Tag: PV modules
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NREL argues for value of ‘watts per kilogram’ in emerging thin-film, flexible solar technology
Rigid silicon solar panels dominate the utility and residential markets, but opportunity exists for thin-film photovoltaic and emerging technologies notable for being lightweight and flexible, according to scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Thin films such as cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium galliumRead More — Solar Builder magazine
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Stanford researchers working on rooftop PV array that also cools buildings efficiently
Stanford electrical engineer Shanhui Fan wants to revolutionize energy-producing rooftop arrays. “We’ve built the first device that one day could make energy and save energy, in the same place and at the same time, by controlling two very different properties of light,” said Fan, senior author of an article appearingRead More — Solar Builder magazine
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Caterpillar to start selling Cat-branded SunPower solar panels through its distribution network
SunPower is now providing high-efficiency SunPower Performance Series (P-Series) solar panels under the Caterpillar brand. Offered as part of the Cat Hybrid Energy Solutions suite, the monocrystalline, shingled-cell Cat PVC395 MP solar panels are currently available through the Cat dealer network in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, and the MiddleRead More — Solar Builder magazine
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Graphite could play a big role in the solar, storage industries
An already burgeoning solar power industry faces another significant boost thanks to one widely used and long-valued material—graphite. Why is that? For one, graphite is crucial to silicon production. Its resistance to extreme heat makes it ideal for manufacturing the crucibles and moulds used to make silicon, as well asRead More — Solar Builder magazine
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Can solar panels reach 50-year lifespans? These researchers are working on it
A team of solar energy researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, has been awarded $1.35 million from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office to continue its work toward increasing the efficiency and lifetime of photovoltaic modules—specifically aimed at pushing their lifespan to 50 years.Read More — Solar Builder magazine