New design makes solar energy capture 35 percent more efficient
Even newer and more efficient solar panel models typically only convert about 22 percent of the light they capture into energy. Part of this is because, as they are angled in one direction, they only receive sunlight during certain hours of the day. A new and revolutionary design is looking to Read More...
Get clean water wherever you go with this portable solar power purifier
As camping and hiking activities are expected to continue rising amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new device could provide adventurers with a more convenient, sustainable way to access clean water anywhere. Dubbed the GoSun Flow, the device is a portable solar-powered device with a filter that can Read More...
How renewables took over the grid during the pandemic
If there has been a winner to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, it would be the solar industry. The reduction in driving, flying, and industrial activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to smog-free skies, which is proving a boon for solar energy generation. Pollution blocks solar Read More...
These solar windows rival rooftop panels in terms of efficiency
Windows capable of harvesting energy from the sun have been on the horizon for a number of years, but they've yet to help cut down a building's energy costs. A new development from Australian researchers may change that. What the researchers have created are semi-transparent solar cells made of Read More...
Agrivoltaics: The mission to combine agriculture with solar farming
Are fields of open, often fertile land better used for producing renewable energy or food? The United States already hosts more than 2 million solar installations, and photovoltaic capacity is projected to more than double over the next five years. Meanwhile, our growing global population means Read More...
Decades later, Jimmy Carter is still raving about solar panels
Since he came into office, President Jimmy Carter has shown a tremendous interest in renewable sources of energy. Before ending his term, Mr. Carter became the first president to power portions of the White House with solar panels. In 1979, he was even quoted saying that solar panels could Read More...
Canada to start building its largest solar farm ever this year
A recent $500 million investment from Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) will begin one of Canada’s most ambitious renewable energy projects to date. With the investment, the province of Alberta will start building 1.5 million solar panels along the southern borders of Canada Read More...
New molecule can harness over 50% more solar energy than current solar cells
For the first time ever, scientists have managed to develop a single molecule that can absorb energy from the entire visible spectrum of light, meaning it can harness over 50 percent more solar energy than conventional solar cells. That also means it can catalyze that energy into hydrogen. Read More...
California reaches 1 million solar panel landmark
Back in 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger set out a plan to ‘terminate’ the use of dirty energy sources powering the state of California. His government proceeded to sign an act to subsidize and expand the installation of solar roof units throughout California. The program allocated around Read More...
How one Australian band is getting musicians to invest in solar farms
When the Australian band Cloud Control was about to go on two-week tour after releasing its third album in 2017, the band’s keyboard player Heidi Lenffer asked climate scientists to find out how much emissions they would produce. The result? Around 28 tonnes of emissions—roughly equivalent Read More...