Japan Endorses Solar Energy to Ghana

      In the midst of Ghana's energy crisis, Japanese ambassador to Ghana, Naoto Nikai, has urged Ghanaian authorities to invest in solar energy. At an event to inaugurate the first stage of the 315 kilowatt Solar Electricity Generation System at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) in Accra, Nikai had stated: "The utilization of renewable energy, such as solar power, is the future and the utilization of it will enable us to better sustain our planet and our lives."
     In addition, Ghana is to be seen as a country plentiful of sunlight shining upon them throughout the year, which brings solar power to be an appropriate option for them. Nikai has claimed that in 2010, the government had extended a grant of 610 million yen (approximately $7.6 million) for the project aimed at introducing clean energy through solar electricity generation system for the Noguchi Institute.
     "I hope that the government of Ghana will fully utilize the system and ensure the provision of necessary resources to maintain it in good shape for years to come," said Nikai. Professor Kwadwo Ansah Koram, Director of NMIMR, also said the design and procurement processes were currently underway for the second stage of the project, which will increase the generation capacity by another 400 kilowatt hours, accumulating to a total of 715 kilowatt hours. He notes that this will add on to the electricity power generation in the country as well as adding the excess power to the power grid to supply the rest of the university. "Besides the immediate cost of savings," he said, "additional benefits will accrue in terms of reduction in carbon emissions and less delirious impact on the environment."
      Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, said "the first phase of the 315 kilowatt solar park is unique because it is the first large-scale project to be commissioned since the passage of the Renewable Energy Bill into Act (Act 823), which seeks to create the enabling environment for the development of renewable energy sources in Ghana." He also said the project was a clear demonstration that solar energy could contribute to cost-effective energy conservation and management, as well as government institutions.

Recyclable Solar Cells Created using Trees

       Researches have developed recyclable and efficient solar cells using natural substrates from plants like trees. Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University researchers wrote in the journal Scientific Reports about how the solar cells can be recycled quickly in water at the end of their lifecycle. The team's solar cells are capable of reaching a power conversion efficiency of 2.7%.
       During the recycling process, the solar cells are immersed in water at room temperature, and within minutes, the CNC substrates on which the solar cells are fabricated can be separated easily into its major components.
       Georgia Tech College of Engineering Professor Bernard Kippelen, who led the study, said the method opens up the door for a truly recyclable, sustainable and renewable solar cell technology. "The development and performance of organic substrates in solar technology continues to improve, providing engineers with a good indication of future applications," Kippelen, who is also the director of Georgia Tech's Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE), said in a statement. "But organic solar cells must be recyclable. Otherwise we are simply solving one problem, less dependence on fossil fuels, while creating another, a technology that produces energy from renewable sources but is not disposable at the end of its lifecycle."
       Current organic solar cells are fabricated on glass or plastic, but neither is easily recyclable or very eco-friendly. If cells fabricated on glass were to break during the manufacturing process, the material would be difficult to dispose of. The team's cells are made from wood and are green, renewable and sustainable. "Our next steps will be to work toward improving the power conversion efficiency over 10%, levels similar to solar cells fabricated on glass or petroleum-based substrates," said Kippelen. The US forest product industry projects that tens of millions of tons of cellulose nanomaterials from wood could be produced once large-scale production begins in the next 5 years.
        Another new manufacturing method for producing solar cells was unveiled in the journal Advanced Materials in February. MIT researchers described a new process that allows scientists to passivate silicon at room temperatures, which helps with the high price of manufacturing computer chips and solar cells. In the MIT team's process, they decompose organic vapors over wires heated to 572 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating these wires requires less power than illuminating an ordinary light bulb. This process not only opens the door for cheaper solar panels, but also new applications for computer chips.

Source : Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com -- Your Universe Online