Scientists in China have developed an innovative solar panel technology that could turn raindrops into electric power. The new solar cell design, which can be “triggered” by both rain and sun, is described in a paper published in the Angewandte Chemie journal.

Places that may have previously been seen as an unlikely power source are now possible with the advent of smarter solar. The future of solar energy will no longer be confined to rooftops or vast flat landscapes- it may just be popping up in some very unexpected places.

A New Jersey private school is putting its funding to good use and going green for their energy. The Villa Victoria Academy recently activated the 658 solar photovoltaic panels which now sit proudly atop the schools classrooms.

The Solar Council of Australia has ranked every electorate in the nation for their uptake of solar panels and found that it is not just ‘middle-class’ Aussies who are using the technology.