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Hybrid rooftop device to harvest solar energy and passively cool buildings at the same time

Darren Quick November 12, 2018

Researchers have paired a cooling system that draws thermal heat from a building and beams it into space with a solar panel, designing a system with the same rooftop footprint that ccould generate electricity and passively cool a building at the same time.

Professor Shanhui Fan and postdoctoral scholar Wei Li with a prototype device used to test a ...

Energy

Bacteria-packed solar cell soaks up the Sun even behind clouds

Michael Irving July 6, 2018

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed a new way to build solar cells containing bacteria, which are more efficient than similar systems and can even work on dim, cloudy days.

In the future, bacteria-powered solar cells could be competing with conventional panels

Energy

Silicon-perovskite solar cell cracks new efficiency record

Michael Irving June 11, 2018

Silicon is fast approaching its theoretical limit for solar efficiency, but pairing it up with other materials could help break through. Researchers have developed a new technique for combining silicon and perovskite solar cells, and reported a new record efficiency of 25.2 percent.

The pyramid shapes of silicon's surface structure is clear in this microscope image

Energy

Nanoparticles are dyeing to convert infrared to visible light for solar cells

Michael Irving April 23, 2018

Most solar cells only capture the visible light. Now, researchers at Berkeley Labs have developed a way to use nanoparticles coated in special organic dyes to convert near-infrared light into visible light, which could allow solar cells to harvest more of the spectrum.

A close-up artist's rendition of an upconverting nanoparticle: after the nanoparticle has absorbed infrared light, an ...

Outdoors

Cinch Hub makes solar-powered pop-up tents more modular

Michael Irving March 18, 2018

Cinch has pitched the fourth generation of its solar-powered pop-up tents, refreshing the existing line with new features like integrated smart LED lighting, and introducing the Cinch Pod, a portable “living room” that can connect several tents together.

For Cinch's 2018 lineup of pop-up tents, the company has unveiled the Cinch Hub, designed as ...

Energy

Hybrid solar cell captures energy from the sun and raindrops

Michael Irving March 7, 2018

As useful as solar energy is, it still has one major Kryptonite: gloomy weather. Now, a team of Chinese engineers has developed a hybrid solar cell that can produce electricity come rain or shine, using the triboelectric effect to harvest energy from the movement of raindrops on its surface.

Energy

Titanium helps perovskite solar cells do a lead detox

Michael Irving February 14, 2018

Over the last few years, perovskite has proven itself to be a promising material for photovoltaic solar cells, but it’s not without its problems. Now, a team has found a way to helps solve at least one of those issues, removing toxic lead from the device by substituting in titanium.

A new design for perovskite solar cell has found that titanium could be a viable substitute ...

Energy

Tesla to help roll out world's largest "virtual power plant" in Australia

Michael Irving February 4, 2018

Tesla is again partnering with the South Australian government, this time on the world’s largest “virtual power plant.” By installing solar panels and Tesla Powerwall batteries on thousands of houses, the system would allow homes to generate their own electricity and feed excess power to the grid.

The South Australian Government has teamed up with Tesla to roll out the world's largest virtual ...

Energy

Solar-powered floating rig can harvest hydrogen from seawater

Michael Irving December 18, 2017

Hydrogen is a clean fuel source, and using sunlight and water is the cleanest way to produce it. Now, engineers from Columbia University are developing a “solar fuels rig” that floats on the ocean, captures energy through a solar cell and uses it to harvest hydrogen from the water beneath it.

A computer render of a large-scale "floating solar rig," which captures sunlight through a photovoltaic cell ...

Holiday Destinations

NASA's piezo-powered "smart path" lights up and beams fun facts to visitor's phones

Michael Irving December 13, 2017

In today’s concrete jungle, pavement takes up a lot of space, so we might as well cram some smarts in there. Now NASA is installing a high-tech new path that lights up, emits Wi-Fi signals and generates electricity, due to greet visitors to the Kennedy Space Center.

Visitors to NASA's Kennedy Space Center will soon be greeted by a huge high-tech path, made ...