DOE funds $12 million in solar-generation modeling research
Despite some fears that the Department of Energy might stop funding solar research under the leadership of Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, the department continues to provide money for solar research.
Puerto Rico welcomes solar: An interview with San Juan Mayor Yulín Cruz
Three months after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, about half the capital San Juan is still waiting for the lights to come back on. In this interview with journalist Daniella Cheslow, Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz says this is an opportunity for private capital to help transform the city and the territory into a solar laboratory.
NERC: More work needed to integrate wind and solar
The regulatory authority says that while assessment of the capacity contributions of wind and solar is improving, that more work is needed to capture the benefits of such resources, and notes that a lack of visibility into distributed solar represents a new challenge.
Crystalline silicon outpaces thin-film in the U.S. large-scale solar market
U.S. Department of Energy data from 2016 shows crystalline silicon deployment surging last year, while thin-film grows at a more modest pace. Are manufacturing constraints to blame?
GAO: Trump Admin’s attempts to undermine ARPA-E were illegal
After Congress allocated $91 million to the research program, the Department of Energy withheld it. The Government Accountability Office says that violated federal law.
Solar is meeting more than 10% of electric demand in three states
During the first nine months of 2017, Hawaii and Nevada joined California among the club of states that get more than 10% of their power from solar.
Silfab, Morgan Solar JV plans large-scale production in Canada
In a unique partnership, the two Canadian companies are set to integrate low concentration optic technology into standard solar PV modules, in a move which they say will see cost savings of up to 30% and a silicon reduction of up to 80%. A “significant” factory ramp up is underway, with large-scale plans in the pipeline.
National laboratories issue study on growing flexibility and variability of power generators
Lawrence Berkeley and Argonne National Laboratories examine the growth of solar, wind and natural gas power plant operations on wholesale power markets and the impact on nuclear and coal generators.
Market report discusses microgrids past, present and future
A GTM Research report examines the state of existing and future microgrids, including market and geographic segments and the inclusion of PV and other clean energy technologies.
U.S. scientists use hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites to increase solar cell efficiency
Research funded by the US Department of Energy and conducted by the University of Virginia has demonstrated how the rotation of organic molecules in hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites may expand the lifetime of photo-excited charge carriers.
