Some solar panels only produce electricity when the sun is shining, but scientists believe they may have a solution to change that. Scientists have made carbon nanotubes which are thin layers of carbon rolled into small tubes that absorb solar radiation and store it. It can only generate heat, not electricity, but in the near future scientists believe they can change that. It's a vast improvement over not being able to use anything when the sun isn't shining. According to Defense, the MIT/Harvard team is currently examining other types of photoswitching and underlying layers to possibly increase the amount of energy the carbon nanotubes can retain. The use of solar panels in winter climates is also the same: if snow covers the solar panel, the efficiency of the panel is significantly reduced. The solar panel would still work but it wouldn't work efficiently enough. This problem can be solved with a tracker, which is a device that tilts and moves towards the sun, which improves efficiency but costs tens of thousands of dollars. So places like Michigan that cause a problem in the winter time, but when it's 30 degrees or below and it's sunny outside, solar panels tend to work better. Solar panels are built to withstand the most extreme weather conditions and last up to twenty or thirty years or more with annual cleaning and maintenance. Solar panels are very resistant and