Scientists demonstrate how to improve ultrathin CIGSe solar cells by nanoparticles
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Oct 20, 2015 -
Nanoparticles with sizes the order of a wavelength interact with light in specific ways. A young investigator group at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, led by Professor Martina Schmid, is inquiring how to use arrangements of such nanoparticles to improve solar cells and other opto-electronic devices. Now the scientists report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society ACS Nano a considerable succe ...
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Solar energy's land-use impact
Washington DC (SPX) Oct 20, 2015 -
With mounting vigor for combating global climate change, increasing the use of renewable energy resources such as solar, without compromising natural habitats, is a challenge to the traditional model of utility-scale solar energy installations. Such facilities use vast swaths of land for solar gathering and generating equipment. Until now, studies quantifying the effects on land-cover change and ...
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What are these nanostars in 2-D superconductor supposed to mean
Moscow, Russia (SPX) Oct 20, 2015 -
Physicists from France and Russia have discovered magnetic disturbances in 2D superconductor layer, resembling little oscillating stars. These star-like excitations are caused by a single magnetic atom put into the layer of superconducting material. What they mean is that now the Yu-Shibo-Rusinov chains are proved to exist not only in theory.
Moreover, it was found out that in the two-dime ...
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Oslo moves to ban cars from city centre
Oslo (AFP) Oct 19, 2015 -
Oslo's new leftist city council said Monday it wants to ban private cars from the downtown area by 2019 as part of a plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions by half.
The plan was laid out by the Labour Party and its allies the Socialist Left and the Green Party, who won the September 14 municipal elections in the Norwegian capital.
The programme envisages a ban on private vehicles in the ...
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Pakistani entrepreneurs launch 'Uber for rickshaws'
Lahore, Pakistan (AFP) Oct 16, 2015 -
A group of young Pakistani entrepreneurs have launched an Uber-like rickshaw app service that is quickly growing popular with commuters struggling to find transport in the teeming eastern city of Lahore.
Taxis and private cars are expensive to rent in the historic city, Pakistan's second-largest, and public buses and vans are often over-crowded.
Rickshaws are the only convenient form of ...
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China economic growth hits lowest since financial crisis
Beijing (AFP) Oct 19, 2015 -
China's economy logged its worst performance since the global financial crisis, official figures showed Monday, with analysts warning it is likely to worsen and the government must do more to avert a sharp slowdown.
Gross domestic product (GDP) in the world's second-largest economy grew at just 6.9 percent in the third quarter, its slowest rate in six years.
The figures added to fears ov ...
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China To Continue Expanding Its Influence In The Oil And Gas Sector
London, UK (SPX) Oct 15, 2015 -
Since 2009, China has been taking a much more active role in its pursuit of international oil contracts. In 2009, for the first time, Saudi Arabia exported more of its oil to China than it did to the U.S. China also made large investments in Saudi Arabia's oil refining industry as well. But China's oil investments didn't stop there; they also pursued oil producing Canadian assets in 2011-12.
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