Solar-powered system extracts drinkable water from “dry” air

MIT engineers have made their initial design more practical, efficient, and scalable.

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Tags: solar water research mechanical-engineering school-of-engineering j-wafs

MIT-led team to develop software to help forecast space storms

National Science Foundation awards proposal for space weather modeling.

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Tags: mathematics physics solar solar-system funding nasa data research school-of-engineering school-of-science computer-science-and-technology aeronautical-and-astronautical-engineering national-science-foundation-nsf computer-modeling space-astronomy-and-planetary-science grants software haystack-observatory computation

Covid-19 shutdown led to increased solar power output

As the air cleared after lockdowns, solar installations in Delhi produced 8 percent more power, study shows.

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Tags: sustainability climate-change energy solar covid-19 pollution pandemic policy india research mechanical-engineering school-of-engineering technology-and-society photovoltaics

Researchers develop new materials for energy and sensing

MIT and Northwestern researchers create hybrid perovskite materials that could help improve the quality of solar cells and light sources.

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Tags: solar research renewable-energy school-of-engineering collaboration nanoscience-and-nanotechnology materials-science-and-engineering chemical-engineering alternative-energy optoelectronics

Transparent graphene electrodes might lead to new generation of solar cells

New roll-to-roll production method could enable lightweight, flexible solar devices and a new generation of display screens.

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Tags: graphene solar research renewable-energy school-of-engineering electrical-engineering-computer-science-eecs research-laboratory-of-electronics civil-and-environmental-engineering nanoscience-and-nanotechnology optoelectronics

Simple, solar-powered water desalination

System achieves new level of efficiency in harnessing sunlight to make fresh potable water from seawater.

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Tags: solar water research renewable-energy mechanical-engineering school-of-engineering desalination

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.

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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.

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Tags: sustainability climate-change energy solar research renewable-energy mechanical-engineering school-of-engineering nanoscience-and-nanotechnology materials-science-and-engineering mit-energy-initiative department-of-energy-doe alternative-energy

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.

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Tags: solar policy emissions research government renewable-energy wind school-of-engineering school-of-science idss mit-energy-initiative eaps alternative-energy joint-program-on-the-science-and-policy-of-global-change

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.

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Tags: sustainability climate-change energy solar economics policy greenhouse-gases emissions research renewable-energy technology-and-society idss mit-energy-initiative alternative-energy oil-and-gas esi