Scientists unlock the power from dark side of solar panel
Most of today's solar panels capture sunlight and convert it to electricity only from the side facing the sky.
If the dark underside of a...
Heat energy could leap through empty space, thanks to quantum weirdness
In a surprising new study, University of California, Berkeley, researchers show that heat energy can travel through a complete vacuum thanks to invisible quantum...
Scientists convert plastics into useful chemicals using sunlight
Chemists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have discovered a method that could turn plastic waste into valuable chemicals by using sunlight.
In lab...
Scientists find new way to increase electric vehicle, smartphone power by 20%
Novel polymer to increase energy density, stability of lithium ion batteries.
Penn State researchers have developed a novel method that could enable the widespread use...
Detours may make batteries better
Here's a case where detours speed up traffic.
The result may be better batteries for transportation, electronics and solar energy storage.
Scientists at Rice University's Brown...
How John Goodenough sparked the wireless revolution with lithium-ion battery
John B. Goodenough can still remember, word for word, what a University of Chicago professor told him when he arrived on campus following World...
Scientists create more effective way to control room temperature
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems—called HVAC systems—can be a delicate balance.
There are many factors to consider, from air flow between rooms to the...
Wind more effective than cold air at cooling rooms naturally, says study
The Cambridge researchers found that a temperature difference between inside and outside has a remarkably small effect on how well a room is ventilated...
New material could help produce highly efficient solar cells
A new type of material for next-generation solar cells eliminates the need to use lead, which has been a major roadblock for this technology.
Solar...
Scientists find the most efficient way to turn fat and sewage into natural gas
North Carolina State University researchers have developed what is, to date, the most efficient means of converting sewage sludge and restaurant grease into methane.
After...