Energy, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 12, 2014

Solar-Paneled Path Paves Way to Green Homes

To capture more energy from the sun, one company is putting solar panels where they've never gone before: in the street. This week, the Dutch company SolaRoad officially opened the world's first solar roadway in a suburb outside of Amsterdam. The 230-foot (70 meters) stretch of energy-absorbing concrete and glass...

Nov 25, 2014

How Blu-ray Discs Can Improve Solar Panels

Blu-ray discs could help make the solar cells used in solar panels more efficient, researchers say. Solar cells rely on materials that convert photons of light into electricity. Prior research had revealed that if microscopic structures that are only nanometers (billionths of a meter) high are placed on the surface...

Nov 25, 2014

Beyond the 'Poo Bus': The Many Uses of Human Waste

This article was originally published on The Conversation. The publication contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. A British “poo bus” went into service last week, powered by biomethane energy derived from human waste at a sewage plant. For those of us who follow these matters...

Nov 28, 2014

How to Cool Buildings Without Electricity? Beam Heat into Space

A new superthin material can cool buildings without requiring electricity, by beaming heat directly into outer space, researchers say. In addition to cooling areas that don't have access to electrical power, the material could help reduce demand for electricity, since air conditioning accounts for nearly 15 percent of the electricity...

Dec 15, 2014

Big Solar Step: Super-Efficient System Sets Record

A new world record is making the future of solar energy look pretty bright. Researchers in Australia recently developed a solar energy system that can convert more than 40 percent of the sunlight that hits it into electricity — the highest efficiency ever reported for a commercially available photovoltaic system....

Dec 31, 2014

5 Ways Your Tech Will Go Green in 2015

Solar panels, electric cars, high-efficiency washing machines — these are the green, or earth-friendly, technologies that you probably see every day. But there are also many lesser-known tech devices out there designed to reverse the negative effects of human activity on the environment. And in 2015, you can expect to...

Jan 8, 2015

Coolest Eco-Friendly Technologies at CES 2015

LAS VEGAS — Companies from around the globe are debuting technologies here at CES that aim to remedy today's most pressing environmental problems. Some of the biggest names in tech announced that they're embracing more eco-friendly designs for their products. For instance, Samsung introduced a computer monitor made of 30...

Jan 28, 2015

Electric vs. Fuel Cell Vehicles: 'Green' Auto Tech Explained

Battery-powered electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have both seen advances in their development, and one or both of these technologies may represent the future of green automobiles. Both technologies offer a cleaner alternative to internal combustion engines, and both use electric motors powered by electrochemical devices. But what's...

Feb 5, 2015

The Best Solar Panels for Homes

Solar panels promise to lower your electricity bill by supplementing the energy you buy from the local power company. But choosing and installing solar panels can be an overwhelming task. Solar cells, which are linked together in a panel, convert sunlight into electricity via photovoltaic materials, such as silicon. When...

Feb 25, 2015

Apple to Wal-Mart, Big Biz is Betting on Green Energy (Op-Ed)

Lynn Scarlett, managing director for public policy at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. While everyone still has to carry around a phone charger for the forseeable future, Apple is taking a different approach to its own energy supply. In a...

Mar 8, 2015

Solar-Powered Plane Takes Off on Epic Round-the-World Flight

This story was updated at 9:16 a.m. ET on Monday, March 9. A solar-powered plane, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, took flight today (March 8), embarking on the historic first leg of a planned journey around the world. The aircraft, which can fly without using any fuel, took off from Al...

May 4, 2015

How Do Tesla's Home Batteries Work?

Last week, Tesla Motors announced an ambitious new product line: batteries to power homes or businesses. The idea is that homes and businesses powered by solar panels could harvest and store energy during the day that could be used to run homes at night, or be used as a backup...

Jun 8, 2015

Climate Plan Will Transform How You Get Your Electricity

More efficient cars, trucks and airplanes. Less-polluting electric power plants. So many solar and wind farms that no transcontinental road trip in an electric car could take place beyond the sight of one. Those may be the most obvious changes everyone sees if and when America’s proposed climate policies fully...

Jun 27, 2015

Recycled Dormitory Water: The Next Big Thing On Campus? (Video)

Catherine Trifiletti, multimedia intern for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Every single day, the average American family of four uses four hundred gallons of water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That's water that has to...

Jun 29, 2015

Solar Plane Takes Off on Record 120-Hour Flight Across Pacific

A solar-powered plane able to fly in sunshine or darkness without using any fuel took off today (June 29) on a planned 120-hour flight across the Pacific Ocean, from Nagoya, Japan, to Kalaeola, Hawaii. The Solar Impulse 2 took off from Nagoya Airfield at 3:03 a.m. local time in Japan...