Browse Topic: Sun and solar
As countries race to expand renewable energy infrastructure, balancing clean electricity production with land use for food remains a pressing challenge — especially in Japan, where mountainous terrain limits space. A recent study led by researchers from the University of Tokyo explores a promising solution: integrating solar panels with traditional rice farming in a practice known as agrivoltaics.
High-altitude uncrewed aircraft can remain in the lower stratosphere for extended periods, performing a wide range of Earth observation and communications tasks – from monitoring shipping lanes and supporting disaster response to providing internet access. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has now taken an important step in the development of its own high-flying solar aircraft by successfully completing a Ground Vibration Test (GVT) on its innovative HAP-alpha high-altitude platform. Extensive ground trials took place at DLR’s National Experimental Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Cochstedt, Germany. Further tests will follow and the first low-altitude flight trial is planned for 2026, subject to ideal weather conditions.
Engineers from Australia and China have invented a sponge-like device that captures water from thin air and then releases it in a cup using the sun’s energy, even in low humidity where other technologies such as fog harvesting and radiative cooling have struggled.
Solar panels are composed of dozens of solar cells, which are usually made of silicon. While silicon is the standard, producing and processing it is energy-intensive, making it costly to build new solar panel manufacturing facilities. Most of the world’s solar cells are made in China, which has an abundance of silicon. To increase solar cell production in the U.S., a new, easily produced domestic material is needed. “We’re developing technologies that we can easily produce without spending a ton of money on expensive equipment,” said Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, an Associate Professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.
In October 2024, Kongsberg NanoAvionics discovered damage to their MP42 satellite, and used the discovery as an opportunity to raise awareness on the need to reduce space debris generated by satellites. Kongsberg NanoAvionics, Vilnius, Lithuania Our MP42 satellite, which launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) two and a half years ago aboard the SpaceX Transporter-4 mission, recently took an unexpected hit from a small piece of space debris or micrometeoroid. The impact created a 6 mm hole, roughly the size of a chickpea, in one of its solar panels. Despite this damage, the satellite continued performing its mission without interruption, and we only discovered the impact thanks to an image taken by its onboard selfie camera in October of 2024. It is challenging to pinpoint exactly when the impact occurred because MP42's last selfie was taken a year and a half ago, in April of 2023.
Our MP42 satellite, which launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) two and a half years ago aboard the SpaceX Transporter-4 mission, recently took an unexpected hit from a small piece of space debris or micrometeoroid. The impact created a 6 mm hole, roughly the size of a chickpea, in one of its solar panels.
Researchers have developed a new type of sensor platform using a gold nanoparticle array. The sensor is made up of a series of gold disk-shaped nanoparticles on a glass slide. When an infrared laser is pointed at a precise arrangement of the particles, they start to emit unusual amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light.
Thermoelectric generators that can convert waste heat to clean energy could soon be as efficient as other renewable energy sources, like solar, according to a team led by Penn State scientists. Using high-entropy materials, the researchers created more efficient thermoelectric materials than previously possible, an advancement that they said could even help make long-distance space exploration possible.
This research investigates the potential of salt gradient solar ponds (SGSPs) as a sustainable and effective solution for thermal energy storage. The study examines the design, construction, and performance of SGSP systems that incorporate coal cinder, comparing their performance with traditional SGSPs without coal cinder. A combination of experimental and numerical approaches is used to evaluate the thermal characteristics and energy efficiency of these systems. The findings indicate that the salt gradient solar pond with coal cinder (SGSP-CC) achieves notably higher temperatures across the Upper Convective Zone (UCZ), Non-Convective Zone (NCZ), and Lower Convective Zone (LCZ), with measured temperatures of 42.57°C, 56.8°C, and 69.86°C, respectively. These represent increases of 7.53%, 12.01%, and 15.49% over those in the conventional SGSP (SGSP-C). Additionally, the energy efficiency gains in the UCZ, NCZ, and LCZ for the SGSP-CC are noteworthy, with increases of 38.06%, 39.61%, and 42.73%, respectively, compared to the SGSP-C. The numerical simulations align closely with the experimental data, showing deviations of less than 5% in both temperature distribution and energy efficiency across all zones. This research highlights the potential of SGSPs with reflectors for improved thermal storage efficiency.
