New discovery could lead to huge drop in solar power costs
A new breakthrough from scientists at Washington State University could soon cause the price of solar power to plunge well below the US Department of Energy’s 2030 cost targets for renewable energy way ahead of schedule. What the scientists have discovered is a new way to produce cadmium Read More...
Google is combining the largest solar deal ever with battery storage in Nevada
Running the cloud-based computing services that companies like Google offers is extremely energy-intensive. Fortunately for us, the energy-hungry companies that run these services seem more than willing to operate their data centers without using fossil fuels. In 2017 Google switched from just Read More...
This winery used rusty oil drilling pipes to create a solar-powered barn
Winemakers in California have given unexpected new life to old oil field drill stem pipes, using them to create an equipment barn covered in solar panels. The use of the rusty oil pipes gives the barn a bit of steampunk vibe, fitting in nicely amongst the rolling vineyard-lined hills. But beyond Read More...
You could soon own a solar-powered car with a 450 mile range
Solar-powered cars have long been an icon of the far-off future, but soon enough, you could actually own a solar car—one that powers itself rather than relying on a charger. This week, Dutch clean mobility company Lightyear debuted its long-range prototype, the Lightyear One, with a range of Read More...
An Australian university is using a giant water battery to become carbon neutral
The University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia is setting a shining example of how the power of sunlight can be used to keep buildings cool. Recently, the Queensland university invested in a giant water battery that stands three-stories high. The giant battery harnesses power from over 6,000 Read More...
These artificial sunflowers move like real flowers to harvest solar energy
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: nature is the best source of inspiration for the design. In that light, scientists from UCLA have designed tiny solar panels disguised as sunflowers that mimic the behavior in plants known as phototropism, which is what plants do when they bend to Read More...
This device generates renewable electricity from the cold dark air
While solar cells are an efficient source of renewable energy during the day, currently there is no similar renewable approach to generating power at night. Solar lights can be outfitted with batteries to store energy produced in daylight hours for night-time use, but the addition drives up Read More...
Women are bringing clean energy to hundreds of Indian households
There are more than 200 million people in India without access to power. And while the government is working on connecting them to the grid, it also wants to ensure that the energy comes from renewable sources. A company in one of the country’s western states is helping to achieve both of Read More...
America is now home to more than two million solar installations—and counting
The US just hit a major milestone when it comes to solar power, according to a new report. As it turns out, there are now more than two million solar installations in the US, enough to power more than 12 million homes. Just three years ago, the number of solar installations stood at one million, Read More...
How community solar is pushing New York towards 100% renewables
Even if many New Yorkers would like to power their homes with solar energy, they wouldn’t be able to—unless they own a building and put solar panels on the roof themselves. But as the city pushes for 100 renewables, providing the opportunity for everyday New Yorkers to get involved in solar Read More...