Scientists create the first ‘liquid’ solar energy in a bottle — It absorbs sunlight and stores it at the molecular level, outperforming batteries

Liquid solar energy in a bottle sounds almost too good to be true.

In the ever-changing energy industry, new developments regularly change how we view power generation. And the renewable energy market has been a major driver of innovation across the international energy sector over the past few years. So get ready for the latest revolution in clean energy.

How would you feel about ‘liquid’ solar energy powering your home?

How clean energy has become the goal for the majority of the world

As nations around the world have committed to clean energy and emission reduction targets, they have only a few short years to meet their self-imposed end of the decade ambitons for clean energy production.

Energy generation needs to be relatively cheap; it can not cost an arm or a leg.

Solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency. They note that the cost of solar energy has plummeted by 85%.

A couple of years ago, the energy industry reached a critical milestone as 92.5% of all new electricity capacity added to the international grid came from renewables.

Clean energy: The power of our dreams coming into existence

The United Nations describes sustainable energy as the “golden thread” that connects the vast majority of humans in modern-day society.

Some of us have grown weary of the burden of high electricity bills and have opted for a more “disconnected” life from national grids. Instead focusing on a sustainable way of life relying on solar, wind, and even hydropower to light up our homesteads.

The renewable energy sector could provide access to electricity for over 675 million people who still live in the dark.

Some scientists and energy experts have been searching for decades for the next “big thing” in energy generation. Diving deep into the Earth’s crust to search for that elusive energy resource for the world of tomorrow.

Even the remarkable growth of the solar power industry has faced its challenges, especially as new technology is developed around the world.

A new development from UC Santa Barbara may hold the answers to our collective energy needs, and it is remarkable to say the least.

A breakthrough in solar power storage has come to light

Associate Professor Grace Han has led a team of scientists at UC Santa Barbara to develop a truly remarkable breakthrough in solar power storage and delivery.

The team has created a new “rechargeable solar battery” that uses a bio-inspired molecule to store the delicious sunlight as chemical energy. It then subsequently releases the solar power as heat to deliver electricity.

The team engineered a synthetic version of a key structure in our DNA, which changes shape when exposed to UV light to store energy.

The new synthetic pyrimdone has significantly better energy density than that of conventional lithium-ion batteries. Double the density, in fact. The team noted that the new solar battery can store energy for years and release it in such high levels that it could boil water under ambient conditions.

The practical applications of the new solar power battery technology

The astonishing Molecular Solar Thermal system allows for huge quantities of solar energy to be stored for years and eventually released when needed.

It could be used to power residential heating systems in homes and businesses. Or it could enable more of us to disconnect from the national grid. Solar power has become the go-to energy resource for the environmentally-minded, but it does have its limitations and issues that need to be considered.

As new technology in sustainable energy production becomes the norm, the new “solar battery” may enable us to store energy for longer than previously believed with no loss to speak of.