BEIJING, 28th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Researchers have successfully tested solar panels at underwater depths previously considered impractical for the technology, a development that could eventually keep underwater equipment running for longer without relying just on batteries.
Designed to capture the wavelengths of sunlight that can pass through seawater, the panels generated power from sunlight at a depth of 10 metres during a two-hour trial near the Weizhou Islands, off the southern coast of China. Lab tests suggest that they could operate continuously for years, too.
The research, published in the science journal Joule, takes underwater solar well beyond previous studies, which have focused on depths of just two metres or less.
One of the biggest obstacles to generating solar power underwater is that much of the sun's energy is absorbed or scattered by the water. But blue and green light can reach greater depths, prompting the researchers to develop solar cells designed to make the most of it. They used what are known as perovskites, an alternative to the silicon found in most solar panels, which can be adjusted to absorb different wavelengths of light.
In laboratory tests recreating conditions 10 metres underwater, the cells turned around 35 percent of the sunlight that reached them into electricity. The researchers then put bigger versions to the test in the South China Sea. At 10 metres, they generated 324 milliwatt-hours over two hours – a small amount but still far beyond what the researchers expected.
Based on their tests, the researchers estimate they could operate continuously at 10 metres below the sea for around five and a half years.