<h2>Now You See Me</h2>
<p>We just got a bold new look at what happens when light interacts with electrons.</p>
<p>When converting light into electricity, like in solar cells, much of the energy isn&#8217;t converted into electricity. When light hits an object it stimulates electrons in a process that&#8217;s over in only a few femtoseconds — that&#8217;s one quadrillionth of a second. Better understanding the process could lead to new types of advanced electronic devices or improved solar cells.</p>
<p>Because the process occurs super fast we can&#8217;t see it happening. Even with the help of modern technology the process proved impossible to record, until now. Researchers Germany&#8217;s Kiel University (CAU) used one of the world&#8217;s fastest cameras to film the motion of electrons. The research team described their research in the journal <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.256401">Physical Review Letters.</a></p>
<h2>Light In Phases</h2>
<p>In their experiment the researchers fired quick light pulses at graphite, chosen for its simple electronic structure, and recorded the movement of the electrons.</p>
<p>&#8220;Thanks to the extremely short duration of the light pulses used, we are able to film ultrafast processes live. Our investigations have shown that there is a surprising amount of stuff happening here,&#8221; explained Michael Bauer, professor of ultrafast dynamics at CAU.</p>
<p>Based on their film, the team described three distinct phases. First the electrons absorbed the light energy in the graphite, then the energy was distributed to other electrons, before being passed to other atoms. In this final stage the energy is converted into heat, in short, the graphite warmed up.</p>
<h2>A New Angle</h2>
<p>Although this process had previously been theorized, it&#8217;s the first time it has been observed and recorded. New technological capabilities have allowed this research to be conducted on a time-scale we&#8217;ve never been able to work on before. By better understanding how electrons behave we can optimize technologies that make use of light and electricity, opening previously unexplored avenues of research.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/ku-oot122018.php">One of the world&#8217;s fastest cameras films motion of electrons</a> <em>[EurkAlert] </em></p>
<p><em><strong>More on UltraFast Cameras: </strong></em><a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/worlds-fastest-camera-light">The World’s Fastest Camera Can “Freeze Time,” Show Beams of Light in Slo-Mo</a></p>


An ultrafast camera filmed electrons interacting with light energy

Femtoseconds of Fun

In solar cells, much of the light energy isn't converted into electricity. By better understanding how electrons interact we can improve this process.

An Ultrafast Camera Filmed Electrons Interacting With Light Energy

Blink. You've already missed it anyway.

<h2>Going Solar</h2>
<p>It&#8217;s official: any new homes built in California after 2020 will have to be at least partially solar powered.</p>
<p>The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to approve new standards that require new homes to offset their electricity needs, the <em>Orange County Register</em> <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2018/12/05/california-officially-adopts-solar-requirement-for-new-homes-built-in-2020-or-later/">reports</a>.</p>
<p>Other requirements part of the new &#8220;green&#8221; building codes include thicker insulation, more efficient doors, and improved ventilation systems. The new solar power requirement applies to any new buildings that are up to three stories high — including apartments. Homeowners will also have the option to generate or buy electricity for a local community- or utility-owned electricity grid.</p>
<h2>Paying the Price</h2>
<p>Critics of the new requirements argued that solar panels and the installation is very expensive, and that not all locations in California are conducive to generating solar power in a cost effective way.</p>
<p>The Building Standards Commission is planning to respond to those concerns by allowing homeowners to lease solar panels from the government or signing &#8220;power purchase agreements&#8221; that could essentially allow them to buy solar energy from other producers, according the <em>Orange County Register.</em></p>
<h2>A Bright Future</h2>
<p>There are some caveats: home owners won&#8217;t be required to offset their entire electricity bill with generated solar power.</p>
<p>The new requirements also come as much of the state is still reeling from the shock of some of the biggest wildfires ever recorded. While offsetting reliance on fossil fuels is a good thing, the new provisions could make it even more difficult for Californians to rebuild what they have lost in the wildfires this year.</p>
<p>But given enough time, economies of scale could bring down the costs associated with generating power at home — and that&#8217;s not to mention the significant long-term savings of relying less on expensive fossil fuel power.</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2018/12/05/california-officially-adopts-solar-requirement-for-new-homes-built-in-2020-or-later/">California officially becomes first in nation mandating solar power for new homes</a> [The Orange County Register]</p>
<p><em><strong>More on solar energy: <a href="https://futurism.com/tesla-solar-plant-australia">Tesla Gets Green Light To Create The World’s Largest Virtual Solar Plant In South Australia</a></strong></em></p>