This research explores the use of salt gradient solar ponds (SGSPs) as an environmentally friendly and efficient method for thermal energy storage. The study focuses on the design, construction, and performance evaluation of SGSP systems integrated with reflectors, comparing their effectiveness against conventional SGSP setups without reflectors. Both experimental and numerical methods are employed to thoroughly assess the thermal behavior and energy efficiency of these systems. The findings reveal that the SGSP with reflectors (SGSP-R) achieves significantly higher temperatures across all three zones—Upper Convective Zone (UCZ), Non-Convective Zone (NCZ), and Lower Convective Zone (LCZ)—with recorded temperatures of 40.56°C, 54.2°C, and 63.1°C, respectively. These values represent an increase of 6.33%, 11.12%, and 14.26% over the temperatures observed in the conventional SGSP (SGSP-C). Furthermore, the energy efficiency improvements in the UCZ, NCZ, and LCZ for the SGSP-R are considerable, showing increases of 39.18%, 35.46%, and 39.64%, respectively, when compared to the SGSP-C. The numerical simulations are in strong agreement with the experimental results, exhibiting minimal deviations of less than 5% in both temperature distribution and energy efficiency across all zones. This study underscores the potential of SGSPs with reflectors for enhanced thermal storage performance.
A research team led by Associate Professor Tao Sun has made new discoveries that can expand additive manufacturing in aerospace and other industries that rely on strong metal parts.
Spaceflight outside of the Earth’s protective magnetic field is dangerous from a cosmic radiation perspective. Inside Earth’s magnetic field, where the manned International Space Station (ISS) orbits, the radiation encountered is minimal and almost all is deflected by our planet’s magnetic fields. However, outside that protective shield, the Sun’s solar wind (high energy radiation, solar energetic particles or SEPs) consisting of protons, electrons, alpha particles, and plasmas continuously bombards the spacecraft for the months or years of spaceflight.
Imagine the Moon as a hub of manufacturing, construction, and even human life. It’s no longer a far-fetched idea baked in science fiction lore — increased interest and investment in space exploration are pushing efforts to develop the technologies needed to make the moon a viable home for humans.
In recent years, engineers at ETH Zurich have developed the technology to produce liquid fuels from sunlight and air. In 2019, they demonstrated the entire thermochemical process chain under real conditions for the first time, in the middle of Zurich, on the roof of ETH Machine Laboratory. These synthetic solar fuels are carbon neutral because they release only as much CO2 during their combustion as was drawn from the air for their production. Two ETH spin-offs, Climeworks and Synhelion, are further developing and commercializing the technologies.
It’s common knowledge that a major challenge for solar energy is how to store excess energy produced when conditions are right, like noon-time sun, so that it can be used later. The usual answer is batteries. But renewable energy resources are causing problems for the electricity grid in other ways as well. In a warm, sunny location like California, mid-afternoon had been a time of peak demand for the electric utility, but with solar it’s now a time of peak output.
In the future, power sockets used to recharge smartphones, tablets, and laptops could become obsolete. The electricity would then come from our own clothes. By means of a new polymer that is applied on textile fibers, clothing could soon function as solar collectors and thus as a mobile energy supply.
Solar panels are an increasingly popular way to generate electricity from the sun’s energy. Although humans are still figuring out how to reliably turn that energy into fuel, plants have been doing it for eons through photosynthesis. Now, a team reporting in ACS Engineering Au has mimicked the process to produce methane, an energy-dense fuel, from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. Their prototype system could help pave the way toward replacing nonrenewable fossil fuels.
