Panasonic claims 16% efficiency for lightweight perovskite solar module
The device has an area of 802cm² and thickness of 2mm. The manufacturer claims it improved module performance through an inkjet coating method and a reduction in weight by using thin glass substrates.
Dirt-eating solar panel coating wins government funding
Swift Coat has won a $1 million grant from the DOE to develop a solar glass coating that combines industry standard anti-reflective properties with photocatalytic titanium dioxide that breaks down organic materials on solar modules, potentially increasing energy generation by 3% over standard panels.
Tri-State to add more than 700 MW of solar by 2024
Tri-State Generation and Transmission has revealed new aspects of its Responsible Energy Plan, including the addition of 1 GW of wind and solar by 2024 and a 90% carbon emission reduction from Colorado-based generation by 2030.
World record efficiency for Longi’s PERC mono, Jinko’s p-type PERC and bifacial solar panels
Solar module efficiency records continue to fall. Longi claims a 22.38% efficiency world record for a PERC mono panel, while Jinko has achieved conversion efficiencies of 21.82% and 22.49% for its p-type PERC and n-type HOT bifacial panels, respectively.
Morning Brief: Virginia fills third-party pilot, S.C. House calls for Santee Cooper to go clean
Hello one and all and welcome to the first morning brief of your work week. Today we have BoxPower delivering microgrids to earthquake-affected communities in Puerto Rico, and Sullivan Power winning an award for its UC Irvine installation.
Dan Shugar, NEXTracker CEO, on solar trackers in wind and the terror of torsional galloping
In the final part of our interview, Dan Shugar, goes into detail about a subject NEXTracker has studied in depth — static and dynamic evaluation of wind impacts on single-axis trackers. We include video of trackers (and a bridge) caught galloping in the wind.
Kresge Foundation backs solar+storage for buildings housing low-income residents
To help safeguard residents’ health and comfort during an extended power outage, a new program will provide loan guarantees for solar+storage installations that could keep cooling systems, medical equipment and refrigerators running.
Hawaiian Electric plans for 70% renewables by late 2020s, exceeding targets
To integrate an increasing percentage of renewables, Hawaiian Electric has turned to a standard solar+storage framework, matching all new solar capacity with an equal capacity of storage with four-hour duration.
A desert solar farm can actually improve desert tortoise habitat
With tortoise-sized openings at the bottom of the fence, and improved growth of plants vital to tortoise survival, a solar farm in Nevada can provide better habitat than the surrounding desert. First Solar found similar habitat gains in California.
Not just for outer space: NREL has a path to cheaper GaAs solar cells
A team at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has come up with a new process that would reduce the production cost of highly expensive – and highly efficient – gallium arsenide cells.
