‘Personalized solar energy’ era nears


CSA Z462 Arc Flash Training – Electrical Safety Compliance Course

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 6 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$249
Coupon Price:
$199
Reserve Your Seat Today
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist says new discoveries are moving society toward the era of "personalized solar energy."

Professor Daniel Nocera says such an era would involve the focus of electricity production shifting from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities.

Nocera predicts global energy needs will double by mid-century and triple by 2100 due to rising standards of living and world population growth. He said personalized solar energy - the capture and storage of solar energy at the individual or home level - could meet that demand in a sustainable way, especially in poorer areas of the world.

Nocera envisions an innovative catalyst that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen that become fuel for producing electricity in a fuel cell. He says the new oxygen-evolving catalyst works like photosynthesis, producing clean energy from sunlight and water.

"Because energy use scales with wealth, point-of-use solar energy will put individuals, in the smallest village in the non-legacy world and in the largest city of the legacy world, on a more level playing field," he said.

Related News

Schott Powers German Plants with Green Electricity

Schott Green Electricity CPPA secures renewable energy via a solar park in Schleswig-Holstein, supporting decarbonization…
View more

Idaho Power Settlement Could Close Coal Plant, Raise Rates

Idaho Power Valmy Settlement outlines early closure of the North Valmy coal-fired plant in Nevada,…
View more

Electricity subsidies to pulp and paper mills to continue, despite NB Power's rising debt

NB Power Pulp and Paper Subsidies lower electricity rates for six New Brunswick mills using…
View more

Britons could save on soaring bills as ministers plan to end link between gas and electricity prices

UK Electricity-Gas Price Decoupling aims to reform wholesale electricity pricing under the Energy Security Bill,…
View more

BC Hydro Takes Ranchers to Court Over Hydro Line

BC Hydro is suing a ranching family in Vanderhoof, B.C. for blocking access to a…
View more

Spent fuel removal at Fukushima nuclear plant delayed up to 5 years

Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning delay highlights TEPCO's revised timeline, spent fuel removal at Units 1 and…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified