Solar Power
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For the last couple of years, Omid Sadeghpour has been working on a fold-out solar array for his Tesla Model Y, which he reckons can get him up to 20 miles of range per day without plugging in. Now he's moving to an improved Beta2 version.
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One of the most promising, emerging solar cell technologies has received a major efficiency boost. Engineers at UNIST in South Korea have created quantum dot solar cells with a world record efficiency of 18.1%.
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Power demand spikes in the early morning and later evening, when solar arrays can't help. But researchers in Scotland say orbital launch costs are getting so cheap that giant space-based reflectors could soon be a viable way to power these timeslots.
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Portable photovoltaic systems are great for generating electricity while off the grid, but constantly moving them to keep them in the sunlight can be a hassle. Jackery's Solar Generator Mars Bot offers a solution to that problem, as it moves itself.
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SOM's new airport terminal in India provides weary travelers with a lush interior that's filled with plants and trees, and is made from natural materials like bamboo and stone. Impressively, all of its power needs are met by renewable energy.
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The world needs gargantuan amounts of clean energy moving forward, making this an area of colossal and growing opportunity for disruptive innovations. Here are some of the fascinating energy ideas and technologies that made us most hopeful in 2023.
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The Dutch love to cycle. So much so that there are more than 35,000 km of cycle paths snaking through the Netherlands. Two of those bike routes have now been topped with photovoltaic cells to produce renewable energy while they face skyward.
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Researchers in Jordan and Qatar have come up with a remarkable design for a "twin technology solar system" capable of generating clean energy 24/7. This double-action design promises more than twice as much energy as a standard solar updraft tower.
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With most of Arizona in a state of moderate to extreme drought, the Gila River Indian Community and the US Army Corps of Engineers have signed a deal to begin a solar-over-canal project designed to cut down evaporation and boost solar efficiency.
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Researchers have created a floating, solar-powered device that converts contaminated water or seawater into clean hydrogen fuel and drinking water. Because it works with any open water source, it could be used in resource-limited or remote places.
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Canada's Diamond Schmidt and Dutch firm MVRDV are leading a project that riffs on nature to create an energy-efficient university building that will be arranged around a light-filled atrium likened to a fissure in a boulder.
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For the second consecutive time, a team from Belgium has landed in first place in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, a competition that sees dozens of innovative solar vehicles race across the often punishing continent of Australia.
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