With catalysts created by an MIT chemist, sunlight can turn water into hydrogen. If the process can scale up, it could make solar power a dominant source of energy.

The French carmaker doubts that hybrids can reduce emissions sufficiently.

A startup is selling cylindrical solar cells that can generate more power than conventional panels.

Solyndra, a startup based in Fremont, CA, has developed a novel type of solar panel that's cheaper to install and produces more power than conventional panels.

Thin but efficient solar cells use one-tenth the silicon of conventional cells.

New materials for high-performance cells could make solar power affordable.

A cheap new way to attach mirrors to silicon yields very efficient solar cells that don't cost much to manufacture. The technique could lead to solar panels that produce electricity for the average price of electricity in the United States.

Integrating solar cells into building materials could make solar power more attractive to homeowners.

In an effort to promote the adoption of solar technology, United Solar Ovonic of Auburn Hills, MI, has teamed with a major roofing company to create a metal roof system that generates electricity from sunlight. The partnership offers seven different prefabricated systems, ranging in capacity from 3 to 120 kilowatts. Tests show that the solar roof panels are rugged and can withstand winds in excess of 160 miles per hour.

A new material could cheaply convert sunlight into hydrogen.

As he pulls away from the headquarters of Tesla Motors in San Carlos, CA, JB Straubel apologizes for the condition of the car. The outside looks fine, a gleaming orange. But inside, instruments dangle from the dashboard. A message scrawled on blue masking tape warns that the passenger's-side air bag is disabled. A bell chimes mysteriously. The car had been shipped to England and subjected to vibration tests designed to "shake it apart and kill it," Straubel says.

A new solar panel could lower costs and improve efficiency.

By changing the way that conventional silicon solar panels are made, Day4 Energy, a startup based in Burnaby, British Columbia, has found a way to cut the cost of solar power by 25 percent, says George Rubin, the company's president.

A startup reports progress on a battery that stores more energy than lithium-ion ones.

A Texas startup says that it has taken a big step toward high-volume production of an ultracapacitor-based energy-storage system that, if claims hold true, would far outperform the best lithium-ion batteries on the market.