California now requires solar panels on all new homes

Going Solar

The California Building Standards Commission voted unanimously to approve new standards that require new homes to use solar energy.

California Now Requires Solar Panels on All New Homes

Not everyone's happy about the new rule.

<p>The government of South Australia, which changed hands after an election this March, just announced that it would move forward with the previous regime’s agreement with Tesla to install solar panels on 1,100 houses, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-24/tesla-battery-plan-gets-green-light-from-sa-liberals/9794486">according to <em>ABC</em></a>.</p>
<p>The original deal – to create what’s being called the world’s largest virtual power plant – <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-04/elon-musk-tesla-to-give-solar-panels-batteries-to-sa-homes/9394352">was first struck</a> in February between Tesla and South Australia’s then-dominant Labor Party. But when Steven Marshall of the Liberal Party was elected Premier of South Australia, it was unclear if the government would honor that agreement, or move forward with the Liberal Party’s own plan to subsidize 40 thousand home battery units to bring renewable energy to people who couldn’t otherwise afford it.</p>
<p>In good news for clean energy innovation, the government decided to do both.</p>
<p>The Tesla plan, funded by a two million dollar grant and 30 million dollar loan from the Australian state’s government, could scale up to 50 thousand solar-powered home batteries if the earlier stages are successful. In addition to the Liberal Party’s <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-10/sa-opposition-releases-$100m-home-battery-plan/9032900">own 100 million dollar program</a> — which would subsidize about 2,500 dollars of installation costs per household — this means that South Australia may have a grid of some 90 thousand solar-powered homes within the next few years.</p>
<p>If everything goes as planned this could make South Australia a world leader. It could also be a major proving ground, not just for renewable energy, but also for decentralized “virtual” power plants – a <a href="https://theconversation.com/virtual-power-plants-are-in-vogue-but-they-can-be-like-taking-a-sledgehammer-to-a-nut-92579">new type of energy infrastructure</a> that’s gained some popular traction lately.</p>
<p>Right now, almost all of our electricity is generated in real time by power plants that produce enough power to meet demand, but can’t really store any extra for later. A distributed network of home-based generators hooked up to batteries would, advocates argue, be able to provide for the energy needs of that community without putting extra demand on the power plants in that area. And doing so with a network of solar panels hooked up to battery units would let them do so without any greenhouse gas emissions, aside from those given off while producing the solar panels themselves.</p>
<p>The network of batteries would help the community stay powered even in spite of that annoying, anti-solar talking point “lol what happens if its cloudy,” and would also help distribute energy if one house needs (or produces) a little extra power.</p>
<p>There’s a lot that needs to happen before South Australia gets off the grid and starts powering itself with Tesla’s solar cells, but the government’s continued support for low-cost renewable energy is a good sign for the environment and a future increasingly powered by clean energy.</p>


Between Tesla's and the Australian state's own solar initiatives, up to 90,000 homes could soon be powered by solar energy.

Tesla gets green light to create the world’s largest virtual solar plant in South Australia

Earth & Energy

The Australian state's recently-elected government agreed to honor an existing agreement with Tesla as well as pursue its own solar proposals.

Tesla Gets Green Light To Create The World’s Largest Virtual Solar Plant In South Australia

The newly-elected government agreed to honor the existing agreement.

