GUILDFORD, United Kingdom — As the push away from environmentally harmful fossil fuels continues, more and more households are choosing to install solar panels. Homeowners aren’t just doing this to save the planet, but also to hopefully save themselves some money in energy costs. Now, researchers from the University of Surrey report that many households could …
BERKELEY, Calif. — Solar power could provide all the energy needed for an extended mission to Mars, according to a new study. The evolution in solar cell technology means that the sun could even power a permanent settlement on the Red Planet, say scientists. Solar does as well or is comparable to nuclear power when …
Massive campus built with health and well-being of its employees in mind — and the environment’s too. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google’s stunning new headquarters officially opened this week and many are talking more about what happening on the outside of the building rather than the inside. The Bay View campus, spanning 42 acres adjacent …
COLOGNE, Germany — The world’s most efficient solar panel may have been created by scientists at the University of Cologne in Germany. This new device reaches 24 percent efficiency, the most powerful achieved so far when organic and perovskite-based absorbers are added together. Existing solar panel technologies are made using silicon and cannot be improved upon …
SHANGHAI, China — Spicy chili peppers may be the key to cheap, efficient and abundant solar energy, scientists contend. A pinch of capsaicin, the compound that gives peppers their well-known bite, can give regular solar cells virtually the same power output as the most expensive panels created to date. The green, sustainable, stable, and inexpensive …