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Solar PowerOne of the most common renewable energy sources, solar power technologies capture radiant energy from sunlight and convert it into electricity or thermal energy. Solar is part of an emerging class of renewable energy sources that can diversify a region's or nation's power generation portfolio while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Solar power harnesses radiation from the sun to generate electricity, typically through devices known as photovoltaics—commonly referred to as solar panels. When light falls on photovoltaic materials, it is absorbed by electrons, making them conductive, much like the electrons flowing through a metal wire. Concentrated solar power systems instead use fields of mirrors to redirect sunlight toward a thermal fluid, which heats up. The fluid is used to turn water into steam, which spins a turbine connected to a generator to produce electricity. Since their development, solar cells have become faster, more efficient, and cheaper, with costs decreasing from roughly $1,500 per watt in the 1950s to less than $1 per watt today. This has made solar power the fastest-growing source of electricity in the US.Explore Solar Power

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Space-based solar power systems may beam energy to EarthResearchers have successfully collected power from solar panels on a plane and transmitted it to a receiver on Earth's surface, achieving a milestone for space-based energy. The proof of concept is a precursor for a satellite-based solar farm that would transmit energy 24 hours a day. IEEE Spectrum The Ancient Chinese harnessed solar power for heating and cooling 6,000 years agoNeolithic Chinese homes faced south for winter sun warmth, while overhangs shielded them from high summer sun. These efforts also influenced urban planning, with cities aligning streets east-west for optimal solar exposure. Community Environmental Council Solar power is converting the sun's energy into thermal or electrical energySolar energy is the most abundant renewable energy resource. It can be captured in photovoltaic cells to generate electricity, solar heating and cooling technologies for temperature control, and concentrated solar power to drive steam turbines. Solar Energy Industries Association Larger shares of solar power generation produce larger energy demand curvesBecause solar energy is only available during daylight hours, transitioning an electric grid to solar requires significant ramp-ups and ramp-downs of other energy sources during mornings and evenings to compensate. Widespread adoption of affordable energy storage solutions can soften these curves. US Department of Energy Concentrated solar power systems focus sunlight in order to boil waterThese systems use thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a central tower storing molten salt or multiple receivers housing heat transfer fluid that absorbs the radiation. The material is pumped through water to boil it, creating steam that drives a generator. Physics Girl This online magazine runs on a solar panel, sometimes going offlineThe publication's solar-powered server in Barcelona means the site goes dark when clouds roll in. It's designed as an intentional statement about energy and digital infrastructure. The magazine features essays advocating for the adoption of pre-industrial or low-energy solutions to modern problems. Low Tech Magazine All clean energy technologies rely heavily on critical mineralsAlthough many of these minerals have been used for decades, such as copper in electrical wiring, the accelerating demand for them has strained existing extraction and processing systems. Supply chain disruptions for these materials may delay and increase the cost of transitioning to solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power. International Energy Agency The strongest recorded geomagnetic storm in history created auroras near the equatorOn Sept. 1, 1859, the Carrington Event—named after the astronomer who observed the preceding solar flare—saw a massive coronal mass ejection strike Earth, disrupting telegraph systems, sparking electrical fires, and reportedly illuminating the night sky enough to allow newspapers to be read at night. Fraser Cain Scientists quantify how far from the poles auroras will be visible using the G-scaleThe Geomagnetic Storm scale indicates the expected severity of the deformation of Earth's magnetic field based on the amount of energy injected by the solar wind. Solar activity is monitored using various satellites to forecast these storms, which can also be used to anticipate damage and disruption to power systems, radio communications, and satellite navigation. NOAA Coronal mass ejections and solar flares produce the most extensive aurorasThe most intense geomagnetic storms are produced when massive clouds of plasma—ionized gas—are expelled from the sun's upper atmosphere and interact with the Earth's magnetic field. These storms expand where auroras are bright enough to be seen to regions farther from the poles, particularly during peak periods of the sun's 11-year intensity cycle. Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell The best location to view auroras is within the auroral ovalEarth's magnetic field pushes trapped particles from the solar wind toward the planet's magnetic poles, where they can descend and collide with atmospheric gases in a ring located between 60 and 75 degrees of latitude. Auroras can also be viewed at lower latitudes—the sub-auroral oval and solar storm zones—if the sun produces powerful solar storms. Canadian Geographic Solar activity and the density and chemical composition of the air affect auroral colorsOxygen atoms can emit red and green light when energized by collisions with the solar wind, but red takes longer to be emitted and is disrupted by bumping into other molecules. This causes red light to appear at higher altitudes, where the air is less dense. Higher-energy solar wind can penetrate to lower altitudes and collide with more abundant ionized nitrogen, which produces blue light. Time and Date The sun and Earth's liquid outer core help create the northern and southern lightsEarth's magnetosphere, generated by the movement of molten iron deep within the planet, consists of a magnetic field that deflects charged particles north and south. Some of the particles released by the sun in the solar wind become trapped in this field and are propelled toward the poles, where they produce auroras through collisions with atmospheric particles. Be Smart Data center power demands have delayed the retirement of coal plantsUS data center power consumption is expected to triple by 2035 to meet the growing infrastructure needs of AI platforms. Longer construction times and higher startup costs for renewable energy systems such as wind and solar have led to at least 15 coal power plant closures being postponed. Yale E360 The Antikythera mechanism is the oldest example of an analog computerRemains of the 2,000-year-old hand-powered model of the solar system were uncovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece in 1900. It had been used to calculate the motions of the sun, moon, and planets to help forecast events such as solar eclipses. TED-Ed 'I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.'