Solar Energy News

September 9, 2016

Converting Carbon Dioxide Gas Into Fuel

Sponge Creates Steam Using Ambient Sunlight

Breakthrough Solar Cell Produces Burnable Fuel

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Latest Headlines

updated 1:14am EDT

Discovery Creates Future Opportunity in Quantum Computing

Sep. 6, 2016 — Perovskite systems have been shown to be highly efficient at converting sunlight to electricity. Now, scientists have discovered a new use for perovskites that runs counter to the intended usage of ... read more

Low-Cost Solar Device Converts Sunlight to Steam in Dusty Environment

Sep. 6, 2016 — A novel, low-cost solar thermal energy conversion system has been developed that can easily generate steam from sunlight. The solar conversion system can help make ... read more

New Tool Can Calculate Renewable Energy Output Anywhere in the World

Sep. 6, 2016 — An interactive web tool to estimate the amount of energy that could be generated by wind or solar farms at any location has now been created by ... read more

A New Technique Opens Up Advanced Solar Cells

Sep. 2, 2016 — Using a novel spectroscopic technique, scientists have made a much-needed breakthrough in cutting-edge ... read more

Solar Cell Is More Efficient, Costs Less Than Its Counterparts

Aug. 29, 2016 — A team of researchers has developed a new solar cell that combines two different layers of sunlight-absorbing material to harvest a broader range of the sun's energy and that ... read more

Interface Engineering for Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Aug. 24, 2016 — The lifetime of perovskite solar cells is significantly enhanced by using few-layer MoS2 flakes as an active buffer interface layer. Researchers show that interface engineering with layered materials ... read more

An Effective and Low-Cost Solution for Storing Solar Energy

Aug. 25, 2016 — Solar energy can be stored by converting it into hydrogen. But current methods are too expensive and don't last long. Using commercially available solar cells and none of the ... read more

Pro-Nuclear Countries Making Slower Progress on Climate Targets

Aug. 22, 2016 — A strong national commitment to nuclear energy goes hand in hand with weak performance on climate change targets, researchers have ... read more

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

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

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

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 switchable version of the light-driven proton pump proteorhodopsin -- an ... 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. Their findings show how a ferroelectric insulator can ... 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 personal devices -- ... 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 of crystalline structures ... 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

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

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

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