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December 2023
NREL Research Finds Rain Not Enough To Wash Pollen From Solar Panels
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.
November 2023
Seven From NREL Make Return Appearance on Highly Cited Researchers List
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.
Photovoltaic Toxicity and Waste Concerns Are Overblown, Slowing Decarbonization--NREL Researchers Are Setting the Record Straight
Photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation is essential for achieving decarbonization targets and mitigating climate change.
October 2023
NREL Improvements Boost Efficiency of III-V Solar Cells
Newly published research is the latest effort by NREL researchers to make III-V solar cells more affordable for terrestrial applications.
As PV Market Evolved in the Last Year, Prices Went Up, Prices Went Down
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.
News Release: New Database Shines Spotlight on Decades of Solar Mirror Research
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.
September 2023
At a Glance: How Renewable Energy Is Transforming the Global Electricity Supply
Even as fossil energy still provides most of the world’s electricity, new electricity generating capacity is dominated by renewable energy projects.
News Release: Combination of Stressors Key to Testing Perovskite Solar Cells
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.
A Faster, Cheaper Way To Give Solar Panels a Clean Bill of Health
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.
August 2023
How Do We Inventory the Materials Needed To Build Wind and Solar Farms?
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.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025