-Inventor and businessman Thomas Edison (1847-1931) Thomas Edison Instabilities in the polar jet stream can bring cold Arctic air southwardThe polar jet stream marks the boundary between mid-latitude air and the much colder polar air, which are normally contained by the polar vortex—a ring of strong winds that circles the Arctic around 16 to 50 kilometers (10 to 30 miles) above the Earth's surface. Climate change may be responsible for "blocking patterns" that distort the jet stream, allowing polar air to leak into lower latitudes. BBC Science Focus Magazine Geothermal power plants can provide large-scale energy storage for other systemsThese facilities can store excess energy from solar and wind power as hot water or steam, which can be used to run turbines to generate electricity when other renewable energy sources are unavailable. Simulations have found efficiencies of 90% during a storage-use cycle, making it comparable to lithium-ion batteries. IEEE Spectrum As of 2022, just 0.5% of installed renewable energy capacity worldwide is geothermalDespite being able to generate electricity regardless of the weather, solar (28%) and wind (27%) are far more prevalent, primarily because of their lower upfront costs. Geothermal plants use 88% less space than solar farms to produce the same energy, but have been restricted to geologically active regions. Visual Capitalist Sand 'batteries' can store excess electricity from the power grid as thermal energyEnergy collected from solar or wind power is used to heat insulated silos full of sand to temperatures as high as 450 degrees Celsius (842 degrees Fahrenheit), which can be retained for long periods. These thermal energy storage systems can be designed to boil water and generate electricity when needed. Polar Night Energy View a photo essay of renewable power landscapes in ChinaUsing a drone, Chinese photographer Weimin Chu captured the deployment of solar and wind power installations across the country, which accounted for half of all global installations in 2025. The images show modern infrastructure juxtaposed with natural landscapes and was featured in an award-winning exhibition presented by Greenpeace in 2025. Yale E360 Light energy can be transformed into electricity in solar cells via the photovoltaic effectWhen light strikes semiconducting material, it can knock electrons out of atoms, creating a charge imbalance within the material. A wire connecting the oppositely charged regions can allow electrons to flow back, balancing the charges and producing an electric current that can be harnessed to power devices. The Engineering Mindset The first flight on Mars carried a piece of the Wright plane with itIn April 2021, the solar-powered helicopter Ingenuity—attached to NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover—flew in what became the first controlled flight on a planet other than Earth. Carried with it was a piece of fabric from the famous 1903 Wright Flyer, a symbol of Ingenuity’s continuation of the Wright tradition. Astronomy Magazine The sun emits a continuous stream of plasma known as the solar windComposed of charged particles—electrons and ions—the solar wind is deflected around the Earth by the planet's magnetic field. More powerful solar storms, known as coronal mass ejections, are short-lived but produce huge clouds of plasma that disrupt technology upon reaching Earth. The Conversation 2025's Nature Photographer of the Year winnersOver 50 beautiful nature photos that are sure to inspire you. PetaPixel As of 2025, wave power projects remain in early research and testing phasesWaves can become a steady source of renewable energy because they do not pause like wind and solar power do. However, funding gaps and the effects of storms, salt exposure, and biofouling—mussels and other sea creatures attaching to wave machines—have presented challenges in scaling the technology beyond testing sites. Science Friday Tiny solar-powered tags can now track monarch butterflies across North AmericaMonarch tracking began in 1935, utilizing low-tech methods to gain a better understanding of migration patterns as monarchs travel to central Mexico during the winter. Each tag weighs 60 milligrams and can be tracked via an app to provide insights into butterfly life cycles. The New York Times Data centers' electrical needs create increased water demands beyond coolingEach query uses approximately one single-serving water bottle per conversation, but water is also used for steam cycles and cooling in power plants that generate electricity for data centers. Newer cooling methods, such as immersion cooling, where servers are submerged in fluids that don't conduct electricity, can minimize water use. The Conversation Texas is the state with the most energy sector employeesTexas has more than 990,000 individuals in the energy sector—roughly eight out of every 100 workers statewide. Oil and natural gas production account for more than 289,000 workers. USAFacts The International Space Station is slowly falling due to atmospheric dragTo stay in orbit, the largest human-made object in space needs periodic rocket boosts to maintain its orbital speed and height. Its solar panels collect enough energy to power over 60 average US homes each year. NASA The first glasshouse was constructed in 1931The Maison de Verre in Paris was built to house a doctor's office on the ground level and an apartment upstairs. Unlike the typical model that would follow, this glass house exposed very little of the home's interior. Dwell 1970s U.S. energy crisis sparked waves of green innovationFaced with the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the