Solar Research News
Explore our archive of solar news stories.
Dec. 18, 2023
Scientists, headed by a team from NREL, found the proliferation of springtime pollen that coated the solar panels reduced performance of the technology at every site.
Nov. 16, 2023
Nine semifinalists have been selected to move on to design phase of the American-Made Heliostat Prize.
Nov. 15, 2023
Seven researchers from NREL and one college professor affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy facility are included on this year's Highly Cited Researchers list.
Oct. 25, 2023
Newly published research is the latest effort by NREL researchers to make III-V solar cells more affordable for terrestrial applications.
Oct. 24, 2023
NREL's 2023 PV Cost Benchmark Report documents the potential cost impacts of Inflation Reduction Act manufacturing tax credits, reports costs for community solar, and presents a new transparent cost model.
Oct. 24, 2023
NREL is preparing to unveil a publicly available Solar Mirror Materials Database (SMMD) database containing the results of exposure experiments on solar reflectors conducted over more than four decades.
Sept. 29, 2023
On Oct. 2, the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office announced seven Stage 1 finalists for the American-Made Solar Data Bounty Prize, with each team receiving a $5,000 cash prize. The seven teams will now move on to Stage 2 to compete for part of $1.4 million in cash prizes.
Sept. 26, 2023
Even as fossil energy still provides most of the world’s electricity, new electricity generating capacity is dominated by renewable energy projects.
Sept. 12, 2023
DOE is launching a new challenge that combines the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize and the Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize, this time expanding the reach to community organizations, manufacturers, nonfederal government entities, and college students.
Sept. 11, 2023
On Sept. 11, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office announced seven finalists for the 2023 Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar, with each team receiving a $2,500 cash prize.
Sept. 11, 2023
Perovskite solar cells should be subjected to a combination of stress tests simultaneously to best predict how they will function outdoors, according to researchers at NREL.
Sept. 7, 2023
In early July, 65 researchers from 16 countries gathered in a quiet town just outside of Grenoble in the northern French Alps.
Sept. 6, 2023
In the darkness of night, NREL is prototyping a new device that could cut time and costs for inspections of solar installations after potentially damaging weather.
Aug. 15, 2023
The new Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database, the development of which was led by NREL, compiles information on materials used in wind and solar power plants.
Aug. 3, 2023
The number of local zoning ordinances governing renewable energy deployment is growing in the United States, according to new research by NREL. The amount of land available to deploy renewables depends on the characteristics of the ordinances.
July 26, 2023
Four communities received funding to support adoption of permitting solution that speeds residential solar adoption.
July 26, 2023
Recent decades of research and development have produced highly sophisticated solar cells that generated more than 1,000 terawatt-hours of electrical energy globally in 2022.
July 19, 2023
Sound waves could play a part in making III-V solar cells more affordable for earth-bound applications, according to newly published research led by scientists at NREL.
July 17, 2023
A bifacial perovskite solar cell, which allows sunlight to reach both sides of the device, holds the potential to produce higher energy yields at lower overall costs, according to scientists at NREL.
July 11, 2023
In this Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A, Sam Reese shares how she ended up traveling around the world and how she is sharing her fix-it mindset with her kids.
June 26, 2023
As part of a two-year project, three NREL postdocs are working hard to understand the impact of turbulent wind conditions on a type of concentrating solar power technology that uses a tube positioned along a curved, mirrored structure to collect sunlight.
June 22, 2023
NREL has awarded $2 million to fund six projects to support the Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium (CTAC).
June 21, 2023
Six teams competing in the the inaugural Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize have been named grand prize winners after their year-long efforts to advance an equitable and just clean energy ecosystem within their communities.
June 21, 2023
A thin layer of gold or silver helps improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, but researchers have found a less expensive material that will enable commercialization of the technology without exorbitant cost.
June 20, 2023
Builders began erecting edifices with massive walls of windows after World War II. The trend continues to this day, but the 1970s saw the adoption of double-pane windows to reduce energy consumption. Researchers at NREL have been working to improve windows since 1983.
