MIT researchers may have found a cheap way to store photovoltaic power; vertical farming is on the ride; and walking for fun and profit.

‘Major discovery’ from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Thursday published a report claiming a breakthrough in energy storage which could prove genuinely game-changing. Researchers have discovered a photosynthesis-inspired process which allows electricity generated by solar panels to split water into its hydrogen and oxygen components. These could be later burned or recombined in a fuel cell to produce energy. The MIT process utilizes a non-toxic catalyst to achieve the gas-splitting reaction. Storing solar photovoltaic power has been a chief obstacle to its widespread adoption. (MIT)

Vertical Farm Plans Keeps Growing: Verticla farming continues to create interest as an alternative tp the sprawling farm system which now produces most of our food. The Big Think Blog features a video interview with Columbia University professor Dickson Despommier, discussing the basics of multi-story vertical farming in urban areas — alongside the people who will eventually consume the food. New York, Oregon, and Toronto are all considering pilot vertical farming projects. (Big Think Blog)

Michigan solar car team wins 2,400-mile race: A University of Michigan team took first place as solar-powered vehicles raced from Texas to Canada. Fifteen teams vied for honors in this year’s North American Solar Challenge. Michigan’s fully solar, ultralight design burned through the 2,400 mile course in under 52 hours. Team members attribute their car’s performance to its expensive-but-efficient battery of gallium arsenide multi-junction photovoltaic cells. Most other entries used standard silicone panels. (CNN)

From now on, windowpanes will power your PCs and cell phones: A Japanese team has created residential grade in-window solar cells efficient enough to create 70 watts of electricity per square meter of glass. The see through cells both generate power and shade rooms from direct heating. According to CrunchGear, the panels still might be intended for private homes — but they’re still crazy expensive. Expect to pay about $1,900 per square meter of window panel. (CrunchGear)

America’s Most Walkable Neighborhoods: Walking may low on the list of environmental technologies — but now there’s a high-tech way for planning walking routes and browsing the environment. Walk Score catalogs essential services within an easy walk of any mappable address. It will also do route planning. How’d we do here at EcoTech Daily? Not so well: our community scored an embarrassing 38 out of 100 possible points, ranking it as “car dependent.” Let everyone know how your town fares!