Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 08, 2025 In an era when renewable energy is reshaping electricity grids, solar photovoltaic (PV) power still faces a core challenge: the sun rarely delivers energy exactly when demand peaks. Aalborg University researchers have introduced a dual-level design for hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) that could make solar power more dependable and economical. The system integrates lithium-ion batterie

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 06, 2025 Perovskite semiconductors offer promising potential for solar energy due to their thin, flexible structure, high efficiency, and low production costs. However, widespread commercialization remains limited by two critical factors: long-term stability and the presence of toxic lead in high-performing variants. Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are investigating tin-based perovski

Boston MA (SPX) Aug 13, 2025 The cost of solar panels has dropped by more than 99 percent since the 1970s, enabling widespread adoption of photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electricity. A new MIT study drills down on specific innovations that enabled such dramatic cost reductions, revealing that technical advances across a web of diverse research efforts and industries played a pivotal role. The fi

Rochester NY (SPX) Aug 13, 2025 In the quest for energy independence, researchers have studied solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) as a promising source of solar electricity generation. Unlike the photovoltaics currently used in most solar panels, STEGs can harness all kinds of thermal energy in addition to sunlight. The simple devices have hot and cold sides with semiconductor materials in between, and the difference in t

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 06, 2025 As Japan expands its renewable energy portfolio, a new study from the University of Tokyo offers insight into a dual-use land strategy that combines solar energy generation with rice cultivation. This agrivoltaics pilot, conducted in Miyada-mura, Nagano Prefecture, tested the viability of growing rice beneath solar panels mounted on a dual-axis sun-tracking system. The researchers installe

Washington (AFP) Aug 7, 2025 President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday moved to kill a $7 billion program designed to bring rooftop solar to low-income and disadvantaged communities across the United States. The Solar For All grant program was created under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, former president Joe Biden's landmark climate legislation. Sixty recipients - a mix of state agencies and nonprofits

Stanford CA (SPX) Aug 05, 2025 Most U.S. households could reduce their electricity costs and endure power outages by installing rooftop solar panels and battery packs, according to a new Stanford University study, though people may need to buy the equipment by Dec. 31. About 60% of families could reduce their electricity costs by 15% on average by installing a solar-battery system. That's after accounting for annualized

Washington DC (UPI) Aug 4, 2025 Two Republican senators have placed holds on three of President Donald Trump's nominees for the Treasury Department until rules are determined on the implementation of renewable tax provisions in the new tax and spending law. Iowa's Sen. Chuck Grassley and Utah's Sen. John Curtis are members of the Finance Committee, which determines whether to confirm the agency's nominations. G

London, UK (SPX) Aug 01, 2025 A new radiation-resistant coating developed at the University of Surrey could significantly improve the durability of next-generation perovskite solar cells in space. The innovation promises to make satellite solar panels lighter, more efficient, and less costly than traditional alternatives. Engineers from Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute, in collaboration with Oxford University, th

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Aug 01, 2025 The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) has unveiled a new perovskite solar cell that remains highly efficient and mechanically durable even in humid conditions, potentially transforming solar manufacturing by eliminating the need for controlled environments. The project was led by Dr. Dong-chan Lim and Dr. So-yeon Kim of the Energy and Environment Materials Research Division. Pero

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 01, 2025 A new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health projects that increasing solar power generation in the U.S. by 15% could cut carbon dioxide emissions by 8.54 million metric tons annually. The findings underscore how strategic investments in solar energy can maximize climate benefits depending on the region. Francesca Dominici, the study's corresponding author and director of t

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Aug 01, 2025 In a major stride for solar-driven fuel generation, scientists from the Institute of Science Tokyo have engineered a nanoscale, porous photocatalyst that dramatically boosts hydrogen production from water and carbon dioxide conversion into formic acid using sunlight. The novel material-Pb2Ti2O5.4F1.2 (PTOF)-demonstrated approximately 60 times the activity of previously reported oxyhalide photoca