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November 2021
New Reports From NREL Document Continuing PV and PV-Plus-Storage Cost Declines
NREL has released its annual cost breakdown of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage systems. U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System and Energy Storage Cost Benchmark: Q1 2021 details installed costs for PV systems as of the first quarter of 2021.
October 2021
NREL Drops the Bass on Solar Panels (for Science)
NREL researchers are not only skilled at making photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. They are also world-class destroyers of PV modules. The goal is to discover and understand how these modules might degrade when installed outside for many decades. This helps other NREL researchers and engineers in the PV industry design better, longer-lasting modules.
Sharing the Sun Market Report Details Expansive Growth, Recent Trends in Community Solar
New market report shows which states are leading growth in community solar.
News Release: NREL, Mines Insight Could Lead to Better Silicon Solar Panels
Researchers at NREL and Colorado School of Mines are applying a new technique to identify defects in silicon solar cells that cause a drop in efficiency. The lessons learned at the atomic level could lead to improvements in the way manufacturers strengthen their products against what is known as light-induced degradation.
Nano-Sized Materials Point to Big Breakthroughs
A poppy seed from your morning bagel is about 1,000 times larger than a bacterial cell. That small cell is about 1,000 times larger than the chemical structures NREL researchers are creating and studying to transform how we use energy.
September 2021
The Future of Agriculture Combined With Renewable Energy Finds Success at Jack's Solar Garden
A 24-acre family farm purchased by Jack Stingerie in 1972 has now evolved into a model for how to produce energy and food in tandem. Multiple agrivoltaics activities including crop production, pollinator habitat, ecosystem services, and pasture grass for grazing are being researched across Jack's Solar Garden in Longmont, Colorado.
August 2021
Space Mission Tests NREL Perovskite Solar Cells
The latest collaboration between NREL and NASA will evaluate the potential use of perovskite solar cells in space and assess the durability of materials used in those cells.
July 2021
NREL, First Solar Celebrate Nearly 30 Years of Collaboration on Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell Research
NREL and First Solar Inc. have been collaboratively breaking ground on thin film solar technology for more than two decades, helping NREL fulfill its goal as a DOE national laboratory of commercializing technology through partnerships, and contributing to First Solar's success in development, manufacturing, and operation of photovoltaic (PV) power plants with technology that still bucks industry trends.
CdTe PV Accelerator Consortium Solicitation Aims To Enhance U.S. Competitiveness in Cadmium Telluride Thin Film Photovoltaic Technologies
DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office announced $20 million for the Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Photovoltaic (PV) Accelerator Consortium Solicitation to formalize the leadership of a consortium that will identify the technology development priorities to impact the entire domestic CdTe supply chain.
June 2021
Solar Desalination Prize Round 2 Seeks Innovative Desalination Technologies Combined With Storage
Department of Energy launches second round of Solar Desalination Prize with new focus on storage.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025