Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
Scientists in China did a new test. They put solar panels deep under the sea. The panels went down 10 meters. That is under the South China Sea.
The solar panels are a special kind. They are called perovskite solar cells. The scientists put them near the Weizhou Islands. They used underwater robots to help test them.
The test lasted two hours. The panels made 324 megawatt hours of energy. That energy can charge batteries. The batteries are called lithium ion batteries.
The scientists think the panels can work for about 5.5 years underwater. One day, panels like this could power cameras and sensors deep in the ocean. Ships and cables would not be needed.
- solar panel
- A flat device that turns sunlight into electricity.
- underwater
- Below the surface of water.
- meter
- A unit used to measure length or depth.
- energy
- The power needed to make things work or move.
- battery
- A small object that stores electricity.
- robot
- A machine that can do tasks on its own.
- test
- An activity done to see if something works.
- sensor
- A device that notices things like light, heat, or motion.
Level 2 — Elementary
A new study shows that solar panels can keep working even when they are placed deep underwater. Chinese researchers tested the panels 10 meters below the surface of the South China Sea, near the Weizhou Islands.
The panels are made from a material called lead halide perovskite. Researchers connected the panels to underwater robots so they could test how the panels perform in real ocean conditions, not just in a lab.
During a two hour test, the submerged panels generated 324 megawatt hours of energy. That was enough to charge lithium ion batteries, the kind used in phones, laptops, and many other devices.
The research team believes the panels could keep working continuously at that depth for about 5.5 years. If that is true, this technology could one day power ocean sensors, underwater cameras, and communication equipment far from land, without needing constant battery changes or a long cable running back to shore.
- submerged
- Completely covered by water.
- perovskite
- A type of crystal material used to build certain solar cells.
- generate
- To produce or create something, such as energy.
- megawatt hour
- A unit used to measure a large amount of electrical energy.
- lithium ion battery
- A common type of rechargeable battery used in phones and laptops.
- continuously
- Without stopping.
- equipment
- Tools or devices used for a particular purpose.
- conditions
- The circumstances or environment in which something happens.
Level 3 — Intermediate
A study published on September 11, 2026, in the journal Joule provides new evidence that solar cells can function while fully submerged, showing they can operate 10 meters below the surface of the South China Sea. The research was carried out by a team of Chinese scientists who deployed the panels off the Weizhou Islands.
The panels used in the study are built from lead halide perovskite, a material that has drawn growing interest in the solar industry. Rather than testing the technology in a controlled laboratory setting, the researchers integrated the panels with underwater robots, allowing them to evaluate performance under genuine ocean conditions.
Over a two hour submerged test, the panels generated 324 megawatt hours of energy, enough to charge lithium ion batteries. Based on these results, the researchers estimate that the cells could operate continuously at a depth of 10 meters for approximately 5.5 years, a figure that suggests real durability rather than a brief laboratory success.
Study author Wen-Hua Zhang noted that very few studies have examined underwater solar cells, and the handful that exist were limited to very shallow water of 2 meters or less, conditions far removed from the realities of the open ocean. If the technology scales successfully, it could eventually supply power to submerged sensors, cameras, and communication equipment operating far from land, removing the need for frequent battery replacement or a cable connection running back to shore.
- deployed
- Put into position for a particular purpose or use.
- integrated
- Combined or connected so that parts work together as a whole.
- evaluate
- To judge or determine the value or performance of something.
- durability
- The ability of something to last a long time without failing.
- scales
- Grows or expands to a larger size or wider use.
- removed
- Taken away or eliminated.
- communication equipment
- Devices used to send and receive information or signals.
- shallow
- Not deep; close to the surface.
Level 4 — Advanced
A study published on September 11, 2026, in the journal Joule offers compelling evidence that photovoltaic technology need not be confined to dry land or shallow water, demonstrating that solar cells can operate reliably while fully submerged 10 meters beneath the surface of the South China Sea. The research, conducted by a team of Chinese scientists off the Weizhou Islands, marks a meaningful departure from the limited scope of earlier underwater solar experiments.
Central to the study are lead halide perovskite solar cells, a material class that has attracted considerable attention for its efficiency and relatively low manufacturing cost. Rather than confining the experiment to a laboratory tank, the researchers integrated the cells with underwater robots, allowing performance to be assessed under authentic marine conditions rather than an artificial approximation of them.
Across a two hour submerged trial, the cells generated 324 megawatt hours of energy, sufficient to charge lithium ion batteries, and the researchers project that the technology could sustain continuous operation at that depth for roughly 5.5 years. Study author Wen-Hua Zhang observed that the field has been sparsely studied, with existing research confined to depths of 2 meters or less, conditions that bear little resemblance to the pressures, light attenuation, and biofouling risks of the open ocean.
Should the approach prove scalable, its implications extend well beyond a single proof of concept. Submerged sensors, cameras, and communication equipment stationed far from land currently depend on periodic battery replacement or costly cabling to shore. A durable, self sustaining underwater power source would remove both constraints, potentially reshaping how researchers and industries monitor and communicate across remote stretches of ocean.
- photovoltaic
- Relating to the direct conversion of light into electricity.
- compelling
- Convincing or persuasive.
- authentic
- Genuine and true to reality, not artificial.
- attenuation
- The gradual weakening or reduction of something, such as light passing through water.
- biofouling
- The buildup of organisms such as algae or barnacles on a surface underwater.
- scalable
- Capable of being expanded or applied on a much larger scale.
- sustain
- To keep something going over a period of time.
- implications
- The likely effects or consequences of a finding or action.
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