Solar Power

Australia has a lot of sun and desert space, positioning the country well to continue being an energy exporter in the net zero era. But the renewable assets it'll need to build to get there are absolutely epic in scale, according to a new report.

Why design robots from scratch when nature has already done the hard work for us? That’s the reasoning behind cyborg insects, and now scientists have found a way to power remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches using custom solar cells.

Looking to offer an on-demand energy solution for emergency scenarios, camping trips and the growing hordes of remote workers, BioLite has introduced a pair of power banks designed to deliver electricity for folks on the go.

The new BluOasis BluMobile trailer puts deployable solar power, lithium battery storage and water-making capabilities atop a military-grade off-road trailer, giving RVers, overlanders and remote workers more off-grid autonomy. It even sleeps four.

Taking carbon dioxide, water and sunlight as its only inputs, this solar thermal tower in Spain produces carbon-neutral replacement versions of diesel and jet fuel. It's a pilot plant, proving a new all-in-one sustainable fuel production process.

Solar cells still have plenty of room for improvement. Researchers at New York University Tandon have now developed thin film that boosts solar cell efficiency by converting wasted wavelengths of light into ones that can produce energy.

Pin-Up Houses is known for creating unique designs. However, the firm's latest model, a shed/storage space named Gardenrobe, mixes together such disparate features as solar power, rainwater collection, and even a chicken coop.

Before perovskite can become viable for solar cells, it needs to overcome a major durability issue. Engineers at Princeton have unveiled a new perovskite solar cell design that tests suggest could last as long as 30 years of real-world use.

There’s still room for improvement for solar cells. Stanford engineers have now developed pyramid-shaped lenses that focus sunlight from any angle onto a solar cell, keeping it collecting power from sunrise to sunset.

GoSun has established a firm foothold in the adventure gear market with its long line of solar-powered camping accessories, and it has now made its first foray into complete outdoor shelters with the GoSun Camp365 trailer.

Sesame Solar announced this week what it calls the world's first 100-percent renewable mobile nanogrid. Powered by a wing-like solar panel spread and green hydrogen, the modular nanogrid brings weeks of autonomous electricity where it's most needed.

In many ways, space is the perfect place for a solar energy array. In other ways, it poses massive technical challenges. China's Xidian University has begun testing the full range of space solar functions with a purpose-built 75-meter tower facility.