21st Century Innovative Technologies and Developments as also discoveries, curiosity ( insolite)...

Caltech isn’t the only organization that has become interested in solar power stations. The Chinese government is planning a 2028 mission to demonstrate the technology in low Earth orbit. And last November, science ministers in the E.U. greenlit Solaris, a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and aerospace company Airbus to look into the possibility of building gigantic solar power stations in geostationary orbit over Europe. (Whether intentional or not, the linkage to the world of mid-century sci-fi remains, with the project sharing the title of Stanislaw Lem’s classic 1961 novel.)

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Scientists have discovered a way to store solar energy for several years without the need for electronic components.

After studying a type of crystalline material commonly used for desalinating or filtering water, researchers at the Lancaster University realised it was an extremely effective method of capturing and storing the sun’s energy.

The breakthrough paves the way for a whole new range of applications where batteries or other existing technologies are either impractical or too expensive. 

The material could be used as a coating on buildings to store summer energy that can then be released as heat in the winter, for example.

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