A little bit of grid data goes a long solar power way
NREL has found that pre-applications for systems 500 kWAC and greater in Massachusetts were correlated with a 24% increase in interconnection service agreements approved – although complexities make proof of causation difficult.
Utility scale solar power plus lithium ion storage cost breakdown
NREL has released an inaugural report highlighting utility scale energy storage costs with various methods of tying it to solar power: co-located or not, and DC- vs AC-coupled.
Floating PV technical potential is 10% of U.S. generation
While a national lab report on floating PV did not estimate its economic potential, the report suggests the most promising markets could be reservoirs in areas with high land costs for ground-mounted solar, and reservoirs with grid-connected hydropower or high evaporation rates.
Higher module efficiencies and inverters driving solar power cost declines
NREL’s Q1 2018 cost report for solar power systems saw a 5% drop in residential costs and a 2.6% fall in commercial, but a 1-2% increase in the utility scale space compared to the previous year.
Not for lack of ideas: an interview with NREL’s Dr. Peter Green
In this interview pv magazine talks with the chief research officer at the United States’ foremost clean energy laboratory about the work that NREL has been doing, and what to expect for the future of electricity and transportation.
U.S. utilities test distributed energy management
Distributed energy management systems can capture added value from solar and storage by shaving peak loads, providing grid services, and deferring grid investments. Utilities testing such systems have shared their lessons learned, while Western Australia leapfrogs ahead.
Room for residential solar to reach 41 GW by 2025
A new analysis by Credit Suisse forecasts that installed residential solar capacity could grow more than 3x to reach 41 GW by 2025, and shows that there is plenty of space on rooftops to do this.
Solar module lifetime predictions are getting better
NREL has proposed a new methodology for determining solar module degradation rates, taking into account measurement challenges such as sensor drift, inverter nuances, soiling and others – keeping the focus on the solar modules themselves.
Operating solar with reserve capacity enables more solar on the grid
A solar plant can increase its output by starting from a curtailment status and then reducing curtailment. If grid operators schedule in advance both solar curtailment and increased solar output, the cost-saving level of solar increases substantially.
Scientists give solar PV a paint job
Researchers and Berkeley Lab have discovered a shade of blue – dating back to ancient Egypt – which has impressive qualities they say could reduce building energy consumption and boost solar energy output. Meanwhile, NREL has developed a perovskite cell material that could be applied to a substrate using a paintbrush.