<h2>Solar jobs</h2>
<p>Solar energy isn&#8217;t just a tool to reduce emissions and help slow climate change — it&#8217;s a job creator. According to <a href="http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/369823-data-shows-solar-energy-really-is-a-leading-american-job-creator?utm_source=SolarWakeup&amp;utm_campaign=98e92a2937-SolarWakeup_2_182_16_2013&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_5eaa0aab62-98e92a2937-44233005&amp;mc_cid=98e92a2937&amp;mc_eid=16014616fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the most recent National Solar Jobs Census </a>published by <a href="https://www.thesolarfoundation.org/national/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Solar Foundation</a>, the industry creates more jobs than any other sector in the U.S.</p>
<p>According to the census, solar energy adds jobs 17 times faster than the overall economy in the United States.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ojr6KawJiEg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>In 2010, there were only 93,000 jobs in solar. The sector has seen a steep rise and six years later 260,077 people were employed in the field.  This means that in 2016 one in every 50 new jobs was in the solar industry, and analysts expect the trend to continue.</p>
<p>Although the figures presented in the census were originally criticized for underestimating the number of workers operating in the solar industry, <a href="http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/369823-data-shows-solar-energy-really-is-a-leading-american-job-creator?utm_source=SolarWakeup&amp;utm_campaign=98e92a2937-SolarWakeup_2_182_16_2013&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_5eaa0aab62-98e92a2937-44233005&amp;mc_cid=98e92a2937&amp;mc_eid=16014616fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i>the Hill </i>now reports</a> that &#8220;the Census is widely recognized as the most authoritative and comprehensive analysis of the U.S. solar workforce.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Dwindling Fossil Fuels</h2>
<p>This growth in the solar industry is happening as the fossil fuel industry continues to dwindle. For example, the United Kingdom used to produce a substantial percentage of its energy from coal, but <a href="https://futurism.com/britain-generates-twice-much-electricity-wind-coal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now produces twice as much electricity from renewable sources as coal</a>.</p>
<p>Conversely, in the U.S. President Trump has promised that not only is there a future in the coal industry, but it can drive the creation of a significant number of jobs. The President has recently <a href="https://futurism.com/trumps-new-tax-imported-solar-cells-start-trade-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed a 30 percent tariff</a> on imported solar cells, as part of its plans to hamper the renewable sector and make space for fossil fuels. Although the new measure is expected to cripple the solar sector, according to experts <a href="https://futurism.com/energy-expert-coal-will-never-recover/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coal jobs are not coming back</a>.</p>
<p>Overall this most recent census, along with <a href="https://futurism.com/worlds-first-fully-solar-powered-train-left-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the explosive innovation</a> currently driving the industry, strengthens the case for investing in solar energy in the U.S., but it&#8217;s undeniable that the new tariffs will be casting a shadow over this positive trend in the coming years.</p>


But the new tariffs on imported solar cells imposed by the President could undo half a decade of progress.

New data shows solar energy creates more jobs in America than any other industry

photovoltaic panels

A new U.S. census finds that between 2010 and 2016, the solar industry has been growing like no other. It's created more than 100,000 additional jobs.

New Data Shows Solar Energy Creates More Jobs in America Than Any Other Industry

Good for the environment, good for jobs. 

