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Femtosecond Lasers Solve Solar Panels' Recycling Issue

Cars That Think

Solar panels are built to last 25 years or more in all kinds of weather. But the sticky polymer is hard to separate from the silicon cells at the end of a solar panel’s life, making recycling the materials more difficult. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden, Colorado say they’ve found a better way to seal solar modules.

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UGA study finds black carbon aerosols from GDI engines will worsen public health, climate; need for GPFs

Green Car Congress

A strong absorber of solar radiation, black carbon exhibits significant climate warming properties. Therefore, the climate burden of the increase in BC emissions dominates over the US, especially over source regions. The researchers estimate the annual social cost of these premature deaths at $5.95 —Neyestani et al.

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KU Leuven team creates solar panel that produces hydrogen from moisture in air

Green Car Congress

Bioscience engineers at KU Leuven have created a solar panel that produces hydrogen gas from moisture in the air. Twenty of these solar panels could provide electricity and heat for one family for an entire winter. A traditional solar panel converts between 18 to 20% of the solar energy into electricity.

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Bosch on importance of renewable synthetic fuels to reach climate goals; e-fuels

Green Car Congress

Climate neutrality. Vehicles on the road, when powered by synthetic fuel, are ultimately climate-neutral. Renewable synthetic fuels will become considerably more affordable when production capacities are expanded and the cost of electricity generated from renewable sources comes down. Infrastructure and powertrain technology.

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Elon Musk slams California’s $8 per kW monthly utility charge plan for solar owners

Teslarati

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has slammed California’s plan for homeowners who use solar panels in their homes. The proposal calls for a discounted rate for excess power sold into the grid, as well as a monthly utility charge of $8 per kW to cover the cost of maintaining the state’s power infrastructure.

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Solar-to-Jet-Fuel System Readies for Take-Off

Cars That Think

As climate change edges from crisis to emergency, the aviation sector looks set to miss its 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. A glimmer of hope, however, comes from solar fuels. Using concentrated solar energy, they were able to produce kerosene from water vapor and carbon dioxide directly from air. They observed a value of 4.1

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Why EVs Aren't a Climate Change Panacea

Cars That Think

“Electric cars will not save the climate. Another expectation is that homeowners and businesses will become “ fully electrified ” by replacing oil, propane and gas furnaces with heat pumps along with gas fired stoves as well as installing solar power and battery systems. The answer is perhaps some, but maybe not too much.