A majority of new solar panels will retain 80% production after 30 years
A five-year Sandia Labs study of new solar module degradation found that 13 of 23 tested module types would have effective lifetimes exceeding 30 years.
Idaho utility plans to slash rooftop solar net metering 60%
An independent study found critical issues with Idaho Power’s analysis of the value of rooftop solar and says it fails to quantify important benefits of distributed solar that are known and measurable.
New York Governor Hochul announces $319 million dry pump facility
This investment helps secure domestic supply chains for an essential component in the solar cell manufacturing process.
Federal agencies are pursuing 37 R&D areas to help reach climate goals
A net-zero power grid with electrification is a priority area for research and development, says an interagency assessment, with R&D needed to advance distribution systems, transmission planning, long duration energy storage, and use of highways for transmission.
Missouri hunting retailer expected to save $4.5 million with rooftop solar array
MidwayUSA’s new 300,000 square foot facility is topped with a 1.6 MW project developed by EnergyLink.
California set to release anti-rooftop solar net metering plan
Previous drafts of the plan slashed the value of rooftop solar blaming rich solar-owning Californians for a utility cost shift to less wealthy residents. A new study by Berkeley Labs showed that middle-income and working-class Californians were by far the largest buyers of rooftop residential solar.
PV as energy infrastructure – technology renaissance or marketing hype?
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has, in effect, launched PV and energy storage professionals into the Energy Infrastructure business. The question becomes, “What is PV and energy storage as Infrastructure and what does it mean to all energy stakeholders, not just the energy private sector?”
Underground heat exchanger to cool down solar panels
Spanish scientists have built a cooling system featuring heat exchangers on solar panels and U-shape heat exchangers installed in a borehole at a depth of 15 meters. The researchers claim that this reduces panel temperatures by up to 17%, while improving performance by about 11%.
Utility-scale solar construction costs halve 2013 averages, while wind and natural gas are relatively flat
Utility-scale solar projects used to cost nearly $4,000 per kW to build in 2013. By 2020, they fell to $1,655 per kW.
Utility-scale solar slowed in Q3 2022
Solar had its slowest quarter in two years in terms of deployment, hampered by global supply challenges that slowed growth, delayed projects, and drove up prices.
