Tag Archives: generate

Research shows how buildings can better generate and retain energy

A PhD student at the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) on the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus has published research whose aim is to help improve the efficiency and performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BiPV) systems.

BiPV systems are increasingly important; their photovoltaic – PV – power is generated close to where it’s consumed, so it’s well integrated into the building’s architecture and, having no distance to travel, loses little power on the way.  However, the technology can be expensive and less efficient than it might be, which is where Hasan Baig’s research can make a contribution. He’s experimenting with Building Integrated Concentrated Photovoltaic (BICPV) systems: these concentrate sunlight and could integrate well in the building architecture. (more…)

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Large Old Trees Grow Fastest, Storing More Carbon

THREE RIVERS, Calif, — Trees do not slow in their growth rate as they get older and larger — instead, their growth keeps accelerating, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

“This finding contradicts the usual assumption that tree growth eventually declines as trees get older and bigger,” says Nate Stephenson, the study’s lead author and a forest ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. “It also means that big, old trees are better at absorbing carbon from the atmosphere than has been commonly assumed.” (more…)

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Aquatics Center: Brown Dives into Solar Energy

The 168 rectangular panels on the roof of the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatic Center will generate  enough power to keep the lights on and enough thermal energy to heat the million-gallon pool. The center, due to open April 13, will be Rhode Island’s first hybrid (heat and power) solar installation — also the largest in the nation and the first on a college campus.

Brown is diving into solar energy. (more…)

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Study Shows Wind Turbines on Farmlands May Benefit Crops

Wind turbines in Midwestern farm fields may be doing more than churning out electricity. The giant turbine blades that generate renewable energy might also help corn and soybean crops stay cooler and drier, help them fend off fungal infestations and improve their ability to extract growth-enhancing carbon dioxide from the air and soil.

The preliminary findings of a months-long study that examines how wind turbines on farmlands interact with surrounding crops were presented on December 16 at the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. The presentation was made by researcher Gene Takle of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Julie Lundquist, assistant professor in the University of Colorado at Boulder’s atmospheric and oceanic studies department. (more…)

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