<h2>Renewables in Chile</h2>
<p>Chile is fast establishing itself as a<a href="https://qz.com/1147953/a-new-project-will-supply-chile-with-solar-power-even-at-night/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> renewable energy leader in Latin America</a>. In fact, it&#8217;s establishing itself as a world leader in the cause. Case in point, a <a href="https://qz.com/1147953/a-new-project-will-supply-chile-with-solar-power-even-at-night/">new solar power plant</a> will be able to provide electricity to the grid all through the day <em>and</em> night.</p>
<p>Cox Energía of Spain will supply 140 gigawatt-hours of electricity to Chile&#8217;s grid after winning a bid of $34.40 per megawatt-hour (MWh). The country&#8217;s grid will be reliably and efficiently powered during the day and night, as well as throughout inclement weather, <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/chile-auction-signals-growing-interest-solar-plus-storage#gs.8ESNFBY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to </a><i><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/chile-auction-signals-growing-interest-solar-plus-storage#gs.8ESNFBY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GreentechMedia</a></i><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/chile-auction-signals-growing-interest-solar-plus-storage#gs.8ESNFBY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">. </a></p>
<p>This one project alone is capable of powering 13,000 homes for an entire year, and having won the bid, it&#8217;s likely the company will focus on securing storage capabilities so that they can continue to power the country — perhaps even extending their reach.</p>
<p>Cox Energía&#8217;s bid comes after another landmark project began back in November, which <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-worlds-cheapest-solar-is-actually-wind-mexico#gs.T9T=nIs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marked the world&#8217;s cheapest solar bid:</a> $19.70 per MWh for an 80.3-megawatt plant in Mexico.</p>
<h2>Going Green</h2>
<p>This isn&#8217;t just exciting for renewable energy globally; this move puts Chile on the map as part of the top 10 renewable energy markets in the world, alongside Mexico and Brazil. In Latin America, investments in renewable energy have grown at twice the global rate within the past decade. This region is ahead of the curve and dedicated to reducing emissions and fighting against the growing effects of climate change.</p>
<p>The installation of the plant will provide support for the country and the region in general, but it&#8217;s also <a href="https://futurism.com/solar-energy-prices-continue-plunge-coal-prices-climb-higher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a sign of the dropping prices in solar. </a>A major stumbling block between renewable energy and larger consumer adoption has long been price. Solar is considered by many to be a wise investment (if you had the money for the up front cost of adoption). As the industry continues to generate jobs and the technology improves, the price will only continue to drop, hopefully encouraging wider adoption. As more countries commit to implementing alternative, renewable energy sources it&#8217;s clear that they are a are a cost-effective and efficient alternative to fossil fuels.</p>
<p>The situation concerning our climate is a dire one; it&#8217;s not just essential that we reduce emissions, but also that we begin to <a href="https://futurism.com/negative-emissions-geoengineering-iceland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">create negative emissions.</a> Experts like<a href="https://futurism.com/stephen-hawking-humans-must-leave-earth-within-600-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Professor Stephen Hawking </a>believe that we even those measures would be too little too late, as Earth is already too damaged for humans to continue to inhabit it. Those who agree with Hawking have posited that our best (if not only remaining) option is to find a way to leave Earth behind, finding &#8220;greener pastures&#8221; elsewhere in the universe.</p>
<p>That said, support and advancement in renewable resources is a firm reminder that, while there&#8217;s much work left to be done if we are to prevent the serious, continued consequences climate change, there is still hope.</p>


Mexico, Brazil, and now Chile are among the top 10 energy markets in the world.

A new solar plant will provide power to 13,000 homes for an entire year

Chile is proving itself as a leader in renewable energy sources in Latin America with an impressive new solar power plant.

A New Solar Plant Will Provide Power to 13,000 Homes for an Entire Year

It can supply people with power despite almost any weather condition.

