Photovoltaic

If someone is experiencing homelessness, their smartphone often becomes their sole means of staying connected with loved ones. Charging that phone can be hard, however, which is why the solar-panel-equipped Makeshift Traveler backpack was created.

Janta Power has just snagged US$5.5 million in a round of seed funding to continue the deployment of its pivoting solar power towers. The vertical design and smart tracking functions of the towers offer big improvements over flat panel arrays.

As the production window approaches for what's described as "the world’s most efficient EV pickup," startup Telo has formed a partnership with Aptera. The latter will supply its PV cells for optional solar paneling for the upcoming compact e-truck.

Solar and wind farms are a common sight on land. But just like wind turbines, massive PV installations may soon be heading offshore. China is looking to lead the charge, and is embarking on sea trials of a wave-resistant hexagonal floating platform.

Even on busy rail networks, the gap between lines can spend much of its time doing little but face skyward, so why not put that space to good use? Swiss startup Sun-Ways is looking to do just that by installing solar panels in between railway tracks.

An innovative hybrid solar device that combines a PV panel and energy storage has achieved record levels of energy storage efficiency. Unlike conventional batteries, the molecular solar thermal energy storage (MOST) device doesn't rely on scarce materials.

From a New York rooftop in the 1800s to their first journey to space. From kidnappings and bribery to a world-changing mistake with an inkwell... Solar panels are one of humanity's greatest inventions, and their history is more fun than you thought.

Perovskite materials are poised to take on the reigning champion of solar, silicon, but their stability is holding them back. Now, scientists in China have developed a new type of hybrid perovskite that boasts a very good efficiency over a long life.

A new heat-to-energy converter has reached a record efficiency of 44% – the average steam turbine manages about 35%, for comparison. This thermophotovoltaic cell is a major step on the way to sustainable, grid-scale renewable energy storage.

Solar cell efficiency may get a bump from bumps. New research suggests that building tiny domes into the surface of organic solar cells could boost their efficiency by up to two-thirds, while capturing light from a wider angle.

Portable photovoltaic systems are great for generating electricity while off the grid, but constantly moving them to keep them in the sunlight can be a hassle. Jackery's Solar Generator Mars Bot offers a solution to that problem, as it moves itself.

Australian company 5B has developed a hinged, folding solar array for ridiculously quick and easy installation at industrial scale. In May, 5B showed just how quick: a team of 10 covered the area of a soccer field with a 1.1-MW array in a single day.