Researchers use polystyrene to make next-generation of solar panels even cheaper
Researchers from The University of Manchester are using polystyrene particles rather than expensive polymers to make the next generation of solar cells, which are used to make solar panels, more stable...
View ArticleWhat blackout? How solar-reliant power grids passed the eclipse test
The total solar eclipse that captivated the United States this week was more than just a celestial spectacle (and a reminder to take care of your eyes). It was also a valuable lesson in how to manage...
View ArticleApprenticeships give workers of color a leg up on clean-energy careers, says...
A new study from UC Berkeley's Green Economy Program shows that joint union-employer apprenticeship programs have helped people of color get training and career-track jobs building California's clean...
View ArticleAir pollution throws shade on India's solar success
Air pollution is diminishing India's capacity to harness power from the sun, experts say, undermining billions being invested in renewables as the energy-hungry giant emerges as a solar superpower.
View ArticleEngineers develop tools to share power from renewable energy sources during...
If you think you can use the solar panels on your roof to power your home during an outage, think again. During an outage, while your home remains connected to the grid, the devices that manage your...
View ArticleHydrogen power moves a step closer
Physicists at Lancaster University are developing methods of creating renewable fuel from water using quantum technology.
View ArticleDubai awards contract for final phase of solar park
The Gulf desert emirate of Dubai on Saturday announced the award of a $3.8-billion contract for the final phase of a solar park aimed at generating 5,000 megawatts of electricity by 2030.
View ArticleNew life for aging scooter batteries
What can we do with aging scooter batteries? Instead of scrapping them and recycling their components, the batteries could be left intact and re-used in a solar power storage cabinet. This is precisely...
View ArticleNREL investigates coatings needed for concentrating solar power
Next-generation concentrating solar power (CSP) plants require high-temperature fluids, like molten salts, in the range of 550-750 degrees Celsius to store heat and generate electricity. At those high...
View ArticleFully renewable India in 2050 can take a shortcut to emission-free future
India can function on a fully renewable electricity system in 2050. This is the result of a new research by Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT). The study shows that developing countries that...
View ArticleSemi-transparent and flexible solar cells made from atomically thin sheet
Researchers at Tohoku University have developed an innovative method for fabricating semitransparent and flexible solar cells with atomically thin 2-D materials. The new technology improves power...
View ArticleBalloons to help restore Puerto Rico's cell networks
Google's parent company is set to launch balloons into the Caribbean skies in an attempt to restore telephone networks in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
View ArticleSolar panels shine in darkest Amazon, the 'last frontier'
In the darkest reaches of Brazil's Amazon, solar panels are bringing light—and could help save the rainforest.
View ArticleWhen solar-powered drones meet Arctic glaciers
Solar-powered flying platforms have yet to prove their real-world applicability outside of targeted demonstrations. Monitoring glaciers in polar regions is in pole position to become a primary...
View ArticleNew fractal-like concentrating solar power receivers are better at absorbing...
Sandia National Laboratories engineers have developed new fractal-like, concentrating solar power receivers for small- to medium-scale use that are up to 20 percent more effective at absorbing sunlight...
View ArticleHuge solar plant aims for brighter Brazil energy output
Brazil has lagged far behind in the shift to solar power, but the continent's biggest facility now being built in the south-east aims to give the country its place in the sun.
View ArticleSubsidizing coal and nuclear power could drive customers off the grid
Within the next month, energy watchers expect the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to act on an order from Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would create new pricing rules for certain power plants...
View ArticlePuerto Rico faces a long road to a sustainable future
In Utuado, a town in the hills of central Puerto Rico, "very little works." That's what Delsie Gandia, a resident, told me several days ago via email during a rare opening when she could connect to the...
View ArticleSolar power advances possible with new 'double-glazing' device
A new 'double-glazing' solar power device – which is unlike any existing solar panel and opens up fresh opportunities to develop more advanced photovoltaics – has been invented by University of Warwick...
View ArticleGuanidinium stabilizes perovskite solar cells at 19 percent efficiency
With the power-conversion efficiency of silicon solar cells plateauing around 25%, perovskites are now ideally placed to become the market's next generation of photovoltaics. In particular,...
View ArticleTransformation to wind and solar achievable with low indirect GHG emissions
Different low carbon technologies including wind and solar energy, and fossil carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) differ greatly when it comes to indirect greenhouse gas emissions in their life...
View ArticleAdvanced multi-junction solar cells deliver high efficiency, reduced costs...
Experts at the Air Force Research Laboratory continue to expand the scope of their technological expertise, rising above the Earth's surface to meet the power needs of next generation military spacecraft.
View ArticleHarnessing the power of algae—new, greener fuel cells move step closer to...
A new design of algae-powered fuel cells that is five times more efficient than existing plant and algal models, as well as being potentially more cost-effective to produce and practical to use, has...
View ArticleScientists improve nanofluids for solar power plants
An associate of Siberian Federal University (SFU) teamed up with his foreign colleagues to increase the efficiency of the heat transfer medium used in solar power plants. The results of the study were...
View ArticleA simple new approach to plastic solar cells
Humankind is in the midst of a massive drive to harness solar energy to power our homes, gadgets, and industry. Plastic solar cells, based on blends of conducting organic polymers, are of interest for...
View ArticleThe state of the U.S. solar industry
On Jan. 22, 2018, the Trump administration announced plans to impose punitive duties on solar panels imported from abroad. This decision came in response to a complaint filed by two solar companies,...
View ArticleImage: Space weather effects
Space weather refers to the environmental conditions in space as influenced by solar activity.
View ArticleCan mirrors boost solar panel output - and help overcome Trump's tariffs?
Falling costs for solar power have led to an explosive growth in residential, commercial and utility-scale solar use over the past decade. The levelized cost of solar electricity using imported solar...
View ArticleTesla, Australia to turn 50,000 homes into power generators
Some 50,000 homes in South Australia will receive solar panels and Tesla batteries, the state government announced Sunday, in a landmark plan to turn houses into a giant, interconnected power plant.
View ArticleMonitoring solar activity
Living near a star is risky business, and positioning a spacecraft near the sun is a very good way to observe rapidly changing solar activity and deliver early warning of possibly harmful space...
View Article
