Solar engineering has always been about space in some capacity. Not just outer space – though solar panels definitely got their start high above Earth, in an airless, cloudless vacuum. These days, solar engineering involves the other kind of space:…
Which countries are (and will be) leading the renewable energy revolution?
In the words of Bob Marley, the times are a-changing. Unfortunately, change can take a while to truly kick in, and that’s what we’re learning as we struggle to overhaul an energy economy for the needs of the 21st century.…
New material of the future is cheaper and more versatile than traditional solar cells
Solar energy encompasses a lot of parallel engineering fields. In many ways, it’s not really like any other power generation field available. Rather than “power plants,” you have “solar farms”, which spread a vast array of kilowattage across a very…
How to build your own eco-friendly house
BY: HANNAH THOMAS You’ve searched and searched but you just can’t find it; you want it to have a structure that will withstand the burden of time, but won’t be costly. Well, if you can’t find it, then build it.…
Move towards environmental sustainability with these 10 inventions
The concept of environmental sustainability isn’t new. With the risk of sounding like a broken record, for the benefit of those who are unaware, sustainability simply using resources available to our benefit while making sure there will still be enough for the future…
Solar power and electric vehicles to overtake fossil fuels by 2050
BY: DUSTIN BATTY The future looks bleak for the fossil fuel industry, according to a report recently released by the Carbon Tracker Initiative, which was working with the Graham Institute at Imperial College London. Despite predictions by BP, ExxonMobil, and…
Take a look inside New York City’s first net-zero energy public school
BY: CAROLINE ROLF Before you step foot in the front doors, it’s clear that this is not a typical place of learning. The roof, which is covered in hundreds of solar energy converting panels and the unique floor plan help the…
Solar-powered balloons are overcoming the biggest obstacle to a solar energy revolution
BY: SWIKAR OLI A French researcher has a novel idea to improve the efficiency of solar panels by placing them atop hot air balloons and letting them fly. The idea was born because solar power, the probable successor to coal…
Woodland citizens rejected a solar panel farm for fear it would suck up all the sun’s energy.
BY: JESSICA BEUKER The town of Woodland, North Carolina recently rejected a solar farm proposal after citizens expressed fears that the panels would suck up all the energy from the sun. The Woodland Town Council rejected a proposal that would…
New, paper-thin solar cells could bring electricity to 1.3 billion people in developing countries
BY: DANIKA MOIR By the end of the 1970s, it cost $40 for one watt of solar energy. By 2013, the price was drastically decreased to just $0.74 per watt. For those citizens in developing countries who wish to have…
A small African nation is building a massive plant to become the world’s solar super-power
BY: DAVID LAO The saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” was created to describe the inherently curious nature of humans. It has been related to envy and jealousy, but also the need to accomplish more, to…
You can now buy Tesla Energy’s battery that could let you independently power your house
BY: DANIEL KORN The amount of people using solar energy to power their households independently has been steadily rising in the US over the past decade or so. Data from the US Department of Energy shows that the number of…