As the world seeks alternatives to fossil fuels, scientists, entrepreneurs and government leaders are pushing to develop cheap, clean energy.
Wind-harnessing turbines are increasingly found in many parts of the world. Solar panels can be seen on more and more rooftops as budget and energy-conscious homeowners take advantage of government subsidies for renewable energy sources.
However, renewable energy has yet to reach the level of increased efficiency and lower cost needed to compete with fossil fuels. With this in mind, researchers at Ohio State University recently announced their creation of a new hybrid device that can act both as a solar cell, producing energy from sunlight, and as a battery storing that energy.
The new device, the brainchild of Dr. Yiying Wu, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, may overcome some limitations in both solar cell and battery technology. They published their results in the journal Nature Communicationsearlier this month.
via Singularity Hub
