Ubuntu | Thoughts - Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up

Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up – Friday 22nd April 2022

Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up

Ubuntu Thoughts  /   5 Min read
Friday 22nd April, 2022
Ubuntu | Callum Berry, Author
Author
Callum Berry
Content & Media Manager
Good morning readers, and happy Friday! We hope you’ve all had a fabulous week. We’re here once again to bring you some positive news so let’s get straight into it!
Ubuntu | Thoughts - Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up

24/7 energy

Solar power is great—we’re big fans of anything that helps us to steer away from fossil fuel energy systems. The underlying problem that hasn’t gone away however, is that…well, it’s highly reliant on the sun. But that may be about to change… Specially designed “Night solar panels” could help solve this fundamental solar set-back, by generating power once the sun has gone down.

The panels were created in 2020, by scientists at the University of California Davis, US. Coined ‘anti-solar cells’, the solar panels are cooler than the night air, creating a temperature difference that can be exploited to produce electricity.

Research conducted earlier this year confirmed the night-time solar cells produce enough energy to charge a mobile phone. That’s not bad going considering the amount of solar energy modern day panels can achieve: zero.

Despite the fact this technology is unlikely to dramatically impact the energy and climate crisis we’re currently facing, it’s such innovations that keep the first of hope burning and show that we are (at least) moving in the right direction.
Ubuntu | Thoughts - Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up

Fattoria del vento

It may be a little behind the times, however Italy has successfully built its first offshore wind farm.

Constructed near the costal city of Taranto, the offshore wind farm is the first of its kind in the Mediterranean Sea. It will have a capacity of 30 megawatts (MW) and an estimated output of 58,000 MWh per year (that equates to powering roughly 21,000 homes) and is scheduled to come online later this year.

We love to see countries embracing green ways of producing energy. As the world struggles to increase its energy sovereignty, we’re expecting to see other EU countries follow a similar path as part of their green transition to aid in their economic, technological, and political agendas.
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Ubuntu | Thoughts - Ubuntu Studio’s positive news round-up

An infant innovation

As every parent can attest, keeping your children safe and healthy is a top priority. One Nigerian mother saw first hand the dangers jaundice can cause in newborns when her son was forced to have an emergency blood transfusion due to jaundice.

But rather than try and forget her ordeal, she decided to do something about it.

Virtue Oboro has set up a new tech startup to help put an end to the condition that affects nearly 60% of newborns, with custom-built solar-powered cribs.

The Crib A'Glow innovation has received award grants including $50,000 from Johnson and Johnson's Africa Innovation Award, and most recently was selected as a finalist for the Royal Academy of Engineering's Africa Prize 2022.

Virtue is an inspiration to us for taking a traumatising situation and using it to create something amazing and life giving in a continent that often lacks the basic healthcare we take for granted in the West.

Well that’s all from us at Ubuntu, we hope that we gave you the lift you needed to power through the last few hours of Friday! Have a great weekend, and be sure to follow our socials so you know when the next PNR comes out (every Friday).

Got an interesting story you’d like us to highlight? Feel free to send in your ideas to callum@ubuntustudio.co.uk and you could be featured in an upcoming PNR!
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