Some solar devices, like calculators, only need a small panel of solar cells to function. But supplying enough power to meet all our daily needs would require enormous solar panels. And solar-powered energy collected by panels made of silicon, a semiconductor material, is limited — contemporary panel technology can only convert approximately seven percent of […] … learn more→

Pity the poor batteries, solar cells and capacitors. They’ve been huddled on the sidelines watching memory prices plummet, computing processing power skyrocket and computers shrink from the size of filing cabinets to the scale of nail files. Blame chemistry. By and large, batteries, fuel cells, capacitors and solar panels have resisted the lure of Moore’s […] … learn more→