Resource World Magazine

ment leaders around the world. India's renowned space and missile technology expert, and former Indian President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, and the NSS started discussions on this venture in November 2010. These discussions were prompted by a study by the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses, an Indian Defense Ministry think tank. The study was conducted by Peter Garretson, a US Air Force lieutenant colonel. Garretson urged the Indian and American governments to work together to make space-based, solar power generation a commercially viable business by 2025. The study proposed three stages for the implementation of the space-based solar program. Garretson says an initial fiveyear $10-30 million program will develop contributing technologies and build a competent work force culminating in a roadmap for a demonstration prototype. A second, $10 billion, 10-year phase will see the formation of an international consortium to construct a sub-scale space solar power system that can directly be scaled up by industry. The final stage will entail India-US leadership to set up an international for-profit consortium like the INTELSAT model to address energy security and carbon mitigation concerns. If the NSS persuades the G8/G20 nations to devote financial and technological resources for this ambitious program, it could help create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the world and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. NEW CLASS OF SOLAR CELL REACHES EFFICIENCY BREAKTHROUGH Oxford Photovoltaics (Oxford PV) has announced a photovoltaic technology that establishes a new high of 15.4% efficiency for its perovskite (a yellow, brown, or grayish-black mineral consisting of an oxide of calcium and titanium and sometimes containing rare earth elements) solar cells. SEPTEMBER 2013 Oxford PV, a technology start-up business and spin-off from Oxford University, has exclusively licensed and is developing a photovoltaic technology that has the potential to deliver low cost, efficient solar cells that can be readily incorporated into glass building facades. Oxford PV's perovskite solar cells are a step up in many areas over traditional photovoltaic solar cells because they provide a range of transparency options, colours, and tints. They use sustainable, abundant, and organic materials, and they are produced in a simple screen printing process. They require low capital cost, and they are aesthetically attractive. They can be integrated into the building envelope rather than as a separate, tacked-on addition. This improvement, allied to the large area manufacturing process development and the use of abundant and low-cost materials, is enabling Oxford PV to overcome the challenges of reliability, performance and cost often associated with PV solutions. "Our plan was to continuously optimise our perovskite solar cells towards a goal of more than 20% efficiency but these results are ahead of expectations. I see no reason why we can't aim higher now and accelerate the transfer of our technology into production," said Dr. Henry Snaith, Oxford PV's founder and chief scientific officer. Backed by £4.2m of equity and grant funding, Oxford PV is moving towards the manufacture and delivery of larger modules that meet internationally accepted standards and specifications for photovoltaic products. "FLASH CHARGING" ELECTRIC BUSES WITH 15-SECOND BOOSTS ABB [ABB-NYSE] headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, announced that it is working with Geneva's public transport company (TGP), and its partners on an electric bus system pilot project. Its new boost charging technology will be deployed for the Photo courtesy ABB. first time on a large-capacity electric bus. The bus will be charged directly at selected stops with a 15-second energy boost while the passengers enter and leave the bus, based on a new type of automatic flash-charging mechanism. "Through flash charging, we are able to pilot a new generation of electric buses for urban mass transport that no longer relies on overhead lines," said Claes Rytoft, ABB's acting Chief Technology Officer. "This project will pave the way for switching to more flexible, cost-effective, public transport infrastructure while reducing pollution and noise." Trolleybus Optimisation Système Alimentation (TOSA) is a zero-carbonemission solution because the electricity comes from clean hydro power. The charging time is so quick that it does not interfere with the bus schedule. The system uses a laser-controlled, moving arm, which connects to an overhead receptacle for charging at bus shelters, instead of the usual trolley poles to overhead lines. Onboard batteries can be charged in 15 seconds with a 400 kilowatt boost at selected stops. At the end of the bus line a 3 to 4 minute boost enables the full recharge of the batteries. Energy from the roof-mounted charging equipment can be stored in compact batteries, along with the vehicle's braking energy, powering both the bus and its auxiliary services, such as interior lighting. n www.resourceworld.com 51

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