Solar Energy News

August 20, 2016

Breakthrough Solar Cell Produces Burnable Fuel

Printing Energy Producing Photographs

New Light Harvesting Potentials Discovered

Electricity from Water, Salt and Micro-Membrane

Latest Headlines

updated 11:14am EDT

Let's Roll: Material for Polymer Solar Cells May Lend Itself to Large-Area Processing

Aug. 12, 2016 — An international team's findings provide important clues for designing polymer solar cells approaching target for power ... read more

Two Become One: How to Turn Green Light Blue

Aug. 10, 2016 — The upconversion of photons allows for a more efficient use of light: Two photons are converted into a single photon having higher energy. Researchers now showed for the ... read more

Synthetic Biology: Engineering a Chemical Switch Into a Light-Driven Proton Pump

Aug. 9, 2016 — Synthetic biology is an emerging and rapidly evolving engineering discipline. Now scientists have engineered a chemically ... read more

Improved Perovskite Solar Cells

Aug. 9, 2016 — Scientists have devised a method to improve perovskite solar cells, making them more efficient and reliable with higher ... read more

Making a Solar Energy Conversion Breakthrough With Help from a Ferroelectrics Pioneer

Aug. 8, 2016 — Researchers have revealed a class of materials that could be better at converting sunlight into energy than those currently used in solar arrays. ... read more

Tiny High-Performance Solar Cells Turn Power Generation Sideways

Aug. 3, 2016 — Engineers have created high-performance, micro-scale solar cells that outshine comparable devices in key performance measures. The miniature solar panels could power myriad ... read more

Cadmium-Tellurium Solar Cells: Formula Optimized

Aug. 3, 2016 — Solar cells could move closer to theoretical levels of efficiency, thanks to new findings. Researchers used advanced microscopy techniques to discover efficiency differences ... read more

Semi-Transparent Solar Cells With Thermal Mirror Capability Developed

Aug. 3, 2016 — Semi-transparent perovskite solar cells have been created that demonstrate high-power conversion efficiency and transmit visible light while blocking infrared light, making them great candidates for ... read more

New High-Temperature Device Captures a Broader Solar Wavelength Spectrum

Aug. 1, 2016 — Using a heat-resistant device, made of tungsten and alumina layers, researchers have found that the device can absorb the sun's broad spectrum radiation and convert it to ... read more

Modeling Sunlight Harvesting in Nanostructures

July 30, 2016 — To create the next generation of solar panels, scientists must model how complex interactions occur. Modeling across different scales provides needed insights. In a review article, scientists ... read more

Ultra-Sensitive Camera Sees Around Corners

Europe's Largest Floating Solar Farm Powers Up

How Do I Save Money On My Electric Bill?

Heating Up Hair Science

An Unexpected Finding: Rare Iodine Polymer Discovery Is Key to Starch-Iodine Mystery

Aug. 18, 2016 — In the pursuit of a new class of photovoltaic materials, researchers happened upon an entirely different discovery that addresses a centuries-old mystery of chemistry: Why does an iodine solution ... read more

Hybrid Perovskites: Super-Ion Building Blocks

July 30, 2016 — More efficient solar cells will likely be based on a family of materials known as hybrid perovskites. Scientists identified how to control different properties and stability in these solar cell ... read more

Green Polymer Electrolyte Based on N-Phthaloylchitosan for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

July 30, 2016 — A green polymer derived from bio-waste was applied to the dye-sensitized solar cells by scientists in a new study. Chitosan obtained from the insects’ and crustaceans’ chitin was modified to ... read more

Videos Reveal Birds, Bats and Bugs Near Ivanpah Solar Project Power Towers

July 27, 2016 — Video surveillance is the most effective method for detecting animals flying around solar power towers, according to a new ... read more

Serendipitous Observation May Lead to More Efficient Solar Cells and New Gas Sensors

July 27, 2016 — While investigating perovskite crystals, scientists made an observation that could make perovskite solar cells more efficient. It could also lead to new sensors for oxygen and water ... read more

Saharan Dust: Reliable Forecasts for Photovoltaic Output

July 27, 2016 — A hazy sky and dirty cars are well-known consequences of Saharan dust carried to Europe by air currents. As part of the “PerduS” project, researchers are currently examining how dust – as haze ... read more

Watering Solar Cells Makes Them Grow in Power

July 27, 2016 — Perovskite solar cells are the rising star in the photovoltaic landscape. Since their invention, less than ten years ago, their efficiency has doubled twice and it is now over 22% -- an astonishing ... read more

Molten Storage and Thermophotovoltaics Offer New Solar Power Pathway

July 27, 2016 — A new wrinkle on an old technology -- solid-state thermophotovoltaics (TPV) -- could provide a high-efficiency alternative for directly converting high-temperature heat from concentrated solar ... read more

Developing Reliable Renewable Energy Sources

July 25, 2016 — As the world’s population continues to grow, so does our consumption of natural resources. Many of these resources are non-renewable, so research into renewable sources of energy is vital. New ... read more

Unlocking the Secret to Cheaper Solar Power

July 25, 2016 — As climate change garners more attention around the world, scientists have made critical advances in understanding the physical properties of an emerging class of solar cells that have the potential ... read more

A Hydrophobic Membrane With Nanopores for Highly Efficient Energy Storage

July 22, 2016 — Storing fluctuating and delivering stable electric power supply are central issues when using energy from solar plants or wind power stations. Here, efficient and flexible energy storage systems need ... read more

Perovskite Can Take the Heat

July 21, 2016 — Myth-busting research into a new alternative solar cell material could lead to cheaper solar ... read more

Modern Off-Grid Lighting Could Create 2 Million New Jobs in Developing World

July 19, 2016 — Many households in impoverished regions around the world are starting to shift away from inefficient and polluting fuel-based lighting -- such as candles, firewood, and kerosene lanterns -- to ... read more

New Discoveries About Photosynthesis May Lead to Solar Cells of the Future

July 18, 2016 — For the first time, researchers have successfully measured in detail the flow of solar energy, in and between different parts of a photosynthetic organism. The result is a first step in research that ... read more

The Future of Perovskite Solar Cells Has Just Got Brighter, Come Rain or Shine

July 18, 2016 — A team of researchers has found a new method to improve not only the efficiency, but stability and humidity tolerance of perovskite solar cells. The scientists have designed a hydrophobic conducting ... read more

Researchers Discover Key Mechanism for Producing Solar Cells

July 18, 2016 — Researchers have reported the first explanation for how a class of materials changes during production to more efficiently absorb light, a critical step toward the large-scale manufacture of better ... read more

Solar Panels Study Reveals Impact on Earth

July 13, 2016 — Researchers have produced the first detailed study of the impact of solar parks on the environment, opening the door to smarter forms of farming and better land ... read more

Engineering Researchers Strive to Create Cheaper, More Efficient Third-Generation Solar Cells

July 12, 2016 — A humming laboratory is birthing tiny solar cells – the first such devices created on campus – as researchers strive to develop better photovoltaic ... read more

New Milestone in Printed Photovoltaic Technology

July 11, 2016 — Researchers have achieved an important milestone in the quest to develop efficient solar technology as an alternative to fossil fuels. They have investigated a new molecule that can be used to ... read more

Setting the Gold Standard: Chemistry Professor Is First to Use Light to Make Gold Crystal Nanoparticles

July 8, 2016 — A researchers has figured out how gold can be used in crystals grown by light to create nanoparticles, a discovery that has major implications for industry and cancer treatment and could improve the ... read more

Thursday, August 18, 2016