GoKawiil
Tech News
A team of Chinese scientists modified perovskite solar cells to survive and function while submerged several meters below the ocean surface. By altering the perovskite's chemical composition, adding a water-repelling coating, and using larger crystal structures, they created cells resistant to seawater degradation that still efficiently capture dim, filtered sunlight.
California avoided rolling power outages through the hottest August on record, a streak dating back to 2020. The state's grid operator has grown battery storage capacity from under 100 megawatts in 2020 to over 17,000 megawatts today, allowing solar energy captured during the day to be dispatched during peak evening demand.
US energy storage set another quarterly record, powered largely by seven new gigascale battery installations exceeding one gigawatt-hour each, according to a report from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and the Solar Energy Industries Association. Behind-the-meter batteries also grew, with data centers accounting for roughly three-quarters of new commercial installations, even as residential battery installations are projected to fall 16% in 2026 after a supporting tax credit expired in 2025.
S&P Global Energy projects US clean energy additions will hit a record 45 gigawatts this year, roughly 25% above 2024's record and comparable to Turkey's average electricity demand. The growth is being driven by AI data center power needs, developers racing to use expiring tax credits, and higher energy prices linked to the Iran conflict, even as the Trump administration has moved to cut subsidies and blocked large solar projects like Nevada's Esmeralda 7.