Tag: Solar

Wood can be turned into window panes. Now, a US-based startup has developed a transparent coating that allows glass windows to generate electricity by harvesting sunlight. The patented, nanometre-thin coating is applied to new windows using physical vapour deposition and, like colour pigments, consists of non-hazardous, naturally-occurring materials. Delicate, hidden wires ensure that only ultraviolet and infrared rays are...

Pavements can be enhanced by integrated solar modules and charging tiles. Now, researchers from the University of California are planning to cover the state’s canals with solar panels. Spanning 6400 km, the state’s canal system is one of the world’s largest. But around 2% of the water it carries evaporates as it travels southwards. Covering all canals could mean...

A pulsating bed can ensure newborns have the best start to life. Now, a Nigerian startup is using technology to treat babies with jaundice. Working with a paediatrician and her husband, the female founder has developed a solar-powered bed that emits blue LED light in a special wavelength. The rays help the liver break down excess bilirubin in the...

Space debris could be cleaned and radioactive uranium removed from water. Solar modules - especially in the desert - need to be dusted regularly in order to generate as much electricity as possible. Over 100 billion litres of water may be needed to clean them each year. Which is why a resourceful research team at MIT is looking at...

Tamarind peel helps generate power. With their high energy density, supercapacitors play a crucial role in solar-thermics as they can store large quantities of solar energy quickly. Except when it’s cold. Then the ions in the electrolyte move between electrodes at significantly reduced speed. A research team has developed electrodes from a new composite that reacts to sunlight. To...

We’ve seen how this schoolgirl’s invention could stimulate crop growth. Cultivating plants in the desert is a different ball game - but this robot might just help. Developed by students at the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, the 20cm long device moves autonomously through the desert on legs from a 3D printer. Spurred on by a battery powered...

Leftover food can be shared among neighbours. Now, a startup from Australia has developed a modular system to provide electricity for remote communities in Africa and Asia. Building conventional power grids is expensive there. Which is why solar panels installed on the roofs of individual houses are meshed to create a larger network. A special control component developed for...

Working out of an office has had its day for many. But moving around as digital nomads should be done sustainably. Which is why a group of Dutch students has developed a new all-electric mobile home. When stationary, a rising roof creates a standing height of 2.54m and space for two to sleep. The unit comes with a TV,...