Friday, December 12, 2003

Gonna Fly Now - Philly4Dean Drive for Democracy: Finale in Philly. Attention Dean supporters in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey: Zephyr Teachout, photographer Ryan Davis and volunteer David Welch have been traveling across the country since late October on the Drive for Democracy, and they have chosen Philadelphia — the cradle of liberty, the city where Thomas Paine published his Common Sense pamphlet in 1776 — as their final stop this Sunday, December 14th. Let's greet them with another Philly tradition: at 3:00PM we'll make a victorious run up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps in a tribute to "Rocky" that would make Stallone proud. (We know the team is tired after their long trip, so we're going to let them skip the run through the Italian Market in South Philly and cut right to the steps. Boxing gloves are optional.) We'll then head over to 30th Street Station for a little visibility and a bite to eat. If the weather isn't cooperating (or if you're not up for the run up the steps), head straight to 30th Street to meet up with us at 3:30PM. Wear your pins, hats and other Dean paraphernalia and let's show everyone that Philly loves Howard Dean! We know Dean supporters in the Philadelphia area have been following this trip here on the blog, and now's your chance to be part of it. Please join us in welcoming Zephyr and her team to Philadelphia as they wrap up this amazing trip. Bring your stories, your questions and your enthusiasm. Get event info and sign up at Get Local. See you there! Jennifer Powers Philly4Dean [Blog for America] 10:26:37 PM

Solar Cells Thin chrystalline solar cells:  "In the laboratory of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, thin crystalline solar cells have been produced with a thickness of 37 micrometres (µm) and an efficiency value of 20.2 %. In comparison, current industrial cells are comparatively thick - 300 µm (= 0.3 mm) - and significantly less efficient, with a value of 16 %.  A decisive step leading towards the successful result is a process which has been developed and patented by Fraunhofer ISE for back-surface contacting of the solar cell [with] LFC technology (laser fired contacts) ..  The existing slow and expensive photolithographic processing steps for the back contact are no longer needed. In conventional, laboratory processes for highly efficient cells, considerable effort is needed to open small holes in the insulating layer, and then deposit the back-surface electrode of aluminium.  "In LFC processing, we evaporate the aluminium layer directly onto the passivation layer and then fire through the metal with a laser to create the local contacts", explained Stefan Glunz, the co-ordinator of work at the Institute on monocrystalline silicon solar cells. This process is inexpensive, requires only one second per solar cell, does not impose significant stress on the material, and functions for all wafer thicknesses and doping levels, making it ideal for industrial mass production." [Ken Novak: Future energy] 9:24:00 PM

Information on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions How to cut emissions, etc: "U.S. Climate Change Technology Program November 2003 inventory of technologies to fight climate change. [Ken Novak: Future energy] 2:43:18 PM