Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 09, 2026 Generating hydrogen from sunlight offers a route to low carbon fuel production by converting solar energy into chemical energy stored in hydrogen. Researchers use photocatalysts to absorb light and drive water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen, but many existing systems only harvest part of the visible spectrum, leaving much of the incoming solar energy unused. To increase solar-to-hydrogen eff

Stockholm (AFP) Jan 13, 2026 Swedish automaker Volvo Cars said Tuesday that it was pausing operations at a battery factory under construction, dismissing all 75 workers there, after failing to find a partner for the business. Volvo Cars, majority-owned by the Chinese conglomerate Geely, last year took full control of NOVO Energy, a subsidiary it had previously shared with Northvolt, a battery maker that went bankrupt in

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 13, 2026 A research team at DGIST has developed a perovskite based self powered betavoltaic battery that achieves what they report as the worlds highest conversion efficiency for this class of device while maintaining long term operational stability. The work targets applications that require continuous reliable power without external charging, such as artificial intelligence systems, internet of things

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 13, 2026 Southwest Research Institute has carried out a series of large scale fire tests to examine how flames spread beneath photovoltaic panel installations on flat commercial and industrial rooftops. The program is intended to give fire safety organizations the data they need to refine standards and improve mitigation strategies for rooftop solar systems. Engineers built full scale test decks de

London, UK (SPX) Jan 13, 2026 Physicists at Trinity College Dublin have developed a new theoretical framework that connects photon condensation in optical microstructures with the fundamental limits of heat engines, potentially offering new routes to harvest more useful energy from sunlight and other light sources. The work suggests that devices which trap light in tiny cavities could concentrate diffuse radiation into laser

Jinan, China (SPX) Jan 13, 2026 As global energy transitions accelerate, distributed photovoltaic systems have become a cornerstone of rural energy transformation in China, shifting many rural households from passive energy consumers to active prosumers. A research team from the School of Economics at Shandong Technology and Business University has developed a multi agent dynamic game model to analyze how key stakeholder

Paris, France (SPX) Jan 14, 2026 A new solar cell that is designed to work in locations like windows and flexible surfaces where traditional panels cannot has been developed by nanotechnology researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The device targets installations on building facades, architectural glass and curved structures where rigid modules are difficult to deploy. The research, led by Prof. Shlomo Magdass

London, UK (SPX) Jan 14, 2026 Scientists have reported a new way to make perovskite solar cells both highly efficient and markedly more stable, directly tackling one of the main obstacles to bringing this emerging photovoltaic technology into large scale deployment. Perovskite semiconductors have been widely promoted as candidates for the next generation of solar power because they can be processed at low temperatures

London, UK (SPX) Jan 09, 2026 Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a semi-transparent, flexible perovskite solar cell that generates electricity while allowing control over both light transmission and perceived color for use in windows, building facades, and curved surfaces. The research was led by Prof. Lioz Etgar and Prof. Shlomo Magdassi from the Institute of Chemistry and the Center for

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 08, 2026 A lithium ion battery experiment has been completed aboard China's Tiangong space station, focusing on basic electrochemical processes that govern performance and lifetime. Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the work, which was carried out by the three astronauts of the Shenzhou XXI crew. The experiment is designed to clar

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 05, 2026 Perovskite solar cells are attracting interest as lower-cost, high-efficiency alternatives to silicon photovoltaics, but defects in their thin films hinder charge transport, waste energy, and reduce device stability. One approach to mitigate these defects is passivation treatment, in which simple salts or organic molecules are introduced into the perovskite film so that small molecules or

Berlin (AFP) Jan 5, 2026 The share of renewables in German power production almost stagnated in 2025, data showed Monday, as concerns grow about a shift away from green policies under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The figure had increased strongly in previous years as Europe's biggest economy aims to reach a goal of green power accounting for 80 percent of its energy mix by 2030. But last year power fr