Strain can alter materials’ properties
New field of "strain engineering" could open up areas of materials research with many potential applications.
How to tap the sun’s energy through heat as well as light
New approach developed at MIT could generate power from sunlight efficiently and on demand.
Making silicon devices responsive to infrared light
Laser doping method could enable new infrared imaging systems.
Enhancing solar cells with heat
Thermophotovoltaic system converts high heat to narrow spectrum tailored to solar cell profile
Solar-cell manufacturing costs: innovation could level the field
Study shows that factors other than wages dominate trends in photovoltaic costs, raising the prospect of competitive manufacturing anywhere.
Solar power heads in a new direction: thinner
Atom-thick photovoltaic sheets could pack hundreds of times more power per weight than conventional solar cells.
Balance is key to making quantum-dot solar cells work
MIT team finds that the ratio of component atoms is vital to performance.
New solar-cell design based on dots and wires
MIT researchers improve efficiency of quantum-dot photovoltaic system by adding a forest of nanowires.
MIT researchers develop solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline silicon
New analysis points the way to optimizing efficiency of an integrated system for harvesting sunlight to make storable fuel.
New interactive map assesses solar power potential of Cambridge
Public launch for project taking place Oct. 3
Catching some rays — lots of them
New MIT design for a metamaterial could be far more efficient at capturing sunlight than existing solar cells.
Harnessing nature’s solar cells
Photovoltaic panels made from plant material could become a cheap, easy alternative to traditional solar cells.
A novel way to concentrate sun’s heat
MIT researchers find a way to generate power without the usual mirror arrays.
Student project identifies improvements for campus PVs
Class works with Facilities to analyze existing conditions.