electricity Archives – THINK Magazine

Are Solar Panels Cool Enough?

Solar photovoltaic panels are a fantastic invention; they can turn abundant solar energy into electricity. Moreover, they provide shading on building roofs, reducing the heat that penetrates from direct sunlight. Amazing. But, there is one slight hitch – as the panels heat up, they become less and less efficient. A team of researchers at UM are looking into an innovative way to cool PV panels and the roof under the waxing sun.

Let’s rethink our motors

From washing machines and vacuum cleaners to air conditioners and fans, household appliances all contain electrical motors, and we tend to take them for granted. However, appliances’ high starting currents can disrupt electricity supply and shut down a whole house. Daniel Lendi unpacks some of the hard work needed to fix this problem.

Daniel Lendi Electrical engineering electricity engineering industry March 2020 motor Reiko Raute Think 31

Keeping it cool

Air conditioning is no longer considered a luxury by most. At the same time few are aware of its inner workings and how that impacts their bills. Dr Mario Farrugia explains.

AC AC system air-conditioner air-conditioning cold cool air electricity Environment faculty of engineering heat inverter Maltese climate Maltese heat Maltese Islands Sun thermodynamics university of malta UoM

Sea Breeze

Malta’s long Mediterranean summers mean that ACs are everyone’s best friend. In a country endowed by sun and wind, renewable energies cannot be an afterthought, yet they are. The UoM’s OWTEP project is creating a cutting-edge solution by combining an offshore wind turbine with a district cooling system. Prof. Ing. Tonio Sant and Dr Ing. Robert N. Farrugia speak to Tuovi Mäkipere.