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SolarSummary: February 4-10, 2003

by Kirsten Elder Companies in the news Bekaert/Energy Conversion devices BP Solar Global Solar Energy Photowatt Solar Century Emerging Technologies Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in the UK say they have achieved considerable success in developing solar cells on textile substrates. The researchers have been investigating the feasibility of depositing the layers that make up a typical solar cell onto woven and nonwoven textile substrates. The silicon is deposited from a gaseous compound using a variation of conventional thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD), to produce nanocrystalline thin films. In contrast to other forms of silicon deposition, the temperature that the substrate needs to withstand is only 200 C, and perhaps even lower. Therefore, not only can textile fabrics made from glass fibre be considered as suitable substrates, but so too can more everyday fabrics such as polyester. (Technical Textiles International via CNN Money, 05/02/03) The University of California in Santa Barbara are developing methods of producing PV cells, without the need of expensive, pure silicon. Rather than relying on the multi-tasking abilities that only pure silicon can provide, the university teams device uses a separate method to absorb light (using dye molecules lying on a gold film) thus allowing for the […]

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: Feb. 12, 2003

News and Events EERE Summarizes 2004 Budget Proposal in “Budget-in-Brief” President’s Budget Provides $17.6 Million in Weatherization Funds President Bush, Secretary Abraham Detail Hydrogen Initiative Two of Three Kansas Wind Power Installations Moving Ahead Dry Winter Likely to Impact Hydropower in Pacific Northwest Ethanol Fuel Industry Achieves Record Production in 2002 *Site NewsBioenergy Stoves Discussion Group *Energy Facts and TipsNuclear Industry Sees Potential for Large Growth in 10 Years———————————————————————-NEWS AND EVENTS———————————————————————-EERE Summarizes 2004 Budget Proposal in “Budget-in-Brief”DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) released its “Budget-in-Brief” on Tuesday, providing a summary of the proposed EERE budget for fiscal year (FY) 2004. The budget increases only slightly compared to last year’s proposed budget, now totaling $1.32 billion. It includes the President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative and expands the FreedomCAR program, while also providing increased funds for solid state lighting, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and the President’s National Climate Change Technology Initiative. See EERE’s “FY 2004 Budget-in-Brief” on the EERE Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]President’s Budget Provides $17.6 Million in Weatherization Funds for Iowa, New Hampshire, and WisconsinDOE released further details about President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2004 this week and last, noting that […]

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