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November 2022
Eight From NREL Named to 2022 Highly Cited Researchers List
Eight scientists from NREL were named today to the Highly Cited Researchers list, including two who are making their first appearance.
New Capability for Nondestructive and Fast Module Spectral Response Measurements
NREL’s cell and module performance team recently commissioned a new testbed for measuring the spectral response of silicon PV modules.
October 2022
Long-Lived? Highly Recyclable? Priorities for Solar Panels in a Circular Economy
To meet its 2050 decarbonization goals, the United States will need to install up to 20 times more solar photovoltaic (PV) modules than are installed today.
NREL, Mines Researchers Show Advances in Development of III-V Solar Cells for Use on Earth
Two recently published papers spell out advances in the field of photovoltaics made from III-V materials. The improvements to the III-V solar cells will help the technology find a terrestrial home. III-V cells—although efficient—carry such a high price tag it only makes economic sense to use them on satellites and Mars rovers.
September 2022
Department of Energy Renews NREL's Center for Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Semiconductors for Energy
Cutting-edge semiconductor research at NREL will continue at the Center for Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Semiconductors for Energy (CHOISE) as part of funding announced last week.
New Insights Revealed Through Century-Old Photochemistry Technique
A collaborative team from NREL and Princeton University has resurrected a century-old microwave technique to reveal a surprising feature of well-established light-driven chemistry. The study outlines how an important class of "photoredox catalysts" operates, leading to unforeseen ways to manipulate their efficiency and selectivity.
News Release: NREL-Led Breakthrough Pushes Perovskite Cell to Greater Stability, Efficiency
A unique architectural structure enabled the researchers to record a certified stabilized efficiency of 24% under 1-sun illumination, making it the highest reported of its kind. The highly efficient cell also retained 87% of its original efficiency after 2,400 hours of operation at 55 degrees Celsius.
August 2022
Growing Plants, Power, and Partnerships Through Agrivoltaics
It is hard to find a flock of sheep nestled under an array of solar panels. But both solar developers and those in the local community who care for the land—whether as farmland, rangeland, or native habitats—can benefit from agrivoltaics.
July 2022
NREL Innovations Open Door to Industry Collaboration, Commercialization
NREL researchers made for an inventive bunch in fiscal year 2021, even exceeding record-breaking activity in FY '20. A patent issued in November 2021 for compressed gas energy storage, for example, which covers the idea of injecting compressed natural gas into defunct oil and gas fracking sites, accounted for just one of 36 issued patents in FY '21.
NREL Scientists Explore How To Make PV Even Greener
How do we reduce the carbon impact of an already green technology?
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Last Updated May 5, 2025