Solar Power

Piezoelectric Material Remains Effective at High Temperatures

The material remains effective as an energy harvester or sensor at temperatures to well above 572°F.

Method Helps Create Fuels from Plants

Scientists have been trying for years to create biofuels and other bioproducts more cheaply.

Photovoltaic Cell Increases Nighttime Power Generation

The device uses a thermoelectric module to generate voltage and current from the temperature gradient between the cell and the air.

A Heat Engine with No Moving Parts

The design could someday enable a fully decarbonized power grid.

Advancing Renewable Energy Production with Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen

Hydrogen has emerged as an important carrier to store energy generated by renewable resources, as a substitute for fossil fuels used for transportation, in the production of ammonia, and for other industrial applications.

Ultra-Thin Solar Panels Achieve Record Efficiency

In a paper published in American Chemical Society’s ACS Photonics, a University of Surrey team detailed how they used characteristics of sunlight to design a disordered honeycomb layer to...

'Floating Sensors' Spread Like Dandelion Seeds

Dropped by a drone, the battery-free devices hover 100 meters in the air.

How to Clear Dust from Solar Panels (Without All the Water)

An MIT team has a water-free way to charge up dust on solar panels and repel it away.

Spray-On Coating Could Make Solar Panels Snow-Resistant

An inexpensive, clear coating has reduced snow and ice accumulation on solar panels, enabling them to generate up to 85% more energy in early testing.

Facility Focus: University of Michigan College of Engineering

Michigan engineers and collaborators are improving smart infrastructure, autonomous transportation, weather prediction, nuclear non-proliferation, and more.

Three-Layer Method Makes Plastic More Transparent and Adds Electrical Conductivity

This process could improve large touchscreens, LED light panels, and window-mounted infrared solar cells.

Turning Thermal Energy into Electricity

Applications include power and energy, communications, and sensors.

Process Converts Ethanol to Jet Fuel

A new catalyst and microchannel reactors improve efficiency and cost of the process.

Self-Powered Alarm Monitors Fires and the Environment

This remote forest fire detection and alarm system is powered by nothing but the movement of the trees in the wind.

Foldable Solar Cells

Carbon nanotubes are used to create solar cells with unprecedented flexibility and resistance.

Technique Merges Solar Cell and Liquid Battery

A highly efficient and long-lasting solar flow battery generates, stores, and redelivers renewable electricity from the Sun in one device.

Optical Coating Exhibits the Same Color in Reflection and Transmission

Fano Resonance Optical Coatings can both transmit and reflect the same color simultaneously.

Fabrication Method for Large-Scale Production of Perovskite Solar Cells

The sulfolane-additive process yields easy fabrication, low cost, and long operating life.

Solar-Powered Solutions on the Farm: A Microgrid for Crop Production

A newly completed solar microgrid system near Greensburg, Indiana, in Decatur County, is expected to generate enough emissions-free clean energy to offset nearly 4000 tons...

Ultrathin Solar Cells Get a Boost

Using ultrabright X-rays from the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, a team of researchers led by Rice University has determined that sunlight itself can improve the efficiency of 2D...

Microgrids are a Key to Grid Resiliency

The aging energy grid is being pushed to the breaking point. Power outages from extreme weather alone cost anywhere from $2 billion to $77 billion per year. And some isolated communities still rely on...

Solar Electric Propulsion for Gateway Moon Outpost

The power and propulsion element of NASA’s Gateway is a high-power, 50-kilowatt solar electric propulsion spacecraft.

5 Ws of Power-Generating Fibers

Fibers sewn into fabrics can turn heat from the Sun into energy that could power textile electronics.

Luminescent Windows Generate Energy from Inside and Out

Polymer cores redirect light from any source to solar cells.

Thermochromic Photovoltaic Windows

The windows reduce the need for air conditioning and simultaneously generate electricity.

Compact Medium-Voltage Converters Enable Advanced Grid Architectures and Operations

As we trend toward more renewables and distributed energy resources (DERs), the design of the electric distribution system itself imposes physical...

Deployable Composite Boom

Applications include space structures, emergency shelters, backpack solar collectors, and inspection of hazardous environments.

5 Ws of the Electronics-Powering Finger Wrap

The wearable device turns the touch of a finger into a source of power for small electronics and sensors.

Stable Polymeric Ink with High Conductivity

This paves the way for innovative and more energy-efficient printed electronics.