News Release: NREL Details Great Potential for Floating PV Systems

While the United States was the first to demonstrate floating PV panels--with the first installation occurring 10 years ago on pontoons on an irrigation pond in Napa Valley, California--the idea has not received widespread national acceptance.

Better Explanation of Coalescence-Related Defects Garners Journal Spotlight

New paper aids researchers in understanding defects in coalescing materials, helping to develop low-cost substrates for solar cells.

Costs Continue to Decline for Residential and Commercial Photovoltaics in 2018

Two new reports from NREL track the evolving costs of PV and establish a new cost benchmark for PV-plus-storage.

NREL Expands Research in Geothermal and Solar Desalination

NREL scientists have a long history of successfully analyzing geothermal and solar energy data. But they are now actively researching desalination capabilities by partnering with technology leaders on several groundbreaking projects. The purpose is to explore geothermal and solar-thermal technologies for creating fresh water from otherwise unusable water.

News Release: NREL Awarded $2.8M from ARPA-E to Develop Low-Cost Thermal Energy Storage

News Release: NREL Identifies Where New Solar Technologies Can Be Flexible

Opportunity exists for thin-film photovoltaic and emerging technologies notable for being lightweight and flexible, according to scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

REopt Lite Adds New Energy Optimization Capabilities with Wind, Custom Rate Tariff, Critical Load Builder, and User Dashboard Features

The REopt Lite web tool's new wind optimization module lets building owners and energy managers evaluate the economic viability of grid-connected wind at a site, in addition to solar photovoltaics and battery storage.

For Work on High Efficiency Photovoltaics, Dan Friedman Named APS Fellow

Dan Friedman, manager of NREL's High Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics Group, has been elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society for this work on III-V semiconductor physics and multijunction photovoltaic science, including numerous device efficiency records.

New III-V Device Concept Combines Two Structures for Lower-Cost Impact, More Applications

NREL has recently combined two structures of III-V materials into one, providing a "two-for-the-price-of-one" benefit. The combination enables novel, potentially record-setting, multijunction solar cells.

NREL Inks a Future for Perovskites

Painting Solar Cells Provides New Path to Market