U.S. responded with bold innovation—enacting a 55 mph speed limit, pioneering daylight saving time, boosting solar research, expanding nuclear power, and pushing energy-efficient building designs and automotive technologies HISTORY AI's growing energy demands are driving tech companies to consider nuclear powerBig Tech has rebranded nuclear power as a green solution to address the strain on the grid from millions of people using power-hungry AI tools. As of mid-2025, generating one image uses as much electricity as charging the average smartphone, or leaving a household light bulb on for 87 consecutive days. The Conversation From 1990 to 2020, wind turbine height and blade length have more than tripledWind turbines' energy generation capacity—or maximum power rating—also increased by 375% from 1998 to 2023. As of that year, wind turbines can produce more energy per dollar than solar panels, though transportation and installation challenges remain. US Department of Energy Wind energy is categorized into distributed, land-based, and offshore typesDistributed wind turbines serve on-site energy needs efficiently, while land-based ones are large and generate cost-competitive electricity. Offshore wind turbines capture powerful winds above the ocean and may be pounded into the seafloor using pile drivers. US Department of Energy Metallic hydrogen exists in Jupiter and Saturn due to high pressure and temperatureThis state of hydrogen has metallic properties, including conductivity, which powers these planets' magnetic fields. First theorized in the 1930s, its existence was confirmed through indirect evidence before being created in a Harvard lab in 2017. Astronomy Magazine The colorful history and medieval origins of tarotTarot cards originated in 15th-century Italy as a sophisticated card game for the wealthy, notably the Visconti-Sforza decks commissioned by Milanese nobility. A standard tarot deck has 78 cards with mysterious characters like the Fool, Death, and the Hermit. Each card is imbued with symbolic imagery, often difficult to interpret fully today. Smithsonian Magazine Explore a gallery of O’Neill Cylinder space settlementsThe structures consist of a pair of cylinders with a total enclosed land area of 500 square miles and can house several million people. Each is approximately 20 miles long, 4 miles in diameter, and contains three mirrors that open and close to form a day-night cycle inside. The National Space Society Hubble's average used power is less than half the power generated by its solar arraysThe space telescope's components use about 2,100 watts, or about as much power as five refrigerators. When exposed to sunlight, the solar arrays can generate over 5,200 watts for the observatory, which was engineered by a team that included actor Jack Black's mom, Judith Love Cohen. 1440 As of 2024, approximately 44% of Americans support frackingThis makes the method less popular than carbon-free forms of energy production, such as solar, wind, and nuclear power, but more popular than coal mining. Support for fracking increased 7% from 2020 to 2024, primarily due to increased support from Republicans and older Americans. Pew Research Center Enough sunlight hits Earth in just 90 minutes to power the planet for an entire yearDespite this, in 2023, only 5.1% of electricity in the US came from solar energy. Solar panel technology has nonetheless made significant advancements since the 19th century, largely due to NASA's efforts in the space race. 1440 View US maps of monthly and annual averages of total daily solar resourcesThe state you live in and the month of the year drastically change how much solar energy you can expect to capture to power your home. These National Renewable Energy Laboratory maps show where you can generate solar resources year-round. National Renewable Energy Laboratory A 1,000 square kilometer patch of solar panels in Africa can power most of EuropeThe $500 billion Desertec initiative would have constructed massive solar farms in the Sahara and expansive electrical transmission networks across continents. However, the plan was built on concentrated solar power technology, which is more expensive and less practical than photovoltaics. Real Engineering Among renewable sources, geothermal rivals hydropower in lifetime costAs of 2024, the levelized cost of energy—the average cost per unit of energy over the lifetime of a power plant—for geothermal power is surpassed only by solar photovoltaic and onshore wind. Geothermal's LCOE has remained relatively unchanged since 2007, with significant decreases held back by significant upfront installation costs. Our World in Data The International Space Station is powered entirely by large solar arraysLaunched in 1998, its original solar panels were designed to withstand no more than 20 years of wear from temperature swings and micrometeoroid impacts in space. Replacement panels that roll out like carpets have since been installed. NASA The first practical silicon solar cell was developed at Bell LabsIn 1953, scientists at Bell Labs attempted to develop a power source for phone systems in remote locations, as the dry battery cells lacked the necessary longevity. They experimented with solar power, but the selenium solar cells of the time were too inefficient, eventually leading to the usage of silicon. American Physical Society Besides Earth, Mars is the only possibly habitable planet in our solar systemSending humans to Mars in the following decades poses significant challenges, from the vast distance covered to get materials there to powering technology during weekslong dust storms. Research is ongoing to develop life support systems that can regenerate or recycle consumables. NASA Solar energy alone can fully power the world if transmission hurdles can be resolvedWhen light strikes a photovoltaic cell, electrons are loosened, which travel through a circuit where the energy can be used. Distributing energy from high solar intensity regions and storing energy for non-daylight hours is logistically challenging and costly. TED Talks Explore global solar resources with this interactive mapOne of the biggest challenges to deploying solar panels is whether electricity can be generated reliably when needed, day after day. This detailed interactive map calculates the solar power output potential of regions worldwide and provides a visual comparison between locations such as North Africa and the US Midwest. Global Solar Atlas

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