"Two for one: Quantum dot solar cells boost power" plus 4 more

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• Two for one: Quantum dot solar cells boost power
• KiteGen looks to get wind-power off the ground
• SeaTwirl Offshore Turbine with 1 Moving Part, & It Stores Energy with Seawater
• Piezoelectric harvester generates clean electricity directly from wheat farming
• 4 Tips for Landing a Job in Social Media

Two for one: Quantum dot solar cells boost power Posted: 19 Dec 2011 06:13 AM PST Scientists designing the next generation of solar cells are trying to do away with waste heat. Two research groups this week reported advances in a technique to capture a portion of the sunlight's energy that's normally lost as heat. The advances are aiming toward a breakthrough in how much light can be converted to electricity on a solar cell.

KiteGen looks to get wind-power off the ground Posted: 19 Dec 2011 06:08 AM PST Wind-power has rapidly evolved over the last decade to become a key part of the alternative energy mix with towering rows of turbines now dotting horizons all over the globe. One of the drawbacks to the conventional windmill approach is that they are still low to the ground, so why not go to where the winds are stronger and more consistent - up. Like the Magenn Air Rotor System, KiteGen technology is aiming to do just that. The system generates energy by guiding tethered kites over a predefined flight path in order to rotate a ground based turbine and, while only in the testing and planning phases, it looks to be a promising solution. The large wings (or kites) in the KiteGen system are driven by avionic sensors located in a dome base that also houses an electric generator. The control system is designed to automatically guide the kites in order to rotate the turbine and maximize torque. As altitude increases, average wind speeds increase as well. This is a factor that traditional wind turbines cannot compete against, since they are stationary and are generally only able to reach heights of 100m.

SeaTwirl Offshore Turbine with 1 Moving Part, & It Stores Energy with Seawater Posted: 19 Dec 2011 06:06 AM PST SeaTwirl has created a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) that is both direct-drive and stores energy using seawater. It also uses water as a bearing, which has the advantage of low friction.

Piezoelectric harvester generates clean electricity directly from wheat farming Posted: 19 Dec 2011 06:02 AM PST With the big strides of green technology covering the recent years, we have come across some fascinatingly innovative concepts. But there are few even among them that have that essence of adroit practicality combined with inherent credibility. In simpler terms, these seldom conceptions have the potential to appeal to the common man, and benefit him on a large scale. In relation to this, in our book the intriguing yet uncomplicated piezoelectric energy harvester certainly falls under this exalted category. According to industrial designer Benjamin Wright, the project entails the usage of emerging materials to efficiently contrive a sustainable and efficacious end product.

4 Tips for Landing a Job in Social Media Posted: 19 Dec 2011 05:59 AM PST Whitney Parker is vice president for user experience at Brazen Careerist, where she co-hosts a bootcamp on how to create and implement a social media strategy. It's no secret that jobs in social media are becoming more prevalent in nearly every industry nationwide and even globally. A quick search on Indeed returns nearly 30,000 openings in the United States alone.