<h2>Power From Light</h2>
<p>Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) are incredibly efficient when it comes to converting energy from light into usable electricity. They are lightweight, flexible, and inexpensive, and they may be our best option for improving the solar power systems that could end our reliance on fossil fuels.</p>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/renewable-energy-sources-of-the-future-infographic/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/06/energysourceshome.jpg" alt="Renewable Energy Sources Of The Future [Infographic]" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><strong><a href="https://futurism.com/images/renewable-energy-sources-of-the-future-infographic/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></strong></figure>
<p>The problem with HOIPs, however, lies in their stability. In a solar cell, the presence of light excites electrons, and these excited electrons are what power our homes, devices, or whatever else is linked to the solar cell. Electrons contained by HOIPs are subject to rapid degradation, particularly when exposed to changing temperatures, making them difficult to use inside of a solar cell.</p>
<p>To take full advantage of HOIPs, we need a way to &#8220;strengthen&#8221; their electrons, and physicist Seung-Hun Lee and chemical engineer Joshua Choi from the <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Virginia</a> think they may have found that way. In a paper published in <em><a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/114/29/7519.abstract?sid=e50ea6d2-88a3-4186-a41e-be17d4929e38" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences</a></em>, the pair explain that rotating the molecules in HOIPs allows the electrons to stay excited longer.</p>
<h2>Pursuit of Perfection</h2>
<p>The pair&#8217;s discovery could be the breakthrough needed to allow HOIPs to convert energy more efficiently. &#8220;This finding sets us on the path to better manipulating HOIPS for greater efficiency, as well as for longer-lasting efficiency under changing conditions,&#8221; <a href="https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-discovery-could-bring-better-efficiency-new-class-solar-cells" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Choi told <em>UVA Today</em></a>.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cw2l-sKAN1Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>However, while the discovery is promising, Lee made it clear that more research is necessary. &#8220;The trick will be finding ways to maximize the effect of these molecular rotations to extend the electron lifetimes,” he said. If that can be done, HOIPs could be the perfect material to use to power buildings, provide people in remote locations with energy, or potentially even fuel spacecraft.</p>
<p>&#8220;Power from the Sun is the most abundant source of renewable energy, and it is essentially everlasting,&#8221; said Lee. &#8220;Realization of economical solar energy technologies is thus essential for the enduring prosperity of mankind on Earth and beyond.&#8221;</p>


We could use them to power everything from homes to spacecraft.

New electron research could lead to cheaper, more versatile solar cells

Researchers have discovered a way to improve the viability of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs), a class of efficient solar cells.

New Electron Research Could Lead to Cheaper, More Versatile Solar Cells

We’re one step closer to a fossil fuel-free future.

<h2>A Promise Fulfilled</h2>
<p>In December 2016, about a year ago now, Google announced that the energy for its data centers would be from renewable sources. Now, the company announced via Twitter that recent clean energy purchases have made this goal a reality.</p>
<p>Google recently signed contracts for three wind power plants — for a total of 535 MW — which put their total energy infrastructure investment at over $3.5 billion, <a href="https://electrek.co/2017/11/30/google-is-officially-100-sun-and-wind-powered-3-0-gigawatts-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to </a><i><a href="https://electrek.co/2017/11/30/google-is-officially-100-sun-and-wind-powered-3-0-gigawatts-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electrek;</a> </i>a move which also gives the company over 3 gigawatts in total solar and wind capacity. Google says that this is enough to power 100 percent of its products and services.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">New clean energy purchases bring our total wind and solar capacity to over 3 gigawatts—enough renewables to match 100% of the energy it takes to run our products in 2017. <a href="https://t.co/8ykaWO9LU0">pic.twitter.com/8ykaWO9LU0</a></p>
<p>— Google (@Google) <a href="https://twitter.com/Google/status/936279094605504513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6342074431820701696/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a post on his personal LinkedIn page</a>, Sam Arons, senior lead for Google&#8217;s Energy &amp; Infrastructure,  gave a bit more detail about the recent purchases. &#8220;2*98 MW with Avangrid in South Dakota, 200 MW with EDF in Iowa, and 138.6 MW with GRDA in Oklahoma &#8212; cementing Google as the largest corporate purchaser of renewables on the planet @ 100% renewable in 2017!&#8221;</p>
<h2>The Renewable Revolution</h2>
<p>Google&#8217;s recent purchases have been driven by the continually decreasing costs of renewable energy, particularly <a href="https://futurism.com/solar-energy-prices-continue-plunge-coal-prices-climb-higher/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solar</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/wind-energy-has-officially-become-cheaper-than-fossil-fuels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wind</a>, which have both gone down 60 to 80 percent. “With solar and wind declining dramatically in cost and propelling significant employment growth, the transition to clean energy is driving unprecedented economic opportunity and doing so faster than we ever anticipated,&#8221; Gary Demasi, global infrastructure director at Google, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Google is hardly the only company that&#8217;s invested heavily in clean energy. <a href="https://futurism.com/amazons-largest-wind-farm-will-be-able-to-power-90000-homes-in-texas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon is building a massive wind farm in Texas</a>, which CEO <a href="https://t.co/cTxeXdsFop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Bezos has proudly shown off</a>. Amazon&#8217;s total renewable energy purchases are currently around 1.5GW. Google&#8217;s purchases are more than double this number.</p>
<p>Apart from the obvious environmental impact of going fully renewable, Google&#8217;s decision to invest in solar and wind power also contributes to<a href="https://futurism.com/renewable-energy-isnt-just-cutting-costs-its-saving-lives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> the economic impact of clean energy</a>. To date, more jobs in the U.S. have been generated by renewable energy compared to its fossil fuel counterparts. Aside from private corporations, <a href="https://futurism.com/california-reach-renewable-energy-goal-10-years-early/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number of states</a> in the U.S. and <a href="https://futurism.com/denmark-just-ran-their-entire-country-on-100-wind-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nations all over the world</a> have also been working towards a 100 percent renewable future.</p>


