20% of US airports adopted solar power in the past decade
In a study of almost 500 airports across the United States, results showed that 20 per cent have adopted solar panels in the past decade. Key to solar success is how the airports elect...
Tagged: solar panels
How thin-film technology is making solar panels sustainable
New thin-film technology is using sustainable components for solar panels. The novel method creates efficient alloy-based solar panels free of toxic metals. Commercialized thin-film solar panels on the market consist of rare-earth elements like...
Qatar to create sustainable floating hotels for World Cup
Qatar is to create 16 sustainable floating hotels to accommodate fans at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The sustainable structures can be moved following the event and do not require a significant water depth...
Students design passive house that is 90-per-cent more energy efficient
A passive house designed by students in South Dakota is pioneering 21st-century energy efficiency standards. Passive House 01 is not only 90-per-cent more energy efficient than a similar house, but it is also the...
Carbon-reducing housing scheme approved in UK garden city
A scheme described as one of the most carbon-reducing projects in Ebbsfleet Garden City in the UK has been approved. Measures will include solar panels, sustainable drainage and electric vehicle charging points. A UK...
First solar pavement installed on a driveway
The first solar pavement for use on a residential driveway has been installed in Hungary. The system is made from recycled PET plastic bottles. The first solar pavement for use on a residential driveway...
Solar-powered office building keeps workers cool
Stellar, a solar-powered commercial building, recently opened in India. It features a rainwater harvesting system and terraces to deflect the sun and mitigate high temperatures. Mumbai-based design studio Sanjay Puri Architects recently unveiled Stellar,...
Helping solar energy reach lower-income households
Solstice makes community solar projects more accessible for people unable to invest in rooftop panels. Rooftop solar panels are a great way for people to invest in renewable energy while saving money on electricity....
Short-lived solar panels can still be economically viable
New research from MIT shows that, contrary to accepted rule of thumb, a 10- or 15-year lifespan for solar panels can still be economically viable. A new study shows that, contrary to widespread belief...
Ultra-thin layers of rust generate electricity
Rust is a common blight on infrastructure. However, when combined with salt water, it can generate electricity, as new research shows. Thin films of rust, or iron oxide, can generate electricity when saltwater flows...
Discovery opens up highly efficient solar panels
A promising type of perovskites, or human-made crystals that can convert sunlight into electricity, could for the first time be stabilized. The new findings pave the way to solar panels that are easy to...
New project aims to turn buildings into energy producers
The EU research project Be-Smart aims to make it easier and less expensive to integrate photovoltaic systems into buildings. The project is being coordinated by the Swiss institute for technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Be-Smart...
Floating solar photovoltaics could generate 10 per cent of US electricity
Floating solar photovoltaics systems are a technology already in widespread use, especially in Japan. Installing them on more than 24,000 reservoirs in the United States could generate around 10 per cent of the nation’s...
China boasts new solar motorway
China has opened a 1-kilometre stretch of solar motorway near Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province in east China. The road can generate 1 million kW hours of electricity in one year. The...
Atlanta, Georgia home to most sustainable sports venue in the world
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has become the first professional sports stadium to earn LEED platinum certification. It can power up to nine professional American football games with solar energy. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in...
UK social housing tenants to get solar roofs, thanks to Dutch money
Dutch investors are putting £160 million into a UK renewable energy scheme to help install rooftop solar panels for social housing tenants across England the Wales. A UK initiative to provide some of the...
Insect eyes inspire new solar cell design
Researchers at Stanford University have designed a new solar cell inspired by the compound eyes of insects. The design could help them overcome a major obstacle to the development of solar panels based on...
GE, Tesla to install rooftop solar systems on 50 Home Depot stores
Home Depot is converting 50 rooftops into solar farms. The U.S. DIY chain is teaming up with a GE subsidiary and Tesla to expand its renewable energy portfolio. Home Depot is creating mini solar...
Greek island goes 100% renewable
A tiny Greek island nestled between Kos and Rhodes will become the first island in the Mediterranean to be powered by wind and solar energy alone, with zero carbon emissions. For many vacationers, the...
DC to put solar panels on low-income family homes
DC’s Mayor Muriel Bowser launched a new program this week that aims to install solar panels on the homes of nearly 300 low-income residents. The panels will save the families nearly USD 600 a...
