77 stories
All topics
Using JWST, scientists at Northumbria University explained why Saturn seemed to change its spin: the planet itself never sped up or slowed down, but high-altitude winds powered by its aurora shifted the signal astronomers were measuring.
University of Rochester engineers built a laser-etched, solar-powered desalination surface that distills seawater using only sunlight and pushes salts aside as solids, avoiding the toxic brine that plagues conventional plants.
At the vast Khavda renewable park in Gujarat, India commissioned 3.37 GWh of battery storage by May 2026 — described as the world's largest single-location battery deployment outside China. Built in about 10 months, it can supply nearly a million homes for a day and firms up the park's solar and wind output.
Chinese researchers reached 32.89% certified efficiency in a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell using a “peak-selective passivation” trick, with the device keeping about 90% of its performance after 1,000 hours of operation.
Kansas City window cleaner Davis Roethler offers free cleanings to struggling small restaurants and films their stories. His videos have sent customers lining up around the block—and may have saved at least one business.
In April 2026, wind and solar together generated 22% of the world's electricity, surpassing gas at 20% for the first month ever, according to energy think tank Ember. The two technologies produced a record 531 terawatt-hours — 54 TWh more than gas — more than double their output of just five years earlier.
On May 20, 2026, Vattenfall inaugurated the Bruzaholm onshore wind farm in southern Sweden — 21 turbines totalling 139 MW that will generate about 460 GWh of fossil-free electricity a year, enough for roughly 91,500 homes. Half its output is earmarked for AB Volvo's low-carbon manufacturing.
Environment and Climate Change Canada made operational a hybrid forecasting system that pairs its traditional physics model with GEML, an AI emulator built on DeepMind's open GraphCast, to predict extremes like high winds and heat waves more accurately and earlier.
NASA’s Hubble took the most detailed visible-light images yet of an enormous planet-forming disk around the star nicknamed “Dracula’s Chivito,” revealing a structure 40 times wider than our solar system and far more turbulent than expected.
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Ningbo reported all-perovskite tandem solar cells with a certified 30.3% efficiency on rigid devices and 28% on flexible ones, using a chemistry-guided method to grow cleaner crystals.
On May 7, 2026, the energy company Axpo inaugurated the Vilecha solar complex in León province, Spain — four photovoltaic plants totalling 200 MWp with 365,000 modules. It is expected to generate more than 377 GWh of clean electricity a year, enough for around 100,000 people, while avoiding roughly 75,000 tonnes of CO2.
Adelaide University researchers reported a solar-driven process that uses light-activated catalysts to break down waste plastic at low temperatures, producing clean hydrogen and useful chemicals instead of pollution.
On May 4, 2026, Ocean Winds delivered first power from the Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion off Port-La Nouvelle — the world's first nature-inclusive floating wind farm. Its three 10 MW turbines carry artificial reef habitats designed to boost marine biodiversity, powering about 50,000 people.
Scientists in India and Japan watched electrons in ultraclean graphene flow collectively like a nearly frictionless liquid, breaking a century-old physics law by a factor of over 200 and opening a new window onto exotic quantum matter.
A £1bn UK government investment through Great British Energy aims to help communities build and own clean energy projects, targeting 8GW of locally owned power by 2030. Community schemes deliver 12 times more local economic value than commercial ones — yet still make up just 0.5 percent of UK electricity.
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity globally than coal, contributing 34.3% of all electricity versus coal's 33.1%, with solar alone covering 83% of the rise in demand.
Chinese solar manufacturer LONGi reached 34.85% conversion efficiency on a perovskite-silicon tandem cell, certified by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory — a milestone underscored by the IEA's State of Energy Innovation 2026.
When a tornado bore down on an Applebee’s in Three Rivers, Michigan, worker Aubrey McKenzie spotted the funnel cloud, rushed 50 guests and staff into a windowless prep kitchen, and even pulled a man, his dog and a boy in from outside.
Japanese researchers have achieved 130% effective efficiency in solar panels by harvesting heat energy that traditional panels waste, potentially transforming renewable energy economics.
Yancey County's Double Island Volunteer Fire Department installed a solar-powered microgrid with battery storage, creating a resilience hub that operates during power outages and reduces energy costs.
Wind and solar produced 30% of EU electricity in 2025, overtaking coal, oil, and gas at 29%, while Norway achieved 97% electric vehicle sales in a landmark year for clean energy.
The world added a record 814 gigawatts of new wind and solar capacity in 2025, up 17% from 2024, as the renewable energy transition accelerates far faster than most experts predicted.
