Researchers develop a roadmap for growth of new solar cells
Starting with higher-value niche markets and then expanding could help perovskite-based solar panels become competitive with silicon.
For cheaper solar cells, thinner really is better
Solar panel costs have dropped lately, but slimming down silicon wafers could lead to even lower costs and faster industry expansion.
Study: State-level adoption of renewable energy standards saves money and lives
MIT researchers review renewable energy and carbon pricing policies as states consider repealing or relaxing renewable portfolio standards.
The race to develop renewable energy technologies
Mechanical engineers rush to develop energy conversion and storage technologies from renewable sources such as wind, wave, solar, and thermal.
The uncertain role of natural gas in the transition to clean energy
MIT study finds that challenges in measuring and mitigating leakage of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, prove pivotal.
Clear, conductive coating could protect advanced solar cells, touch screens
New material should be relatively easy to produce at an industrial scale, researchers say.
Photovoltaic-powered sensors for the “internet of things”
RFID-based devices work in indoor and outdoor lighting conditions, and communicate at greater distances.
Helping lower-income households reap the benefits of solar energy
Solstice makes community solar projects more accessible for people unable to invest in rooftop panels.
Bridging the information gap in solar energy
PhD student Elise Harrington studies the ways rural communities in Kenya and India learn about solar energy products and their options as consumers.
Study: Even short-lived solar panels can be economically viable
Research shows that, contrary to accepted rule of thumb, a 10- or 15-year lifetime can be good enough.
Cody Friesen PhD ’04 awarded $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize
Materials scientist recognized for social, economic, and environmentally-sustaining inventions that impact millions of people around the world.
Experiments show dramatic increase in solar cell output
Method for collecting two electrons from each photon could break through theoretical solar-cell efficiency limit.
How Greentown Labs became the epicenter of clean tech
The incubator’s winding journey to success helped its startup community grow closer while addressing environmental challenges.
How to speed up the discovery of new solar cell materials
Streamlined system for creating and analyzing perovskite compounds may cut development time from 20 years to two.
Local high school girls build dye-sensitized solar cells at MIT
MRL Materials Research Science and Engineering Center encourages studies in science, engineering, and technology.