Silverman does solar R&D and strategic analysis. His R&D work is about photovoltaic modules and systems, including lab and field performance characterization; failure analysis and accelerated testing; computer simulation of field and accelerated degradation; and diagnostic imaging. His work covers mainstream photovoltaic (PV) technologies, like crystalline silicon and cadmium telluride, and emerging technologies like perovskite PV. For an example, see the NREL Breaks Solar Panels (So Yours Won't) video.

Silverman won the government's highest early-career award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, for uncovering the ways in which some shadows can damage solar panels. His strategic analysis has informeds all aspects of the R&D portfolio of the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office between 2020 and 2021, and the former Advanced Manufacturing Office (now split into the Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office and Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office).

Dr. Silverman has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He has worked on NREL's photovoltaics field performance and reliability team since 2011.

Featured Work

Applications

Comparative Photovoltaics Levelized Cost of Energy Calculator, (2018)

Publications

Solar Energy Technologies Office Multi-Year Program Plan, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (2021)

Solar Futures Study, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2021)

Light and Elevated Temperature Induced Degradation (LeTID) in a Utility-Scale Photovoltaic System, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics (2020)

Research and Development Priorities for Silicon Photovoltaic Module Recycling to Support a Circular Economy, Nature Energy (2020)

Movement of Cracked Silicon Solar Cells During Module Temperature Changes, 46th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialist Conference (2019)

Reducing Operating Temperature in Photovoltaic Modules, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics (2018)

Illuminated Outdoor Luminescence Imaging of Photovoltaic Modules, 44th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialist Conference (2017)

Damage in Monolithic Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules due to Partial Shade, IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics (2016)

Standards

Photovoltaic (PV) Modules – Partial Shade Endurance Testing for Monolithically Integrated Products, International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Specification (2021)