving productsKeep an eye out for energy efficient electrical products by looking for the Energy Saving Recommended label and European energy label (rating of A or higher).
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Use 31% less energy with the Eco Kettle
Hubble bubble, boil and trouble
You’ve heard you should really boil just the water as you need. But that can be tricky, right? Try the Eco Kettle, which uses an average of 31% less energy than any other kettle. Its recommended by the UK’s Energy Saving Trust, so it must be a winner!
- Drip, drop…
If you’ve got a dripping hot water tap, in one week it will waste enough hot water to fill half a bath! So hurry up and fix that tap, and make sure they’re fully turned off!
- Let there be light
Energy saving lightbulbs may not be pretty but they last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and just using one could save you around £40 – £65 over the lifetime of the bulb.
- Ask the Experts: contact the Energy Savings Trust
Do a home energy check online. Just answer a few questions to receive a free report showing how you can save up to £300 a year on your household energy bills. It’s worth checking: you could be eligible for money off insulation or other energy related home improvements.
Do you know someone who needs a helping hand being green at home? Share this post with your friends and followers!
Posted by GreenStreet.net on September 10, 2009
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- 10:10 Logo
By now you should have heard about the 10:10 campaign. If you haven’t – where have you been? It’s an ambitious project to unite every person, business, organisation and entity in the UK behind one common goal: achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010.
Launched on 1st September 2009 at Tate Modern in London, thousands of people gathered as Radio 1 DJ, Sara Cox, introduced a lineup of free live music performances, culminating with the attending masses signing up to the 10:10 commitment in the Tate Modern’s iconic turbine hall.
GreenStreet.net has signed up to take part and show support and so can you. So what do you have to do? Well, you don’t have to become an over-zealous eco-warrior overnight, so chill. Just take simple but meaningful action that is easy to understand and perform, and let others know about the campaign. Action like unplugging an appliance when it is not in use – how hard is that? As the meerkat would say – simples! There are loads of similar suggestions on the 10:10 website to get you started, from turning down the thermostat on your central heating to recycling. Some of these actions are beneficial to your health too, from walking or cycling instead of taking the car to having a meat free, veggie meal one day a week. Also, by using less resources and cutting the waste, you save money too.
10:10 was conceived by the team behind climate change movie The Age of Stupid. They now run the campaign with support from partner organisations such as The Guardian, ActionAid, the Energy Saving Trust, the Public Interest Research Centre, Comic Relief, the Carbon Trust, and many more.
- 1000’s pledge commitment
Fanny Armstrong, founder of 10:10 said: “Popularising immediate action against climate change is the only way we can make progress on this urgent issue. 10:10 has been set up to bring that call to action. Its ask is simple; make a few small changes in your home, business or policy which will have an immediate effect, not in five year’s time, but now.”
If you are looking for products to help you reduce your carbon footprint and save money in the long run, there are many items available on GreenStreet.net to help you. We have solar power adapters, water savers, energy savers etc. from a wide range of suppliers.
Remember, 10:10 not a campaign that requires you to wear a wristband, attend a rock concert and forget about it (if only!). No, this is a commitment to spend the next year taking easy but meaningful steps to cut your emissions. We’re going for it – are you? Let us know what you think in the comments!
- Pledging support
Posted by GreenStreet.net on September 6, 2009
With Starbucks’ recent media blitz announcing that all the coffee in their lattes and cappuccinos is now 100% Fairtrade certified, it brought the concept and branding of Fairtrade to the masses again.
Fairtrade practice ensures that those in developing countries who actually create the goods (farmers, workers etc) enjoy a relatively comfortable working environment, equal rights, fair pay and social security. Also, in an effort to create a sustainable ecosystem, a significant proportion the profits from Fairtrade is directed back to the community that produced the goods.
When one thinks of Fairtrade you almost immediately think of coffee, so to be fair, you would expect a company such as Starbucks to champion such ethical and sustainable practices. Even after their past store policy of leaving taps running throughout the night, wasting gallons of water in the process (oops!).
However, there are many types of Fairtrade products on the market from cotton clothing to food and drink to fashion, available from many suppliers. For example there are over 200 Fairtrade certified wines currently available in the UK, available from high street stores like Waitrose and online suppliers like Ethical Superstore. You can find a wide range of suppliers right here on GreenStreet.net.
Fairtrade is losing (has lost?) it’s old image as being “right on but unfashionable” and even (gasp!) boring. Now brands such as People Tree, Equa, and Devi Doll are moving Fairtrade into areas of high fashion and celebrity endorsements. Its not uncommon to see ‘slebs’ such as Daisy Lowe, Fearne Cotton and, um, Peaches Geldof promoting the benefits of Fairtrade fashion brands with photo shoots and positive soundbites. With the Fairtrade Foundation’s recent announcement of the first beauty products to carry the Fairtrade Mark in the UK, these types of endorsements, and the range of available products will increase.
Posted by GreenStreet.net on January 29, 2009
Hey!
Glad you stopped by. We aim to keep you informed on what is happening on GreenStreet.net, give you a heads up on any new features, merchant offers etc…or anything else we feel you may be interested in!
So in between searching for and comparing prices of eco-friendly and ethical products (over 8000 at the time of this post), don’t forget to take a moment or two to stop by this blog!
GreenStreet.net