This is a major move for a major company.

Google now sources 100% of its energy from renewables

Recent purchases into wind energy are allowing Google to use 100 percent renewable energy. Google reached its goal of running completely on clean energy.

Google Now Sources 100% of Its Energy From Renewables

Solar and wind now powers one of the largest tech companies in the world.

<h2>Heat&#8217;s Out, Energy&#8217;s In</h2>
<p>Low heat emission (Low-E) glass is a feature in the windows of many of the business and residential buildings in the United States. <a href="https://energy.gov/eere/success-stories/articles/eere-success-story-energy-efficient-smart-windows-are-lowering-energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)</a>, these energy efficient windows can be found in 80 percent of homes and 50 percent of commercial buildings.</p>
<p>However, as popular as these Low-E windows are for keeping the heat out of living and work spaces, there&#8217;s a potential energy feature that remains largely untapped and the <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)</a> might just have the technology to realize it.</p>
<p>Researchers from NREL have developed a prototype photovoltaic (solar powered) smart window that can keep heat out of buildings while, at the same time, providing solar energy. The smart windows, built from the<a href="https://futurism.com/3-revolutionary-material-can-harness-energy-from-the-sun-heat-and-from-movement-all-at-once/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> energy-harvesting material perovskite</a>, are thermochromic — meaning they can change color from clear to tinted in response to heat. “There are thermochromic technologies out there but nothing that actually converts that energy into electricity,” NREL scientist Lance Wheeler said in <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2017/nrel-develops-switchable-solar-window.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a press release</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure class="wp-caption">
<figure id="attachment_113110" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-113110 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/11/NREL-smarwindow-solarglass.jpg" alt="Image credit: NREL" width="900" height="614" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The inner workings of this &#8220;smart window&#8221; technology. Image Credit: NREL<span style="font-size: 16px"> </span></figcaption></figure>
<p>When solar energy heats up the smart window, methylamine molecules are driven out, causing the device to darken. During this transformation, NREL&#8217;s smart windows are converted into solar panels, and they&#8217;re pretty efficient at generating electricity. In a proof-of-concept study published in the journal <i><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01842-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Communications</a></i>, the NREL team demonstrated an 11.3 percent efficiency in solar power conversion.</p>
<p>“There is a fundamental tradeoff between a good window and a good solar cell,” explained Wheeler, who is a lead researcher in this study. “This technology bypasses that. We have a good solar cell when there’s lots of sunshine and we have a good window when there’s not.”</p>
<h2>Not Yet Perfect</h2>
<p><a href="https://electrek.co/2017/11/29/solar-smart-windows-11-percent-efficiency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to </a><i><a href="https://electrek.co/2017/11/29/solar-smart-windows-11-percent-efficiency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electrek</a></i>, the 11.3 percent efficiency is promising, as some 80 percent of a building&#8217;s typical energy costs are spent on heating, cooling, and ventilation. However, while NREL&#8217;s solar-powered smart windows work, there&#8217;s one problem that the researchers still need to fix.</p>
<p>The researchers created a 1-square-centimeter prototype of the device, and it showed a decrease in performance after 20 repeated transparent-tinted cycles. This is a huge issue that will need to be resolved before NREL&#8217;s smart windows could make it to commercial use, especially since most existing smart windows can last through 50,000 cycles. Meanwhile, a standard photovoltaic panel can easily keep 80 percent energy conversion efficiency over a period of 25 years, <i>Electrek </i>noted. Improving the stability of the transformation cycle is the subject of further research at NREL.</p>
<p>The potential of smart windows that turn into solar panels is huge, particularly now that many businesses are keen on switching to 100 percent renewable energy. Instead of covering their buildings with solar panels at the cost of losing windows, commercial establishments can now have both in just one device. Furthermore, as Wheeler noted, these smart windows can just as easily be installed in cars, potentially providing tomorrow&#8217;s <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-scraps-solar-roof-idea-for-new-tesla-model/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electric vehicles an option to go solar</a>.</figure>


