Ultra-thin coating makes for self-cleaning solar panels

Solar panels can’t operate efficiently if they’re caked in dirt, but cleaning them regularly can become a time-consuming process. Engineers in Germany have now developed an ultra-thin coating that can make solar panels and other surfaces self-cleaning…. Continue reading Ultra-thin coating makes for self-cleaning solar panels

Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell advance breaks efficiency record

A new perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell has set a record efficiency of 32.5%

Perovskite and silicon are proving to be a formidable duo in the world of solar cells, and now they’ve hit a new record efficiency. A team at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) have developed solar cells with an efficiency of over 32%.

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Continue reading Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell advance breaks efficiency record

MIT’s slimmed-down solar cells would add only 20 kg to a rooftop

Solar cell technology is a seen as a key pillar in our transition to cleaner forms of energy, but within this field there is all kinds of room for experimentation. Solar cells that are thin and flexible hold unique promise in the area, as they could be… Continue reading MIT’s slimmed-down solar cells would add only 20 kg to a rooftop

All-perovskite tandem solar cell boasts high efficiency, record voltage

Engineers have developed a new solar cell with a record voltage and (arguably) a record efficiency for its kind. The all-perovskite tandem solar cell uses two layers of perovskite that tap into different wavelengths of light, plus a special surface tre… Continue reading All-perovskite tandem solar cell boasts high efficiency, record voltage

Carbon nanotubes boost efficiency in “nanobionic” bacterial solar cells

Engineers at EPFL have found a way to insert carbon nanotubes into photosynthetic bacteria, which greatly improves their electrical output. They even pass these nanotubes down to their offspring when they divide, through what the team calls “inherited … Continue reading Carbon nanotubes boost efficiency in “nanobionic” bacterial solar cells

“Net negative” system converts captured CO2 into plastic precursor

Engineers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have developed a device that can efficiently convert captured carbon dioxide into ethylene, a plastic precursor material. When run using renewable energy, the technique could make for net negative e… Continue reading “Net negative” system converts captured CO2 into plastic precursor

Remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches are now solar-powered

Why design robots from scratch when nature has already done a lot of the hard work for us? That’s the reasoning behind cyborg insects, and now scientists have found a way to make remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches more advanced, by powering them usin… Continue reading Remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches are now solar-powered

Remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches are now solar-powered

Why design robots from scratch when nature has already done a lot of the hard work for us? That’s the reasoning behind cyborg insects, and now scientists have found a way to make remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches more advanced, by powering them usin… Continue reading Remote-controlled cyborg cockroaches are now solar-powered