Despite rising emissions, 2025 delivered tangible environmental victories: renewable energy capacity surged to record levels, endangered green sea turtles hit milestone recovery numbers, and tiger populations grew across Asia, reports the BBC.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected water vapor in the atmosphere of TRAPPIST-1e, marking the first confirmed detection of water on a rocky planet in a star's habitable zone outside our solar system.
Costa Rica has set a new national record of 300 consecutive days generating all its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower, wind, and geothermal, surpassing its previous record by over two months.
The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament has set an all-time viewership record, averaging 10.1 million viewers through its first two rounds — up 7% from last year. One Sunday window drew 19.7 million viewers, the most-watched first-week window in tournament history.
Tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells have reached a certified 34.85% efficiency, far surpassing the ~24% ceiling of commercial silicon panels. Companies like Oxford PV are now shipping commercial modules with efficiencies up to 29%.
The U.S. installed a record 18.9 gigawatts of battery energy storage in 2025, a 52% jump over 2024, according to the American Clean Power Association and Wood Mackenzie. Residential storage alone nearly doubled. Cheaper batteries paired with renewables are reshaping how the grid stores and delivers clean power.
Clean power generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU in 2025. Wind and solar hit 30.1% vs fossil fuels at 29.0%. China and India both reduced coal generation simultaneously for the first time since 1973.
Hybrid perovskite-silicon solar cells have reached power conversion efficiencies over 34%, far surpassing conventional silicon panels at 24%. The first commercial versions are expected to reach the market in 2026.
The journal Science named the global renewable energy surge its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year. For the first time, renewables surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide, with solar and wind growing fast enough to cover the entire increase in global electricity demand in the first half of the year.
Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, has completed construction off the coast of Massachusetts with 62 turbines capable of generating over 800 megawatts of clean power.
Portugal generated 80.7 percent of its electricity from renewable sources in January 2026, ranking second in Europe behind Norway's 96.3 percent. The achievement demonstrates that large-scale renewable energy transition is achievable for Southern European nations and validates Portugal's aggressive clean energy investment strategy.
When 4-year-old Brinley aimed a flashlight at a construction site across from Cleveland Clinic, the workers shone their lights back — sparking a heartwarming friendship of daily messages, gifts, and cheers.
Astronomers have confirmed GJ 887 d, a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of a nearby red dwarf star, making it the second-nearest known habitable zone planet to our solar system.
Engineers at MIT have created a passive solar desalination system that converts seawater to drinking water using only sunlight, with no electricity or filters needed, at a cost competitive with tap water in many developing countries.
A staggering 80.7% of Portugal's electricity in January 2026 came from renewable sources, placing the country second in Europe for clean energy generation — a remarkable achievement for the Iberian nation.
When his dog Rocky bolted into the Colorado mountains during a cross-country move, Steven Maa faced a 43-day ordeal of blizzards and dwindling hope. A volunteer rescue team and a backyard camera finally brought the half-starved dog home.
Portugal has surged to the top of the EU renewable energy leaderboard, with a staggering 80.7% of its electricity in January 2026 coming from renewable sources — the country's best result in nine months and a powerful demonstration of what the clean energy transition looks like in practice.
Ten European nations have signed the Hamburg Declaration, committing €9.5 billion to deliver 100 gigawatts of offshore wind energy across the North Sea by 2050 — enough electricity to power approximately 143 million homes and a decisive step off the "fossil fuel rollercoaster."
The International Energy Agency confirmed that solar power is now the fastest-growing source of electricity generation ever recorded, with costs dropping 90% in the past decade and installations surging worldwide.
Verified report based on cited source.
Verified report based on cited source.
Portugal generated 80.7% of its electricity from renewable sources in January 2026, topping the EU leaderboard and saving an estimated €703 million compared to natural gas production.
Analysis by Carbon Brief finds China's CO2 emissions fell 0.3% in 2025 and have been "flat or falling" for 21 months since March 2024. A surge in solar (+43%), wind (+14%) and nuclear (+8%) generation met all of the country's electricity demand growth — a potential turning point for the world's largest emitter.
Stanford's Prakash Lab built Octopi, an affordable AI-powered microscope that autonomously scans blood for malaria, screening up to a million cells per minute and running on batteries or solar in off-grid clinics.
A new solar-powered desalination system can produce fresh water at a fraction of traditional costs, bringing clean drinking water to water-scarce coastal regions.
The global Cycling Without Age movement now operates in 52 countries, giving nursing home residents the joy of bike rides through trishaw rides piloted by volunteers.
