Battling corrosion to keep solar panels humming
Sue Holmes for Phys.org: People think of corrosion as rust on cars or oxidation that blackens silver, but it also harms critical electronics and connections in solar panels, lowering the amount of electricity produced.
"It's challenging to predict and even more challenging to design ways to reduce it because it's highly dependent on material and environmental conditions," said Eric Schindelholz, a Sandia National Laboratories materials reliability researcher who studies corrosion and how it affects photovoltaic (PV) system performance.
Sandia researchers from different departments collaborate to accelerate corrosion under controlled conditions and use what they learn to help industry develop longer-lasting PV panels and increase reliability. For example, work by Olga Lavrova of Sandia's Photovoltaic and Distributed Systems Integration department demonstrated, for the first time, a link between corrosion and the risk of arc faults in PV systems' electrical connections. Research by Erik Spoerke of Sandia's Electronic, Optical and Nano Materials department focuses on developing new nanocomposite films that could dramatically increase reliability. Cont'd...
Battling corrosion to keep solar panels humming
Sue Holmes for Phys.org: People think of corrosion as rust on cars or oxidation that blackens silver, but it also harms critical electronics and connections in solar panels, lowering the amount of electricity produced.
"It's challenging to predict and even more challenging to design ways to reduce it because it's highly dependent on material and environmental conditions," said Eric Schindelholz, a Sandia National Laboratories materials reliability researcher who studies corrosion and how it affects photovoltaic (PV) system performance.
Sandia researchers from different departments collaborate to accelerate corrosion under controlled conditions and use what they learn to help industry develop longer-lasting PV panels and increase reliability. For example, work by Olga Lavrova of Sandia's Photovoltaic and Distributed Systems Integration department demonstrated, for the first time, a link between corrosion and the risk of arc faults in PV systems' electrical connections. Research by Erik Spoerke of Sandia's Electronic, Optical and Nano Materials department focuses on developing new nanocomposite films that could dramatically increase reliability. Cont'd...
Liquid Air Energy Storage
Ultimately, useable large-scale renewables require useable large-scale storage. Highview has developed Liquid Air Energy Storage as a cost effective solution to high-power, long-duration storage that is geographically locatable to where it is needed, and cost-competitive.
WWEA AND INTERSOLAR EUROPE WILL TEAM UP AND CO-HOST THE WORLD SMALL WIND CONFERENCE
The most important international forum for the small wind industry will take place during the Intersolar Europe exhibition in Munich
Researchers investigate mechanics of lithium sulfides, which show promise as solid electrolytes.
Most batteries are composed of two solid, electrochemically active layers called electrodes, separated by a polymer membrane infused with a liquid or gel electrolyte. But recent research has explored the possibility of all-solid-state batteries, in which the liquid (and potentially flammable) electrolyte would be replaced by a solid electrolyte, which could enhance the batteries energy density and safety.
Saudi Arabia Plans the World's Cheapest Power With Solar and Wind
Wael Mahdi for Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia will award its first tender to build 700 megawatts of solar and wind energy in September, with the cost of power forecast to be the lowest in the world, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said.
OPEC’s biggest oil producer plans to build 300 megawatts of solar plants in the al-Jouf area in northern Saudi Arabia and 400 megawatts of wind projects in nearby Tabuk, he said. Requests to qualify for bidding will be issued Feb. 20 and bids will be on April 17.
“The terms on renewable contracts will be motivating so that the cost of generating power from these renewable sources will be the lowest in the world,” Al-Falih said Wednesday at a press conference in Riyadh. Cont'd...
Saudi Arabia Plans the World's Cheapest Power With Solar and Wind
Wael Mahdi for Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia will award its first tender to build 700 megawatts of solar and wind energy in September, with the cost of power forecast to be the lowest in the world, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said.
OPEC’s biggest oil producer plans to build 300 megawatts of solar plants in the al-Jouf area in northern Saudi Arabia and 400 megawatts of wind projects in nearby Tabuk, he said. Requests to qualify for bidding will be issued Feb. 20 and bids will be on April 17.
“The terms on renewable contracts will be motivating so that the cost of generating power from these renewable sources will be the lowest in the world,” Al-Falih said Wednesday at a press conference in Riyadh. Cont'd...