June 1, 2023
NREL and Sandia National Laboratories announced seven awardees from a request for proposals aimed at achieving DOE's goals for heliostat cost reduction, sustained multifaceted innovation, and improved solar field performance.
May 24, 2023
As a materials scientist at NREL, Andriy Zakutayev manufactures materials to find new ways to control electrons, helping them carry electricity inside computers, solar panels, and smartphones.
May 5, 2023
An "unprecedented ramp-up of production capacity" over the next two decades is needed to provide enough solar power to completely decarbonize the global electrical system, but that goal can be achieved, according to an analysis led by researchers at NREL.
May 3, 2023
Communities that used SolarAPP+ processed more than 11,000 solar permits and eliminated more than 134,000 days of delays in 2022.
May 2, 2023
On Monday, May 1, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the division winners and Project Pitch Champion in the Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition's Class of 2022–2023.
April 27, 2023
A delicate balancing act between the generation of renewable energy and the demand for that power could reduce the need for as much short-duration storage, according to a new proof-of-concept paper authored by researchers at NREL.
April 20, 2023
Power outages are on the rise in the United States, but so are technologies that help systems recover, like distributed energy and sensors.
April 18, 2023
Much aligned to Earth Day's theme of "Investing in Our Planet," the research and innovations developed at NREL are helping consumers contribute to our beautiful blue marble's future. Here are just a few of the ways.
April 6, 2023
Global experts on solar power strongly urge a commitment to the continued growth of photovoltaic manufacturing and deployment to power the planet, arguing that lowballing projections for PV growth while waiting for a consensus on other energy pathways or the emergence of technological last-minute miracles "is no longer an option."
April 5, 2023
The latest round of finalists in the American-Made Solar Prize have been announced. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office selected 10 teams from across the country to move on to the Go! Contest and awarded each team $100,000 in cash prizes and $75,000 in technical support vouchers.
March 30, 2023
For a 60-minute period in January 2023, a power plant like no other existed in the U.S. Mountain West.
March 28, 2023
In Fiscal Year 2022, NREL played a critical role in computing advancements for 300-plus clean energy research projects through high-performance computing (HPC), efficient data center operation, and state-of-the-art data visualization.
March 21, 2023
A concept developed at NREL simplifies the process to manufacture perovskite solar cells, which could accelerate the path toward commercialization of the technology.
March 10, 2023
The American-Made program, administered by NREL, features a collection of prizes designed to lower the barriers of entry to government funding, making the reward for great innovations accessible to all.
And now, the program's inherent goals--to leverage diversity, equity, and accessibility to accelerate the nation's collective problem solving
Feb. 21, 2023
For three decades, researchers have known that the addition of a single chemical creates better-performing solar cells. But they have not understood exactly why—until now. The answer has implications that stretch well beyond solar cells.
Feb. 9, 2023
The use of thermochromic windows in office buildings improves energy efficiency across all climate zones in the United States by modulating the temperature inside, leading to a massive savings, according to a research effort led by NREL.
Feb. 8, 2023
Annie Greenaway and Silvana Ovaitt started out as graduate student participants in the Hands-On Photovoltaic Experience (HOPE) workshop—a program designed to provide graduate students with opportunities to learn about photovoltaics from leading researchers.
Feb. 1, 2023
From geospatial modeler to role model, Anthony Lopez shines in the STEM community.
Feb. 1, 2023
This week, NREL researchers Garry Rumbles and Matthew Beard were announced as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Jan. 31, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition announced today that 45 teams from 39 schools are advancing as finalists in the class of 2022–2023.
Jan. 30, 2023
The PR100 one-year update on progress made during the first year of this two-year, stakeholder-informed study was presented to the advisory group of stakeholders and then to the public in a webinar on Jan. 23.
Jan. 26, 2023
An ultrathin protective coating proves sufficient to protect a perovskite solar cell from the harmful effects of space and harden it against environmental factors on Earth, according to newly published research from NREL.
Jan. 18, 2023
Publications from eight teams capture insights for communities seeking to harness the resiliency and economic benefits of solar energy.
