Apr 04 Watch 5:48 Can solar energy speed Puerto Rico’s recovery? Here’s what it would take By Nsikan Akpan It’s been just over six months since Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico and roughly 150,000 people still do not have power. A string of grassroots efforts aims to jumpstart the grid with solar energy. Science producer Nsikan Akpan explains… Continue watching
Mar 20 Puerto Rico went dark 6 months ago. Could a solar smart grid prevent the next energy disaster? By Nsikan Akpan Making renewables a mainstay in Puerto Rico will require more than solar panels and wind turbines. There's also a monopoly and Congress with which to contend. Continue reading
Feb 20 Watch 6:43 Morocco turns the Sahara desert into a solar energy oasis By Monica Villamizar Morocco says it wants to be the Saudi Arabia of solar energy. Its flagship project is a first-of-its-kind, $9-billion energy plant called Noor, meaning "light" in Arabic, and the size of the city of Paris. Special correspondent Monica Villamizar reports… Continue watching
Dec 06 Watch 9:06 Rethinking the utility company as solar power heats up By William Brangham The plummeting price of solar panels has led to a boom of customers and solar industry jobs. What does it mean for the evolution of utility companies? William Brangham reports. Continue watching
Jan 20 Scientists give Rick Perry mixed grades on his confirmation hearing By Nsikan Akpan Perry vowed to protect scientists at the Department of Energy, but shrugged on the central tenet of climate change policy. Continue reading
May 24 Are solar-powered smartphones on the horizon? By Paul McDougall, Scientific American Gadget makers experiment with translucent solar cells that let touch screens draw energy from the sun, paving the way for solar-powered smartphones. Continue reading
Feb 27 Watch 9:54 Debate over solar rates simmers in the Nevada desert By Sam Weber, Laura Fong The future of home-based solar power is on the line in Nevada, as solar advocates and utility companies debate how to regulate so-called 'net energy metering' rates for customers using solar panels connected to the grid. NewsHour's John Larson reports. Continue watching
Dec 15 Watch How building a better battery would change the game for renewable energy By PBS News Hour Wind can be a bountiful resource in Tehachapi, California, but not necessarily at the right time. There turbines generate the most energy at night, when the wind blows hardest, and the demand is the lowest. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports… Continue watching
Nov 29 A tale of two grid defectors: Why some are quitting electric companies in Hawaii By Saskia de Melker While most people who install solar panels in Hawaii remain tied to the local electrical grid, others have managed to move off the grid completely. Here's how two men became grid defectors, and why they say it's only a matter… Continue reading
Aug 16 Watch 7:02 Switched on: Rooftop solar is on the move again in Hawaii, but for how long? By PBS News Hour Rooftop solar is moving again in Hawaii, where many homeowners have installed rooftop panels to capitalize on federal and state tax credits for using solar energy. Approvals were stalled by the local utility company that worried the abundant users might… Continue watching