This could turn your office into a solar farm.

New smart windows transform into solar cells when they change color

New smart window technology, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US, is showing great potential.

New Smart Windows Transform Into Solar Cells When They Change Color

Proof-of-concept tests show 11.3 percent solar power conversion efficiency. 

<h2>More Sun for Everyone</h2>
<p>Solar energy has become an increasingly attractive renewable source of electricity for both nations and private enterprises alike. This is especially true as today&#8217;s photovoltaic systems have become considerably cost-effective. But long before we started using the Sun to cultivate electricity, agriculture has depended on this solar resource.</p>
<p>Now, thanks to a research project called the<a href="http://www.agrophotovoltaik.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Agrophotovoltaic &#8211; Resource Efficient Land Use</a> (APV-Resola) at the Demeter farm in Germany, the <a href="https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE</a> prove that it&#8217;s possible to combine both farming and energy-harvesting into one facility. Best of all, this agrophotovoltaic setup actually increases land use efficiency by up to 60 percent.</p>
<p>Approximately 40 percent of the energy produced at the APV-Resola was used to directly power the processes in the farm, as well as electric vehicles (EVs). The plants within the facility benefitted as well, as the setup allowed for every crop to receive the same amount of solar radiation from the 720 bifacial solar modules installed in the farm.</p>
<p>&#8220;The project results from the first year are a complete success: The agrophotovoltaic system proved suitable for the practice and costs as much as a small solar roof system. The crop production is sufficiently high and can be profitably sold on the market,” Stephan Schindele, an APV project manager at Fraunhofer ISE, said in<a href="https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en/press-release?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=38240&amp;cHash=da7c6519c277a72ffc3e05e28470d6d0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a press release</a>.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BlXPf-e1a0U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Enough Space for Renewable Tech</h2>
<p>While it is possible to set up photovoltaic systems in individual homes, a great deal of solar energy still comes from solar farms. These facilities typically require a large number of solar panels to be installed over a huge stretch of land. In places like Germany, where agricultural land is rather limited, building solar farms while retaining space for crops can be challenging. With plans to go <a href="http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shut down all of the country&#8217;s nuclear reactors by 2022</a>, there&#8217;s an increased and urgent need to find <a href="https://futurism.com/germany-just-smashed-an-energy-record-generating-85-electricity-from-renewables/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clean, alternative energy sources</a>.</p>
<p>The APV-Resola project provides a working model that could easily be emulated in other parts of Germany and elsewhere. The project uses photovoltaic arrays with an installed power of 194 kilowatts, enough to supply energy to 62 four-person households. After only its first twelve months, APV-Resola produced 1266 kilowatt-hours of electricity per installed kilowatt, which is a third more than the country&#8217;s average 950 kWh/kW.</p>
<p>The next step for this concept is to prepare the APV system for commercial use. “In order to provide the necessary proof-of-concept before market entry, we need to compare further techno-economical applications of APV, demonstrate the transferability to other regional areas and also realize larger systems,” Schindele explained.</p>


