A guide to help homeowners understand how to go solar
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory published an open access guide to rooftop solar and battery energy storage that covers costs, incentives, policies and more.
New quantum solar cell material promises external quantum efficiency of 190%
The new material consists of an heterostructure combining germanium, selenium, and tin sulfide, which also integrates atoms of zerovalent copper. It features an average photovoltaic absorption over 80% and could help photovoltaic cells break the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit, according to its creators.
Renewables and storage interconnection backlog grew about 30% last year
The wait for transmission interconnection studies constitutes a “major bottleneck” for solar, storage and wind projects, which accounted for over 95% of all active capacity awaiting studies at the end of 2023, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has reported.
Triple-junction solar cells have technical potential to reach 44.3% efficiency
A research team has investigated the optical properties of perovskite/perovskite/silicon triple-junction cells and has found these devices may have a practical efficiency potential of 44.3% assuming idealized electrical parameters. These cells may also potentially achieve a fill factor of 90.1%.
How safe are LFP batteries?
Researchers found that nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries generate larger specific off-gas volumes, while lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are a greater flammability hazard and show greater toxicity, depending on relative state of charge.
Sunrise brief: Naked Energy to manufacture solar electric plus thermal in U.S.
Also on the rise: New Jersey farm studies agrivoltaics with vertically mounted solar. Solar is beginning to sunset natural gas use in Texas. And more.
Long-duration energy storage innovators receive DOE funding
The Department of Energy Office of Electricity announced recipients of the $15 million in EarthShot funds directed to accelerate development, commercialization and use of next-generation energy storage solutions.
New Jersey farm studies agrivoltaics with vertically mounted solar
Rutgers reports that the vertical system fits well with the aim of the project, which is to study the benefits of agrivoltaics where there is a large energy demand and limited space.
Solar on canals to test potential to conserve land and water in West
Three large projects in California, Utah, and Oregon will cover water reclamation facilities with solar panels, offering co-benefits for both energy production and water conservation.
Livestream shows how eclipse impacts solar power production across the U.S.
The 2024 solar eclipse will bring a few minutes of total darkness to twelve states as it cuts its path from Texas to Maine, and interest in how it will affect solar production brings to light the importance of solar energy on today’s grid.
