Just as the cost of solar energy has been dropping precipitously, innovations sprout to accelerate the trend while improving the technology. In a recent example of biomimicry applied to solar, Oak Ridge National Lab was inspired by the moth’s eye to create an antireflective coating that increases solar conversion efficiency up to 6 percent, and by the lotus leaf to make that coating highly water repellent—essentially self-cleaning since bouncing rain drops collect dust and particles.
Moth’s eye and lotus leaf inspire more efficient, easier to maintain solar panels
More of Today's Solutions
Gamers revolutionize biomedical research via DNA analysis
In a remarkable study published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers discovered gaming's transformative potential in biomedical research. Borderlands Science, an interactive mini-game included in Borderlands ...
Read MoreThe ancient origins of your 600,000 year old cuppa joe
Did you realize that the beans that comprise your morning cup of coffee date back 600,000 years? Scientists have discovered the ancient origins of Coffea arabica, ...
Read MoreWorld record broken for coldest temperature ever recorded
With our current knowledge of how temperature works there is no upper limit, this means materials can keep getting hotter and hotter to no ...
Read MoreA youth-led environmental victory creates a paradigm shift in Montana’s...
A group of youth environmental activists scored a landmark legal victory in Montana, marking a critical step forward in the ongoing battle against climate ...
Read More
