Generally, solar cells on the market today do not produce much electricity from ultraviolet light, instead it is either filtered out or absorbed by the cell, heating the cell. That heat is wasted energy and could even lead to damage to the cell. However, researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered a way to utilize that energy by placing a film of silicon nanoparticles onto the silicon solar cell. By diluting particles of silicon in alcohol, covering a solar cell with it and letting the alcohol evaporate to leave the nanoparticles of silicon on the cell, the team has increased the power output by 67% in the ultraviolet range and about 10% in the visible range. According to Munir Nayfeh, a physicist at the University of Illinois, "Our results point to a significant role for charge transport across the film and rectification at the nanoparticle interface." Nayfeh also believes that this process could be added onto the existing process of cell creation at very little cost. This could potentially be another solar breakthrough by increasing the voltage of cells which are very similar to those already being produced today.

[Source: Science Daily]

BP has pledged to put $500 million into a new research program that will investigate how bioscience can boost energy production and reduce energy's environmental impacts. A number of institutions have been selected to join with BP in the new Energy Biosciences Institute including the University of California Berkeley and its partners the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The institute will aim to research cutting edge techniques for the production of new, cleaner energy sources, starting with biofuels for transportation. Other areas of research undertaken will be the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons to clean fuels, carbon sequestration, and improved recovery from existing oil and gas reservoirs.

Clean Edge reported California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as saying, "I can't tell you how excited I am that BP has chosen UC Berkeley and California for its new $500 Million Energy Biosciences Institute. This is a perfect complement to our new low-carbon fuel standard which will cut carbon emissions 10 percent from our cars by the year 2020, and with research facilities like the Energy Biosciences Institute, California will continue to be a leader in the Cleantech industry."

Analysis: Its great to see a petroleum company sink some of its vast profits into biofuels research but it is clear that BP still has its own agenda. No matter how much money you put into improving the recovery of petroleum from existing oil and gas reservoirs, its still going to run out one day. If I was BP, I'd buy A123 Systems and become the leader in lithium-ion batteries instead of carbon sequestration.

Related:

• BP says new technology is needed to fuel biofuels growth
• A123 batteries gets another $40 million in funding
• Cold storage for CO2 to solve global warming?

[Source: Clean Edge]

A new study says an extra 1 billion gallons of gasoline is burned each year because of overweight drivers and vehicle passengers. The mathematical model tied together federal data on fuel consumption and weight gain among Americans from 1960 to 2002. A University of Illinois professor who headed the study quipped: "I had no idea the numbers would be this big."

The study says 1.7 million cars could be filled with gas for a year if vehicle occupants would slim down. Factors that were eliminated in the study included cargo weight and poor vehicle maintenance that reduced fuel economy. The survey is a reminder that the average American now weighs 24 more pounds than in 1960.

I wonder if the study address vehicle selection, or if it's based just on lost fuel economy due to a heavier load. Wouldn't larger consumers favor gas-guzzling fullsize SUVs for more comfort? If more people were thinner, would they be buying compact and mid-sized cars instead of big trucks? Can anyone from Toyota marketing clue us in on the waistline psychographics of Prius consumers?

[Source: Jon Hilkevitch/Chicago Tribune]

FOX news has been showcasing various biofuels and other alternative energy sources recently. Here are some of the videos you can still watch online, just beware you have to watch a 30-second commercial to watch each clip.

A clip from FOX & Friends on ethanol: "The Brazilians can do it, why can't we?" 
It's clear the hosts of FOX & Friends don't totally understand ethanol. When they had two guests on to discuss the fuel and it's future, one of the hosts asks, "E85 is pure ethanol, correct?" The guests, Iowa congressman Jim Nussle and Golden Grain Energy president Walt Wendland, clarify this mistake and generally tout all the benefits of ethanol. They say it is cheaper than fossil fuels and will be more plentiful in the future, and is also going to help the environment. They then explain real generally how ethanol is made with corn and enzymes, comparing it to making moonshine. Nussle says it's easy to retrofit current vehicles to use E85 for about $1,000. The guests and hosts then can't help but make fun of wind energy.

Read more after the jump.