Facebook completes successful maiden flight of solar-powered drone
The Aquila aircraft is powered by solar PV and uses just 5,000 watts to beam internet access into some of the world’s most remote regions using lasers.
Harvard adds organic electrolyte to redox-flow batteries
The research team from Harvard has taken a leaf out of nature’s book and has added an organic electrolyte, which was inspired by vitamin B2, to redox-flow batteries in an attempt to increase its energy storage capacity, as research into this style of battery continues to build up pace.
SolarCity collaborates with PG&E on distributed energy project
The U.S. residential PV installer will work with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in San Jose, California, to test the efficacy of coordinated solar smart inverters and storage for enhanced grid stability.
pv magazine launches its U.S. website
At the Intersolar North America trade show we have launched a new site specifically for the American solar industry, with a focus on downstream markets and, of course, policy.
Trina Solar hits 21.1% efficiency for mono PERC cells produced in industrial conditions
The Chinese solar module producer says it has achieved 21.1% average efficiency for P-type monocrystalline PERC cells produced in industrial standard conditions.
Berkeley Lab discovery could push perovskites to 31 percent efficiency
New research has indicated a pathway for perovskites to achieve a conversion efficiency of 31%. The findings were published by researchers from Berkeley Lab this week. Nanoscale images of perovskite solar cells revealed a characteristic of perovskites that points to the potential for dramatically higher efficiencies.
Solar panels power spacecraft into Jupiter’s orbit 800 million KM away from the sun
It is the furthest away from the sun that solar panels have produced energy, helping NASA’s Juno spacecraft enter the orbit of the solar system’s largest planet, in a groundbreaking mission that highlights the capabilities of solar technology.
SunPower sets new solar efficiency record
US company SunPower achieved an efficiency of 24.1% for a module using silicon cells, which is just the latest in a number of efficiency records for solar technology, showing that the modules are moving in the right direction.
Solar Impulse completes historic flight across the Atlantic
Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the solar-powered plane in Seville on Thursday morning, achieving one of the most iconic stretches on the journey, and getting one step closer to completing the mission to fly around the world using nothing but solar energy.
Energiewende U.S.: PG&E to phase out California’s last nuclear plant in favor of renewables
The California utility has also set a goal of 55% renewable energy by 2031, which is more aggressive than the state’s current renewable energy mandate.