Rooftop solar panels will soon power about 90% of PFG's Gilroy, California, operations, the starting point for cold food deliveries. The vehicles getting the various edibles and food-related products from the warehouse to restaurants, schools, hotels and other customers include new battery-electric Class 8 trucks that mate to trailers fitted with zero-emission transport refrigeration units (TRUs). “Our Gilroy, California, location is the pilot for how we intend to develop sustainable distribution centers,” said Jeff Williamson, senior vice president of operations for Richmond, Virginia-headquartered Performance Food Group (PFG). Williamson and others were recently interviewed by Truck & Off-Highway Engineering following an Earth Day open house at the Gilroy site.
Bringing a construction project from planning on the page to execution in the real world is replete with challenges. Whether a company is building a sprawling solar farm or laying lines on the road, precision is paramount. Misfires of just a few inches can have massive implications, and that often leads to a plodding layout process. But, in partnership with Point One, Civ Robotics is ensuring that precise construction layouts won’t be at odds with efficiency.
Riding aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, the agency’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration continues to break records. While the asteroid-bound spacecraft doesn’t rely on optical communications to send data, the new technology has proven that it’s up to the task. After interfacing with the Psyche’s radio frequency transmitter, the laser communications demo sent a copy of engineering data from over 140 million miles (226 million kilometers) away, 1½ times the distance between Earth and the Sun.
Robotics, prostheses that react to touch, and health monitoring are three fields in which scientists are working to develop electronic skin. Researchers have developed a sensor that, similar to human skin, can sense temperature variation that originates from the touch of a warm object as well as the heat from solar radiation. The sensor combines pyroelectric and thermoelectric effects with a nano-optical phenomenon.
Perovskite solar cells should be subjected to a combination of stress tests simultaneously to best predict how they will function outdoors, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The efficiency of a solar panel depends on the amount of solar radiation it receives and its surface temperature. However, during the conversion process, some of the solar radiation is converted into heat, which can increase the temperature of the solar panel’s junction, reducing its performance. This decrease in efficiency can be attributed to the decrease in output efficiency that occurs when the surface temperature of the solar panel increases. Therefore, maintaining a suitable temperature range is crucial to improving the efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) panel. Various cooling methods, including the use of phase change materials (PCM), have been developed to control the temperature of the PV module. To test the effectiveness of PCM in cooling the solar PV module, we conducted an experiment that involved setting up a heat exchanger system and analyzing its performance. Our analysis revealed a significant improvement of 1.01 % decrement in the temperature of solar cell and the efficiency and power of the solar cell increased by 2% in the output efficiency of the PV system, indicating that PCM cooling can be an effective means of maintaining a suitable temperature range for the PV panel and improving its overall efficiency.
Storing energy is one of the key challenges for implementing sustainable but intermittent electricity sources like solar and wind. Engineers at Sandia National Laboratories are collaborating with New Mexico-based CSolPower LLC to develop a very affordable method of accomplishing that storage.
An international team of scientists reports a novel technique for a high-brightness coherent and few-cycle duration source spanning seven optical octaves from the UV to the THz.
Recent experiments by a team from the West Virginia University focused on how a weightless microgravity environment affects 3D printing using titania foam, a material with potential applications ranging from UV blocking to water purification. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces published their findings.
NASA’s Artemis program consists of a series of missions designed to land humans on the Moon and establish a sustainable, continuing presence. A long-term foothold on the Moon’s surface enables invaluable research and testing opportunities that will set the stage for future groundbreaking missions, including the first human mission to Mars.
Imagine being able to snap a picture of extremely fast events on the order of a picosecond. Compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) captures the entire process in real time and unparalleled resolution with just one click. The spatial and temporal information is first compressed into an image and then, using a reconstruction algorithm, it is converted into a video.
Most space satellites are powered by photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight to electricity. Exposure to certain orbit radiation can damage the devices, degrading their performance and limiting their lifetime. University of Cambridge scientists have proposed a radiation-tolerant photovoltaic cell design that features an ultrathin layer of light-absorbing material.
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