Energy Production Technologies

Rooftop solar panels are nearly 80 percent cheaper than they were just 10 years ago. A new paper says that if we installed them on 50 percent of roofs, we could meet all the world's yearly electric needs.

By Siddharth Joshi, James Glynn & Shivika Mittal

These new devices may be used in the future to absorb more of the sun's energy than today's solar panels are capable of collecting.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Sweden puts less than 1 percent of its household trash into landfills, in part because it burns nearly half to generate heat and electricity.

By Patrick J. Kiger

China, the world's largest emitter of CO2, is making steps to combat those emissions by creating the world's largest floating solar panel farm.

By John Perritano

Some scientists are proposing a massive array of wind-powered pumps to bring more Arctic water to the surface, so it can freeze and thicken existing sea ice.

By Patrick J. Kiger

A French company has created a miniature wind turbine that looks like a tree and could provide enough energy for a house.

By Patrick J. Kiger

These days, it seems everyone is "going green." From individuals to businesses, everyone is looking for ways to be more sustainable and environmentally-friendly. But is green tech the way of the future or just another fad?

By Beth Brindle

The rising cost and projected scarcity of fossil fuels has people talking. But finding a new power source and developing an infrastructure will be costly and challenging. Will we still be using gasoline in 2050?

By Jonathan Strickland

What if you could make solar cells that were cheaper, smaller and more efficient? In theory, nano flakes could help you do that, if the technology ever gets off the ground.

By Jacob Silverman

There are two main ways of generating energy from the sun. But one -- solar thermal technology -- is really poised to take off as a clean, reliable form of alternative energy.

By Maria Trimarchi

Cellulosic ethanol can be made from any old stem, leaf or tree trunk. Farm wastes, grass clippings and recycled newspaper will work, too. So when can we expect this alternative fuel to arrive at gas stations?

By Susan L. Nasr

Gasification could represent a second chance for coal. Will this old technology, which can run on coal or biomass, get a new life as one of the most important energy alternatives of the future?

By William Harris

That's not just any mud. That's a fossil fuel that's stashed away in huge quantities in deposits all over the Earth's crust. Could that frozen fuel also heat up the planet?

By William Harris

Solar energy is clean and plentiful. There's one big problem, though: The sun doesn't shine all the time. Is there a way to keep solar plants powered up through the night?

By Julia Layton

You know what geothermal energy is -- heat from the Earth. Could a new twist on geothermal power help countries achieve energy independence?

By Susan L. Nasr

Plants produce energy so perfectly: converting sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into power and emitting nothing harmful in the process. Can we imitate such an elegant system?

By Julia Layton