Technology

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has been awarded $35 million in funding from NASA to improve the company’s commercial solution that produces silicon from lunar regolith. The U.S. space agency’s first efforts to build solar cells based on lunar regolith date back to 2005.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers continue their quest to accommodate growing electric vehicle and infrastructure demands.

With reduced use and improved recovery of critical materials, PV system deployment will become less dependent on supply chain limitations and can sustain the expected growth in clean energy.

In one Florida town, NREL researchers worked with local stakeholders and community members to develop a guide for installing solar panels on churches and other commercial-scale buildings across the state. 

Researchers in Canada have found that nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) with on-site solar energy generation should not exceed an energy use intensity (EUI) of 50 kWh/m2a, which they said corresponds to a maximum of 10 floors. They also ascertained that the maximum permitted EUI by net-zero energy status is 17 to 28 kWh/m2a.

PG&E will coordinate resources like rooftop solar, electric vehicles and energy storage in partnership with Schneider Electric.

Solar modules are evaluated in the Renewable Energy Test Center annual PV Module Index.

Also on the rise: How will the latest change to net metering impact solar adoption in California? Solar contractor tool helps quote roofing and solar in one. And more.

Georgia Institute of Technology researchers used aluminum foil-based negative electrodes with engineered microstructures in an all-solid-state lithium-ion cell configuration. They have reported hundreds of stable cycles with practically relevant areal capacities at high current densities.

Also on the rise: Array Technologies to secure domestically made steel from new mill in Texas. Separator tech to prevent battery fires. And more.