Saudi Arabia Plans the World's Cheapest Power With Solar and Wind
Wael Mahdi for Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia will award its first tender to build 700 megawatts of solar and wind energy in September, with the cost of power forecast to be the lowest in the world, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said.
OPEC’s biggest oil producer plans to build 300 megawatts of solar plants in the al-Jouf area in northern Saudi Arabia and 400 megawatts of wind projects in nearby Tabuk, he said. Requests to qualify for bidding will be issued Feb. 20 and bids will be on April 17.
“The terms on renewable contracts will be motivating so that the cost of generating power from these renewable sources will be the lowest in the world,” Al-Falih said Wednesday at a press conference in Riyadh. Cont'd...
Massive wind turbine takes energy generation record
John Anderson for NewAtlas: A behemoth V164 offshore wind turbine from Danish company MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has produced almost 216,000 kWh over a 24-hour period during tests at its site near Østerild, Denmark in December. In doing so, the 9 MW prototype – a reworked version of the V164-8.0 MW, which was initially developed in 2012 and launched two years later – takes the energy generation record for a commercially available offshore wind turbine.
Since its launch in 2014, the Usain Bolt of wind turbines is essentially in competition with itself, largely due to its superior size over the competition. The V164 stands at 722 feet (220 m) at full height, with 38-ton blades that are 263 feet (80 m) in length for a total sweep area of 227,377 square feet (21,124 square meters) – larger than the giant London Eye Ferris wheel. Cont'd...
Transactional Templates for Renewable Energy Contracts
The two new tools, a Request for Proposal (RFP) template and a Term Sheet template, aim to bring standardization to the corporate market for offsite renewables, and to serve as a starting point for companies still learning about the ins-and-outs of the transaction process.
New York's Quixotic Services Designs High-power 'Solar Wall' For Urban Health Plan in the Bronx
Unlike most rooftop systems, the 37kW array has been installed on the side of the building - a "solar wall" that will optimize the facilitys clean energy production and save money for critical community healthcare services.
Solar as a Service Providers Should Focus on Unlocking Value Otherwise Unavailable to Customers, According to Navigant Research
To survive, solar leasing providers could transform into virtual power plant providers and benefit from new revenue streams, report finds
CLOSE COLLABORATION BETWEEN FRANCE AND GERMANY AT INTERSOLAR EUROPE 2017
France presents itself as a leading European growth market for solar energy
America is torn apart by partisan politics-except when it comes to buying solar power
Michael J. Coren for Quartz: We are all one when it comes to getting cheap power from the sun. Amidst the political rancor roiling the United States, one bright spot is home solar power installation. It keeps going up, and a study by PowerScout, a company that helps people switch to renewable energy, finds that to be true for households on both sides of the political divide.
PowerScout used machine-learning algorithms and satellite imagery to detect rooftop solar panels on the homes of 1.5 million political donors in 20 states. In mature solar markets like California and Hawaii, Republicans and Democrats install solar at nearly equal rates, says Eric Roberts of PowerScout. In more nascent markets, Democrats have slightly higher installation rates than Republicans. These findings hold throughout the country. Cont'd...
EnergySage Releases Findings of 2016 Solar Installer Survey
EnergySage released today the results of its second annual Solar Installer Survey, the largest and most comprehensive business climate survey of solar companies nationwide. The report captures key observations of local, regional and national solar installers in both residential and commercial markets. More than 360 experienced solar installers across the United States responded to the survey, which was fielded and authored by EnergySage in partnership with pv magazine.
Among the central findings, over half of solar companies surveyed (53%) report that their largest obstacle in closing sales is the confusion created by their competitors and its impact on consumer confidence overall. Similarly, the survey reflects an increasing trend noted in last year's report: customer acquisition has become more challenging due to increased competition and consumers reviewing more quotes before buying. However, the study also reveals that installer confidence levels have increased nationwide in the last year. Full Press Release:
Records 3766 to 3780 of 39949
First | Previous | Next | Last
Featured Product
FLIR PV KIT - Solar Troubleshooting Kit for Photovoltaic Systems
FLIR PV kits are designed to assess the performance, safety, and efficiency of residential, commercial, and industrial solar panels and photovoltaic systems. PV kits from FLIR help you diagnose faults and potential failures and ensure optimal energy production, system longevity, and compliance with industry standards. With a PV kit from FLIR, you'll be perfectly equipped for any solar installation or repair.