Harvesting the sun for energy increases efficiency by a staggering 60 percent

Solar Panels At Sunset

A unique project that combines solar energy with keeping crops healthy has proven to be a more efficient use of land in Germany.

Harvesting the Sun for Energy Increases Efficiency by 60 Percent

Solar energy can power your house and grow your crops. 

<h2>Going Big</h2>
<p>If developers Hive Energy and Wirsol Energy get their way, the U.K.&#8217;s largest solar farm will go online in 2020. The <a href="https://www.clevehillsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleve Hill</a> solar park would cover nearly 900 acres of farmland and operate with a capacity of 350 MW, enough to provide power for 110,000 households — if it&#8217;s approved by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, that is.</p>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-worlds-largest-floating-solar-farm-infographic/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/09/solar-farm_home_v1-900x600.png" alt="The World&#8217;s Largest Floating Solar Farm [INFOGRAPHIC]" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><strong><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-worlds-largest-floating-solar-farm-infographic/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></strong></figure>
<p>“The Cleve Hill solar park is a pioneering scheme that aims to optimize the technological developments in solar energy,” Hugh Brennan, Managing Director of Hive Energy, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/giant-solar-power-plant-uk-biggest-north-kent-coast-subsidy-free-power-station-faversham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>Because the government cut solar energy subsidies back in 2016, the best way to make a farm economically viable is to increase its size, according to the developers.</p>
<p>Cleve Hill would be the second subsidy-free solar farm built in the country since the subsidies have stopped. However, the other farm was an expansion of a previously built farm — Cleve Hill would be the first to be completely built after subsidies.</p>
<h2>Unprecedented Scale</h2>
<p>Some in the area are concerned about the scale of the new installation. Migrating birds use the mudflats and salt marshes of the area to rest, and conservationists, like those from the Kent Wildlife Trust, worry about the impact the U.K.&#8217;s largest solar farm could have on these species.</p>
<p>Others worry about the precedent these large farms are setting. “Government policy of excluding solar from clean power auctions is driving larger projects in a bid to get the economics to work,&#8221; a spokeswoman from the Solar Trade Association told The Guardian.</p>
<figure id="attachment_110723" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-110723 size-full" title="U.K.'s largest solar farm" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/11/5757136469_bfecb94b5c_z.jpg" alt="U.K.'s largest solar farm" width="640" height="366" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image credit: Michael Mees/Flickr</figcaption></figure>
<p>While many are all for renewable energy, they worry that smaller, community-based solar farms will be eclipsed as the need to make these farms economically viable forces builders to go bigger and bigger with their installations.</p>
<p>Even so, this initiative to build the U.K.&#8217;s largest solar farm is a sign that solar power might be able to continue to flourish even without government help, and it follows a trend in the U.K. of leaning more heavily on renewables. Wales has set a target to generate 70 percent of its energy from <a href="https://futurism.com/wales-sets-new-goal-of-70-percent-clean-energy-generation-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clean sources by 2030</a>, and Scotland has an even more ambitious goal: <a href="https://futurism.com/scotland-is-set-to-be-100-zero-carbon-by-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 percent zero-carbon</a> by 2020.</p>


The massive farm could provide power for 110,000 households.

The UK's largest solar farm could be built sans government help

Developers have submitted a proposal for the U.K.'s largest solar farm, and they plan to build it without the help of government subsidies.

/Solar Energy

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