NREL releases online tool to estimate pumped hydro storage costs
The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a cost-estimation tool for new closed-loop pumped storage hydropower (PSH) plants in the United States. The tool allows operators to select from a range of system characteristics and account for factors such as local geology, labor rates and inflation.
US government funds pilot project for heated sand energy storage
The US Department of Energy is funding a pilot project to demonstrate the commercial viability of storing energy in heated sand, which is capable of producing 135 MW of power for five days.
New roadmap identifies critical priorities for commercialization of tandem solar cells
NREL researchers reviewed and assessed a variety of tandem solar cell pairings on technology status and prospects. Their work is intended to identify what kind of work lies ahead on the path to commercialization.
Tesla reports record energy storage deployment figures
Tesla’s electric vehicle (EV) sales are plummeting, but its energy storage business is surging, with more than 4 GWh deployed in the first quarter of 2024 alone.
Off-grid solar bench with wireless charging
Bluebolt Outdoor has supplied benches powered by off-grid solar to a university in California.
Developing hydrogen fuel from iron-rich rocks
Researchers at UT Austin have secured grant funds from the US Department of Energy to produce hydrogen fuel from rocks in an emissions-free process.
Researchers discover additive that enhances perovskite coating process
By adding an ionic pair stabilizer to perovskite cells enables coating to take place in ambient air, simplifying the manufacturing process.
US solar project pipeline awaiting interconnection permit reaches 1.08 TWh
Solar, wind and battery storage accounted for nearly 95% of the capacity in transmission interconnection queues as of year-end 2023, based on preliminary data from Berkeley Lab, presented in a staff report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
California to propose $24 average fixed fee for electric bills
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has proposed an average fixed fee of $24 for electric bills. The new billing structure also includes a reduction of electricity rates by $0.05 to $0.07 per kilowatt-hour.
Non-fullerene organic solar cell with selenium acceptor achieves 19% efficiency
Researchers in China have designed an organic solar cell the uses an acceptor based on selenium as an alternative to commonly utilized non-fullerene acceptors. The new acceptor enabled the cell to have reduced non-radiative recombination loss and improved dielectric constant.