Plug-in balcony solar panels are booming across Europe, allowing renters and apartment dwellers to generate clean energy without rooftop access or landlord permission.
Scientists have achieved a sustained net energy gain from nuclear fusion for the first time, marking a historic milestone toward unlimited clean energy.
Energy companies are repurposing retired wind turbine blades into sustainable tiny homes, addressing both the renewable energy waste problem and the housing crisis.
Renewable energy sources now generate 35% of global electricity, a new record that puts the world on track to meet key climate goals.
Solar energy was confirmed as the fastest growing source of electricity in history in 2025, growing from 1% to 9% of global electricity in just a decade. Combined with wind, renewables overtook coal as the world's leading electricity source for the first time.
China's National Energy Administration reported that renewable energy made up over 60% of the country's total installed power capacity in 2025. The world's largest energy consumer added more than 430 gigawatts of new wind and solar in a single year, pushing renewable capacity above 1,800 gigawatts.
Finnish startup TheStorage commissioned its first industrial-scale sand-based thermal battery at a brewery, storing renewable electricity as heat up to 800C and aiming to cut industrial energy costs and emissions sharply.
A US judge has upheld the right to build offshore wind farms for the fifth time, ensuring the continued growth of renewable energy despite legal challenges.
Europe has reached a significant energy tipping point, with renewable sources now generating more power than ever and accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.
Researchers at Monash University and IIT Bombay built SunSpring, a floating solar-desalination membrane studded with microscopic "carbon flowers" that distills seawater continuously, up to 18 liters of fresh water a day, without clogging with salt.
University of Newcastle researchers developed a chemical-free method to extract silver from used solar panels by grinding them into powder and floating silver to the surface in water.
In a remarkable year for planetary science, astronomers confirmed the discovery of over 100 previously unknown moons orbiting planets in our solar system during 2025, reshaping our understanding of the outer planets.
Ming Yang Smart Energy unveiled the MySE23X, a more than 110-meter carbon-fiber wind blade it calls the world's first fully recyclable design, breaking down at end of life with a low-temperature chemical process.
Science Magazine declared the unstoppable rise of renewable energy as 2025's Breakthrough of the Year, with China installing record-breaking solar and wind capacity.
For the first time, renewable sources generated a third of the world's electricity in 2025, with solar and wind leading an accelerating energy transition.
Engineer Guihua Yu won the 2025 Global Prize for Innovation in Water for hydrogel systems that purify seawater and harvest drinking water from air using only sunlight, aimed at off-grid communities.
Fervo Energy raised $462 million to complete Cape Station in Utah, set to be the world's largest next-generation geothermal project. Its first 100 megawatts of round-the-clock, carbon-free power are due online in 2026, scaling to 500 megawatts by 2028 — a major step for "always-on" clean energy.
JinkoSolar reported a certified 34.76% efficiency for a perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell, edging close to the world record and signaling steady progress toward cheaper, higher-yield panels.
Solar-powered cold storage units installed at the farm gate in India are helping smallholder farmers cut spoilage and avoid forced discount sales, addressing post-harvest losses that reach up to a third of some harvests.
Australia announced it will provide at least three hours of free solar-generated electricity per day to all households — even those without solar panels — thanks to massive renewable energy capacity.
For the first time in history, the combined power of wind and solar has overtaken coal as the leading source of electricity worldwide, marking a crucial energy turning point.
The Ember think tank confirmed solar as the fastest growing source of electricity ever, rising from 1% to 9% of global electricity in just a decade with costs falling 90%.
Pakistan imported about 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024, becoming one of the world's largest solar markets almost overnight. The boom is led not by government mandates but by households, farmers and businesses installing rooftop panels to escape soaring electricity prices. Analysts project solar could reach roughly a fifth of national electricity by 2026.
Researchers recovered microbial DNA more than a million years old from mammoth remains, identifying bacteria that lived alongside the animals and offering a new window into ancient health.
China's carbon dioxide emissions dropped for the first time during economic growth, as electricity from new wind, solar and nuclear capacity was enough to cut coal-power output even as demand surged.
Northwestern University researchers transformed an industrial waste product into a battery for storing sustainable energy, opening the door for redox flow battery technology.
All 411 buildings owned by the City of Chicago now run on renewable energy or offset emissions, powered largely by the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi.
A Stanford study found that firebricks heated via renewable electricity could replace 90% of fossil fuels burned by heavy industry for heat, named among top innovations of 2024.
Researchers have achieved a world record 33.9% efficiency with tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells, bringing next-generation solar technology closer to commercial reality.
