Technology

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a proof of concept for a method to remove polymers from solar panel manufacturing to enable more efficient recycling.

On April 25, 1954, U.S. researchers presented the first prototype of a usable solar module. The efficiency at that time was around 6%. A lot has happened since then.

As the Inflation Reduction Act ramps up clean energy efforts across the U.S. the Biden administration outlines a plan to enhance transmission lines to accommodate more power.

Also on the rise: SunPower to close business units, cut about 26% of workforce. Reconductoring could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035. And more.

Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035 even if transmission in new corridors was limited, found a study by UC Berkeley and GridLab researchers.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has updated its research cell efficiency chart for a range of PV technologies.

Reforms to siting, permitting, and transmission were requested by a coalition of about 200 solar and energy storage companies.

Advanced conductors and energy storage are among the technologies that have substantial potential to increase transmission capacity, says a Department of Energy “liftoff” report.

Research indicates that most neighbors of solar power facilities maintain positive attitudes toward these plants until they exceed 100 MW in capacity or approximately 400 acres.

Also on the rise: Allow solar developers to choose “connect and manage,” says DOE roadmap. Massachusetts city that mandates solar on new buildings celebrates latest success. And more.