The expensive process of manufacturing solar panels could be supplanted in the near future by sprayable inks derived from sunlight-absorbing nanoparticles- perhaps enabling solar power to have a further reach as an alternative energy option.
The particles, which are 10,000 times thinner than a strand of hair, consist of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). The nanoparticles are made into a solution and spray-painted onto a surface.
This process is still in the testing phase, as the solar-cell prototypes created thus far have only been able to convert one percent of the sunlight that contacts the cell into electricity. A 10 percent conversion [...]

While the dominant paradigm for our society – from parking garages and roadways to gas stations and AAA – may still be the automobile, more and more we’re seeing thoughtful approaches to designing the bike into our world view. To wit, RentaBikeNow, a site that lets you research the rental bikes available in 157 locations across the U.S. and Canada with information on rates, routes and accessories like racks and helmets. The service enables users to reserve bikes online in advance and easily incorporate them into their travel plans, though we imagine this will be just as useful to locals [...]

Emily Cummins, a 21-year old UK student, has produced a portable, solar-powered fridge that can be constructed from simple components, making it a perfect innovation for the developing world where reliable electricity is often not accessible.  Basing her design on the principle of evaporation – the same way we cool ourselves through perspiration – Cummins has created a device with two nesting cylinders, leaving space in a bottom compartment that can be filled with materials such as sand or soil that are then soaked in water, as this water evaporates, the inner chamber cools, maintaining a temperature around 43 F [...]