Exxon/Mobil presentation on Alternative Fuels

Exxon/Mobil will be making a presentation on Alternative Fuels at Miami Dade College, 11011 SW 104th Street, Miami, FL 33176.

Here is the date, time and location of the presentation:

• Wednesday, September 14, 2011
• Noon (activity hour)
  
• Room 2114 (Kendall campus, building 2, ground floor)
  

Sanyo to make more efficient solar cells

Sanyo Electric Co.  said Friday that it will start mass producing a new solar cell that has the world's highest energy conversion efficiency.  The Japanese electronics maker said it will start selling in Europe in February a new cell with a sunlight-to-energy conversion rate of 21.6%.  Previously, the company's most efficient cell had a conversion rate of 21.1%.

some say however:

Only the uninformed buy Sanyo modules. Higher efficiency only means a smaller module. Why would anyone pay such a high premium this Sanyo panel only to have a smaller footprnt. A 240 watt solar panel is still only a 240 watt solar panel you don't get anything more than 240 watts from this Sanyo 240 watt solar panel. The bigger issue here that consumers seem to be ignoring is the fact that Sanyo offers one of the shortest warranties in the industry. If Sanyo offers such a great product then why do they offer such a comparatively poor warranty ? The answer: They use faster debrading thinfilm (amorphous silicon) in their design. Like a shooting star, their product is nice and bright in the begining and then burns out quicker then the others.

source:  FOX BUSINESS

Solar Engine

Last Thursday the BOTcommittee practiced its circuit building skills by creating a solar engine.  the event was a success in getting more students evolved in circuit building. the below circuit:
uses a solar panel to charge a capacitor bank; the Transistors then activate once a certain voltage level is achieved; that powered the motor.  The flashing LED controls the amount of voltage that is let though to the transistors.

This may seem complicated to some of you well that is okay and is nothing to be ashamed of.  All that the BOTcommittee would like to do is to demonstrate that we do not need our bachelors in order to tinker.  Theory is not required to tinker.  In fact the more tinkering you do now the easier it will be to learn the theory in class.  the above image is the Solar Engine circuit built in a brad board for prototyping.

The Future of Nuclear Energy

Update: Excellent presentation! Incredibly the conference room (K413) was packed! It is remarkable that when students had the choice of meeting the Dolphins’ cheerleaders or of learning about nuclear energy that they chose the latter!

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“The Future of Nuclear Energy”

By: John Williams, Southern Nuclear & Steven Scroggs, FPL

Date:  Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Time:  Noon

Room:  K413