Green Tech Magazine May 2018 en

16
Did you know?
Solar glass
Researchers at Michigan State University are taking a step closer to
their goal of a fossil-free future by developing transparent photovoltaic
cells. Generating energy using transparent solar panels offers a
lot of potential: there are an estimated 5 to 7 billion square meters of
glass surfaces in the USA alone. If used extensively, these panels could
generate up to 40 percent of the energy requirements of the USA.
Current challenges, however, are the tricky issue of storing the energy
which is generated and the low efficiency. www.msu.edu
World's largest air filter
Smog and particulate matter are a daily problem in many Chinese
cities. Stricter laws and the closing of factories, blast furnaces and
coal-fired power plants throughout the country have not significantly
improved the situation. For this reason, engineers from the Environmental
Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences put the world's
largest air filter – a 100-metre tower with an underground pump
system and green greenhouse filter – into trial operation in Shaanxi
Province. Initial results show that the air quality for the residents has
improved measurably and noticeably within a radius of ten kilometres.
english.cas.cn
Electricity from rain
A known disadvantage of solar cells is their dependence on
weather. This could be remedied by a novel hybrid technology.
In this technology, a layer of so-called triboelectric nanogenerators
(TENG) is used to convert raindrops which fall onto and flow
down on panels into energy. This could make the use of solar cells
in less sunny areas more profitable. Furthermore, using TENG
technology for energy-autonomous sensors or LEDs appears more
conceivable. www.futurezone.at
Lego made of sugar cane
The Danish toy company LEGO has set itself the goal of drastically
reducing the company’s ecological footprint by 2030. To this end,
$165 million has already been invested in sustainable materials research.
The first sugar-cane based plastics will be on the market
in 2018 as a direct result of these efforts. With the gradual move
away from non-sustainable plastics, LEGO is following similar paths
to other plastic-dependent brands such as McDonald's and Ikea.
www.lego.com
Photo credits: Richard Lunt/Michigan State University, AsiaWire, Shutterstock