http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110809132232.htm
A Duke University engineer has created a novel hybrid solar panel roof that he believes can pump even more energy out of the sun’s rays. The engineer, Nico Hotz, suggests that his hybrid option sunlight heats a combination of water and methanol in a maze of glass tubes on the roof. After reacting, this system creates hydrogen at a more efficient pace than current solar panels would. In the summer his hybrid achieved exergetic efficiencies of 28.5% in the summer and 18.5% in the winter. Compared to 5-15% for conventional systems in the summer and 2.5-5% in the winter. This could revolutionize the way our homes get their electricity on a everyday basis.
It's amazing how quickly advances are being made on this front. It seems that every day a new way to conserve energy is released to the public. Hopefully this continues on such a pace that our impact on the environment eventually is reduced exponentially.
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