Solar Power

Toyota's just unveiled a quadricycle concept that I really hope it gets around to building. The compact FT-Me seats two, takes up just half a parking space, and is designed to offer plenty of flexibility in a small package.

Since 2012, UK-based Power Roll has been working on a way to print low-cost solar film. It's now one crucial step closer to manufacturing its lightweight film, with a new design for its perovskite solar cells that should drop production costs.

The MWC trade show is upon us, and Lenovo's slapped a solar panel on a laptop to bring to its booth. The Yoga Solar PC can run off the power of the sun, packs decent specs, and appears well built. Too bad it's only a concept at this point.

Abu Dhabi will soon be home to a 5.2-GW solar farm – snagging the top spot on the global solar energy plant leaderboard. It'll be the world's first '24/7' solar photovolatic plant coupled with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

While there are a few electric cars that have onboard photovoltaic panels for charging on the go, such vehicles are definitely in the minority. The DartSolar system was designed to change that, by adding a rooftop solar power system to any EV.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a list of research programs and future technologies it's working on – including a "new kind of solar paint" it says could generate enough energy for up to 20,000 km (12,427 miles) of driving per year under ideal conditions.

UK startup Space Solar has signed an agreement with Reykjavik Energy that could see Iceland become the first country to receive power beamed from a space-based solar power plant. The 30-MW demonstrator is scheduled to go online by 2030.

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.

Swedish company NoviOcean has tested a third-gen prototype of its combination wind/solar/wave energy platform, a floating platform rated for up to 1 MW of consistent clean energy around the clock, thanks to a fascinating buoyancy-driven mechanism.

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.