Alternative Energy White Papers

In recent years energy storage has emerged as a key ally for the renewables industry, allowing excess production to be stored and sold when market conditions are favorable. And while the addition of batteries to renewable projects was originally a costly exercise, a rapid fall in the price of lithium-ion battery technologies now means solar and wind plants can be equipped with significant levels of energy storage and still remain competitive.

The robust design fully supports the array weight ensuring that all loads flow from the modules down through the racking system and into the ground – without placing secondary stresses into the modules or depending on the modules to brace the system. By protecting the most important component of your solar system, the solar power modules, Solar FlexRack safeguards solar project budgets.

Environmental monitoring is critical to optimizing the efficiency of solar power generation. Beginning with site assessment, on-site meteorological monitoring factors into overall project performance and ROI. Weather stations provide reliable data on parameters such as solar radiation, wind speed and direction, temperature, and precipitation that influence location and efficiency of solar panels.

Design, equipment, fields of application: Many things have changed with quadrupole mass spectrometers (QMS) over the last 30 years. They have become more compact, durable, versatile and digital. Initially used primarily in research, QMS are nowadays utilized in the semiconductor industry, freeze-drying or leak detection, for example.

Dive into the three phases of the 51st State Initiative that initiated the creation of novel ideas for a better energy future. As a capstone to the 51st State Initiative, this paper captures the evolution of thinking through the initiative’s phases.

Developed by the SEIA Quality Assurance Working Group, this document was designed to update installation best practices originally developed by the Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group organized by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and is intended to be updated as proper protocol dictates. The primary intention of this document is to provide recommended best practices to facilitate high-quality and consistent residential solar projects. The broader objective in developing and maintaining this document is to build confidence among potential solar customers, regulators, investors, rating agencies, and other stakeholders in the concept that residential solar systems are a valuable home improvement, a consistent and long-term electric generating resource, and credit-worthy investment asset class.

Key data highlighted in the white paper includes more than five years of outdoor weathering at 3M’s state-of-the-art, geographically diverse test locations (3 outdoor sites representing 3 distinct climates). The data shows virtually no film degradation and most importantly, consistent optical performance of the film and electrical output of the test modules.

Lightweight, durable plastic composites are continuing to replace steel, aluminum, and fiberglass in the manufacturing of outdoor products. Innovative new developments and refinements have further expanded the performance spectrum of plastics in recent years, particularly for use in electrical and electronic components. Consequently, plastic components are becoming more common in PV solar mounting systems.

With billions of dollars invested and gigawatts of solar installed every month, savvy investors and owners understand that to maximize financial returns and optimize solar power plant performance, a well-thought-out plan for a complete operations and maintenance (O&M) program must be baked into the economics of any project before the first boots hit the ground. Single-axis trackers (SATs) have become increasingly popular because of the higher energy yield they produce compared to fixed-tilt systems. This white paper discusses and analyzes the factors to consider when evaluating tracker technologies from an O&M perspective.

With so many competing interests and limited time, fulfilling the responsibilities of a solar energy professional is becoming more challenging. With those increasing pressures in mind, we partnered with experts and technicians across the country to collect resources that colleagues in your industry are using to make their lives easier. We compiled this list and want to share these resources with you.