United States

A U.S. research team has discovered that backsheets are most affected by cracking and degradation on inner layers, as such areas tend to become more rigid. The scientists have also discovered that degradation is accelerated by chemicals descending from the solar cells’ EVA encapsulant to the backsheets themselves.

Charlotte has become the first U.S. municipality to come to terms with Duke Energy on a solar contract through the new Green Source Advantage program.

Getting the most out of a bifacial module requires a rethink at almost every level of system design and the industry is hungry for field data generated by such systems to better inform energy yield modeling and define the best approaches to maximizing yield at minimal cost. In May, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory began a three-year study into bifacial performance which is beginning to yield results.

By tweaking the chemical composition of the material to create a ‘triple’ perovskite, scientists at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory say they have overcome one of the technology’s inherent stability issues and fabricated a perovskite cell which achieved 27% efficiency in a tandem format with a silicon device.

With three models of 500 W solar panels officially unveiled, here’s a look at what it means for the future of project development and the solar industry at large.

U.S. researchers have investigated whether energy storage deployment could actually drive up greenhouse gas emissions in the short term in some energy markets. The fact the existing literature considers only the dispatch of energy from storage facilities in the current fossil fuel-renewables energy mix, though, could understate the long-term emissions reduction benefits of such facilities.

As the contagion continues to spread, its impact is beginning to be felt on the solar industry outside China with the cancellation or postponement of major trade shows and conferences that were set to take place over the next few weeks.

The largest residential solar company in the United States installed 117 MW in the fourth quarter and reached a total customer base of 285,000 – all while bringing creation costs lower than they have ever been.

Former surface mines in central Appalachia could be re-purposed for solar. Environmental group The Nature Conservancy is exploring the options.

Researchers at MIT say the immense hydropower resources of the Canadian province could be used as storage to even out the supply of intermittent renewables generation in New England and New York state.