Solar Power

Perovskite solar cells are rapidly catching up to silicon in efficiency, but continue to lag behind in production speed. Now Stanford has developed a new method of making perovskite solar cells at up to 40 ft per minute – even faster than silicon.

The British government has commissioned a new study into building an orbital solar power station by 2050. It will look into space-based systems that use giant solar arrays to generate electricity and beam it to Earth in the form of microwaves.

Perovskite solar is gaining much attention in solar cell research, but there are greener alternatives in the works. Scientists have just uncovered a new use for these materials, learning they can harvest energy from indoor lighting with high efficiency.

Snøhetta has completed a remarkably energy-efficient office in Norway. Powerhouse Telemark is estimated to produce more energy than it will require over its entire lifespan, including its construction and its eventual demolition in decades to come.

The state of South Australia met significant but short-lived milestone for renewable energy on Sunday October 11, when solar power provided all of its energy needs between midday and 1 pm – a first for a jurisdiction of its size.

Scientists in Australia have happened upon a solution to one of the key instability issues facing perovskite solar technology, finding that doses of high-intensity light can be used to avoid deformations that plague the performance of the cell.

Snøhetta nods to the past and plans for the future with its new city hall development in South Korea. The project will riff on traditional Korean design and incorporate sustainable features like solar power and rainwater collection.

Hydropower plants that leverage the force of falling water to generate electricity are already an important part of the global energy mix, but by bringing floating solar panels into the mix, a new study suggests they may have much more to offer.

As a way of demonstrating advances in energy and where they might lead us, a team of researchers has built a Game Boy that requires no battery, instead powering itself from a combination of solar energy and the user’s interactions with the device.

This Snøhetta-designed office already features greenery on its exterior, but over time the plants will continue to grow and envelop it. The building's grid-based energy use is minimized with a rainwater collection system and solar panels too.

New ultrathin solar cells boast a few advantages over others of their type. They're more efficient, made using more common elements, and can be inkjet-printed onto surfaces, making them light and flexible enough to power wearable electronics.

A team from the University of Cambridge has produced a wireless sheet packed with photocatalysts that converts sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into clean fuels, with hopes of one day using the device as part of giant energy farms.