Solar panels could be about to get much better at capturing sunlight
6 July 2023
Silicon-based solar cells have a theoretical efficiency limit of around 30 per cent, but adding a perovskite layer enables new designs to harvest more energy
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Premium
Bendy solar panels are just as good as regular ones
24 May 2023
Existing solar cells are normally only used on flat, static surfaces to avoid them cracking, but now there is a flexible alternative with the same energy-generating efficiency
Floating artificial leaf converts energy from sunlight into fuel
17 August 2022
A solar fuel cell that produces carbon monoxide and hydrogen is light enough to float on water, which could help address the shortage of land available for solar projects
Roasting green chillies in the sun could pave way for solar cooking
10 August 2022
An experiment using solar concentrators, which focus sunlight to a point, to roast green chillies suggests it may be possible to build portable solar cookers
Solar panels that work at night produce enough power to charge a phone
5 April 2022
Solar panels are cooler than the night air, creating a temperature difference that can be exploited to produce electricity
Static electricity can keep desert solar panels free of dust
11 March 2022
Dust drastically lowers the output of solar panels, but applying an electric field to the panels can make dust particles repel each other and disperse
Chemical that makes chilli peppers spicy boosts solar panel cells
13 January 2021
Solar cells treated with capsaicin, the compound that makes chilli peppers taste spicy, are more efficient at converting solar energy
Portable device uses solar power to sterilise medical equipment
18 November 2020
A solar-powered device can generate enough high-pressure steam to sterilise medical instruments, and could be used by medics in resource-limited areas
Changing how we make solar panels could reduce their carbon emissions
31 July 2020
Although solar panels are a source of renewable energy, making them has an environmental impact. A new type of panel has a lower carbon footprint than traditional silicon ones
Laser-sculpted aluminium purifies water with the power of sunlight
13 July 2020
A black panel of aluminium created by lasers can purify water containing human waste and heavy metals to drinkable standards, using just sunlight
