In one of the first experiments to take place on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS), a new type of 3D-textured solar cell will soak up 16 sunrises everyday from the “back porch” of the orbiting research vessel. The carbon nanotube cell was designed by Georgia Tech Professor W. Jud Ready, and it features an experimental 3D coating that “traps” light. In Earth-based tests the next-gen solar cells have yielded a greater efficiency than conventional flat solar cells.

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Post tags: 3d solar, Carbon Nanotube, carbon solar, georgia tech, international space station, iss, jud ready, solar efficiency, solar film, space research, textured solar, thin flim solar

File this in the creepy yet useful category: architectural research firm Decker Yeadon is currently researching how carbon nanotubes may one day create a building material able to move without motors. This means that one day your windows might be able to open and close independent of you, but completely responsive to a number of other factors such as room temperature, with no mechanical parts required.

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Post tags: building materials, Carbon Nanotube, decker yeadon, green design, nanoInk, nanotechnology

An intrepid team of researchers at MIT have made a remarkable find in lithium battery technology – by using carbon nanotubes as one of a battery’s electrodes, they can increase the amount of power it can deliver by up to 10 times (compared to a conventional lithium-ion battery). Batteries are the driving force behind many great innovations in green tech but they are typically limited by the amount of power they can store, so this new finding stands to shape the future of sustainable technology.

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Post tags: battery life, Carbon Nanotube, eco design, electrodes, green design, green technology, lithium battery, lithium ion, massachusetts institute of technology, MIT, MIT Team Finds Carbon Nanotubes Can Boost Lithium Battery Power 10x, sustainable design