Monthly science column

Compressed air: the battery of the future?

Sylvain Lemofouet - The National (UAE) - Sat, 06/14/2014
The last thing you would want on a hot, sunny day in the not too distant future is for your solar-powered air conditioning to switch off every time a cloud gets in the way of the sun. This mundane problem points at a much larger challenge we face as ... Read
Monthly science column

Solar colours set to shine

Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin - The National (UAE) - Sun, 05/11/2014
While today’s silicon solar panels have become common, several factors – affordability, a complicated production process, and their bulky aesthetics – are holding them back...... Read
Monthly science column

How to turn research theories into commercial enterprises

Franco Vigliotti - The National (UAE) - Sun, 04/13/2014
When Gorkem Soyumer, an EPFL Middle East student, finished his master’s thesis, he was able to do what many young graduates only dream of – help turn his research into a business...... Read
Monthly science column

Big plans to power the future with microscopic algae

Christian Ludwig - The National (UAE) - Sun, 02/09/2014
Tiny, microscopic algae may seem like an unlikely replacement for today’s fossil fuels, but recent advances in technology are turning them into a candidate of increasing potential. In order to offer a viable alternative to oil or natural gas, t... Read
Monthly science column

Power refugee camps and you empower their refugees

Hamed Ziadé - The National (UAE) - Sun, 09/15/2013
To refugees living in camps, the importance of light and electricity goes well beyond comfort – it stands for security, health, education and an improved quality of life. Yet nights are often dark in refugee camps around the world, which provid... Read
Monthly science column

A solar sandwich for 21st century buildings

Thomas Keller - The National (UAE) - Sun, 04/14/2013
Imagine a building that, like a plant, uses its entire surface to capture sunlight and convert it into energy. It’s not an average rectangular building with black solar panels jutting out from the roof; instead, picture an aesthetic, organic st... Read
Monthly science column

Can rooftop solar power make a difference to the UAE?

Ralf Dyllick-Brenzinger - The National (UAE) - Sun, 03/10/2013
Europe has become a world leader in solar-power production, with often-cloudy Germany leading the pack. Essential to that progress have been feed-in tariffs, a mechanism that obliges local utilities to buy locally produced renewable electricity at a ... Read
Monthly science column

Predicting air turbulence is almost like catching the wind

Fernando Porté-Agel - The National (UAE) - Sun, 01/13/2013
Clear air turbulence has long been a nuisance and a hazard to aircraft and passengers. It is invisible, unpredictable, and tends to strike when it is least welcome – during your in-flight lunch, for example...... Read
Monthly science column

UAE can learn lessons from Europeans on renewables

Ralf Dyllick-Brenzinger - The National (UAE) - Sun, 12/09/2012
Abu Dhabi is on a mission to get 7 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2020, and it is starting to show. The rooftop solar plant at the Masdar Institute is up and running. Shams 1, the region's first full-blown concentrated solar... Read

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