U.S. roads paved with glass panels encasing photovoltaics and LEDs would double as a national power grid

Excerpt - There are about 260,000 kilometers of roadway in the U.S. National Highway System alone, and thousands more in state highways, suburban thoroughfares and rural roads. Could all that asphalt be replaced with a solar technology that would also double as the nation’s power grid?

The key to making this work will be the glass: The solar road panel prototype is 1,024 modules—each containing a solar cell, a light-emitting diode and, someday, an ultracapacitor for storage—sandwiched between a layer of some yet-to-be developed glass and a layer of conducting material. “Nobody’s tried to drive on glass long-term”…

In addition to needing strength, this glass will be textured to allow tires to grip and water to run off. It will also be embedded with heating elements—like a car’s rear windshield—to melt snow or ice. And it will need to be self-cleaning, coping with the grit and grime of an endless procession of tires as well as dust, dirt and other highway detritus. Needless to say, such glass does not exist yet but Brusaw hopes to partner with researchers at The Pennsylvania State University’s Materials Research Institute to develop it… Read more by David Biello, Scientific American

Supplementary: Global Investments into Solar Energy

haplif – Frank Kalder (Global Haplifnet)

In 1991 Grätzel and o’Regan demonstrated the first example of a photoelectrochemical solar cell, a DNSC (Dye-sensitized Nano-structured Solar Cell), which could deliver a competitive light-to-energy conversion efficiency and promised sufficient stability for mass production. Since then, material scientists have focused upon SAMs (Self Assembled Mono-layers) of metal complexes. In an update on dye-sensitized solar cell technology, we learn from Green Car Congress that Professor Michael Grätzel has been busy. Swiss researchers at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) have teamed up with Chinese researchers to achieve a new efficiency benchmark for solvent-free, dye-sensitized solar cells.

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Summary: We’re looking for an experienced Country Manager who will be responsible for acquiring, expanding and retaining strong customer relationship following well defined business models, quotas and goals. Also responsible for gathering & analyzing, Market Intelligence and Competitor programs & pricing and thereby developing strategy to address market to maximize Sales & Profits. Keeps up-to-date knowledge of the industry as well as competitive posture of the company, and enhances awareness in the targeted business community of the company, its products/services. Job Responsibilities include but are not limited to: • Achieve company revenue targets for country sales of Solar PV Panel and Power Plant Projects. • Position Solar Semiconductor as one of top solar companies in the region and have good media relations • Build excellent, strong customer relationships and follow a well defined channel structure biz model. • Interface with local authority and industry forum to provide more knowledge to customer’s team. • Continue to increase market knowledge in order to transform prospect requirements into product specifications. • Plan and coordinate presentations and conduct periodic account status reviews Education and Experience: • Must have Electrical / Electronic Engineering or Physics science graduate qualification along with MBA • 15+years in closely related industry, with some in the Solar PV industry. • Excellent organizational, managerial capability and communication skills. • Must be fluent in German in addition to English. Additional European languages a plus. • Strong team player and innovative thinker. • Flexibility to travel domestically/internationally. • Candidates must be legally entitled to work and reside in Germany.

source: http://www.solarjobs.com/

Dr Florian Holzapfel will take over as the new CEO of Calyxo GmbH, a subsidiary of Q-Cells SE, with effect from 1 January 2010.

Founded in 2005, Calyxo GmbH manufactures thin-film solar modules on the basis of cadmium-telluride technology at Thalheim in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, where the company currently employs around 150 people. In addition to the continued technological and product development, Calyxo plans a large scale rampup of its production. One of Dr Holzapfel’s first responsibilities will be to secure extra financing for Calyxo’s further expansion.

His predecessor, Dr Oliver Hartley, will reinforce the Q-Cells’ Marketing & Sales Unit as Managing Director of Q-Cells Australia pty. ltd. Together with CTO Dr Michael Bauer, in 2008 and 2009 Oliver successfully steered Calyxo from the research stage to market.

Since the beginning of 2009, Dr Florian Holzapfel has developed the New Technologies Division of Q-Cells SE to the point where individual technologies can now be integrated in the group’s core business. Since as far back as December 2006 he has been the Member of the Executive Board responsible for technology development in the wafer-based silicon area.

“In the three years he has been working on the Executive Board at Q-Cells, Dr Holzapfel has proven that he can ready photovoltaic technologies for market and beyond. This is why we have entrusted him with this important task,” emphasised Marcel Brenninkmeijer, Supervisory Board Chairman of Q-Cells SE.

“We have conferred the position of CEO on Dr Florian Holzapfel because we want to ensure that Calyxo’s highly promising thin-film technology will become a success story and Dr Holzapfel’s experience in this area will help Calyxo significantly,” commented Anton Milner, CEO of Q-Cells SE.

Source: http://www.solarbuzz.com/news/newsEUCO886.htm