[GWSG] New solar cell; new supercapacitor; new capacitor; largely renewable cities; Arctic heat alarm; blockchain energy apps

[Tilley, Al]

1. As early as 2019 we may see solar cells combining perovskite with silicon to convert sunlight to electricity with 30% efficiency at pennies a watt. http://www.euronews.com/2018/02/26/solar-power-the-next-generation



2. A new supercapacitor from the UK achieves high energy density and much faster charging times that lithium-ion batteries. It could be used for grid storage as well as powering electric vehicles. It uses only common, safe materials. https://www.theengineer.co.uk/supercapacitors-battery-technologies/

 The new supercapacitor could cut electric vehicle charging times to ten minutes but does not hold a charge as well as a battery. It would probably be used in conjunction with a small standard battery for times when the vehicle is out of use for a few weeks or longer. The technology is not yet commercial, and questions remain of scalability, cost, and sustainability.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/26/energy-storage-supercapacitors-electric-car-batteries-charging-times



3. Korea's aqueous hybrid capacitor can be charged in twenty seconds. Like the British supercapacitor the Korean AHC appears to be promising but not yet ready for commercial application. https://www.sciencealert.com/aqueous-hybrid-capacitor-constructed-using-carbon-fibres-rapid-charge-time



4. More than one hundred cities worldwide are getting at least 70% of their power renewably, double the number in 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/27/cities-powered-clean-energy-renewable



5. The average daily temperatures in the Arctic are much warmer than ever for the season, with possible implications for methane release and sea level rise. We do not know whether the destabilization of the polar vortex is an extreme anomaly or a general shift in climate. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/27/arctic-warming-scientists-alarmed-by-crazy-temperature-rises



6.  The Rocky Mountain Institute foresees that blockchain data systems have a role to play in the energy transition, making possible more efficient grid systems and equitable participation in distributed energy, among other applications. https://energynews.us/southwest/could-blockchain-based-apps-help-advance-clean-energy/?

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