Federal funding for solar photovoltaic research

Its budget time for the federal government.  While the news has been buzzing about the deficit and cuts in funding, the Department of Energy announced that approximately $12 million has been allotted for solar R&D.  The federal funds will largely be provided to several solar photovoltaics (PV) projects that are undertaken in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The goal of the solar technology research – and the provision of federal funds – is to help bring cutting-edge solar tech out of the laboratory to commercial production.

Bringing solar power from the laboratory to consumers

The Department of Energy’s Photovoltaic Incubator Program will receive about $10 million of the funds through the Recovery Act.  According to the web site:

The goals of the projects include exploring the commercial potential of new manufacturing processes and products; fostering innovation and growth in the domestic PV industry; establishing an efficient and cyclic funding opportunity; and expanding and diversifying domestic “market-ready” PV technologies.

In short, the DOE aims to take prototype solar tech to demonstration or full-scale projects.

Of the total $12 million in solar research funding, about $3 million will be awarded in 2010 to each of four companies under subcontracts with the Department of Energy.  This is the fourth year in a row that funding awards have been presented by the DOE to solar tech companies.

The 2010 funding recipients were announced in January, as follows:

• Alta Devices Inc. of Santa Clara, California will work on developing a solar module with a conversion efficiency better than 20 percent.  The new solar panels could be sold commercially next year, in 2011.
• Solar Junction Corp., based in San Jose, Calif. is developing a manufacturing process for high-efficiency multi-junction solar cell which can be used in concentrating photovoltaics (CPV).
• Tetra Sun, also based in California, is working on back-surface passivation, which helps protect a semiconductor from contamination, for crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. The result should be high-efficiency, low-cost c-Si solar cells, which are already the most efficient and durable solar cells on the market.
• Semprius Inc., of Durham, North Carolina, will develop a “massively parallel,” microcell-based CPV receiver. The company will combine manufacturing techniques unique to solar power with the inherent benefits of CPV.

With important funding from the Department of Energy/NREL, solar R&D will be able to continue to develop new technologies that are practical, efficient and affordable, and to bring them to the public for actual use!

We’ve got to agree that investing in a clean energy future is worth every dollar.

Nanosolar products

Nanosolar recently announced that it will be selling and marketing its copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar panels this year.  After intensive R&D, the company has reached 16.4% efficiency in the laboratory, closing in on the nearly 20% solar panel efficiency for a CIGS solar panel achieved by the publicly owned and operated National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).

Nanosolar’s co-founder, Brian Sager, stated:

“The whole idea here is to buy multiple lines of manufacturing equipment and scale as the market demands. “We’re really only limited by market economics.”

Although details of the amount and type of product that will initially be sold by Nanosolar are unclear, most expect the CIGS solar panels it will sell will have 10-12% efficiency.

The world will be watching.  Many place their solar power “chips” on CIGS solar cells with respect to ultimate efficiency and inexpensive manufacturing.   While both CIGS and cadmium telluride have theoretical maximum efficiency in the range of 29-33%, CIGS is expected to ultimately prevail in the efficiency race.

With the new release of Nanosolar’s CIGS panels, competition will not be afoot between First Solar (selling panels with close to 11% efficiency and a cost of 87 cents per watt) and Miasole, which sells CIGS cells in the 10-11% efficiency range.

For a glimpse into the near future, here’s a short video showcasing Nanosolar’s roll-to-roll CIGS solar cells:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development in the United States.  Based in Golden, Colorado and with offices in Washington D.C., NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  It is operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy.

NREL has been operating since 1977, initially as the Solar Energy Research Institute. In 1991, the name was changed to NREL when it was designated a national laboratory by the DOE.

Solar research is one of the primary programs at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  Its Solar Energy Technologies Program advances research and development in several major solar technologies.

NREL's laboratory in Golden, Colorado

NREL’s Solar Energy Technologies Program includes research on photovoltaics (PV), solar thermal, and solar radiation.

Perhaps the technology with which most people are familiar is photovoltaics.  Say the term “solar power,” and the first thing that comes to mind is usually silicon-based PV cells, or solar panels.  At NREL, advancements are being made with respect to performance and reliability of PV cells.  It is developing standardized tests and performance models to help the industry, and working to accelerate manufacturing capacity of PV technologies.

This research can only be helpful if it can be transferred to the marketplace.  As described on the official NREL website:

“A critical part of the Lab’s mission is the transfer of NREL-developed technologies to renewable energy markets. NREL’s Technology Transfer Office supports laboratory scientists and engineers in the successful and practical application of their expertise and the technologies they develop. NREL’s world-class R&D staff and facilities are recognized and valued by industry, as demonstrated through hundreds of collaborative research projects and licensed technologies with public and private partners.”

Another area of solar research at NREL is focused on solar thermal.  Concentrating solar power is an alternative way to generate solar electricity that uses mirrors to superheat water to create steam, which then turns generators.  Also known as parabolic trough technology, CSP is used in Spain, Portugal and at some California and Nevada locations to generate utility-scale solar energy.

On a smaller scale, NREL is also working to improve efficiency and lower cost of solar hot water systems.  These can be installed on homes and businesses to provide hot water, without the use of electricity.  At NREL, researchers are working to develop new polymer (plastic) systems for solar water heating.

Solar radiation research is necessary to determine the optimal siting of solar panels or parabolic trough technologies.  At NREL, data on solar radiation and other meteorological information is collected at the Solar Radiation Research Laboratory and provided to certain organizations, universities and governmental agencies.  That information is then used for climate change models, testing renewable energy conversion systems and general atmospheric research.

Research at NREL spans the range of renewable energy options, beyond just solar power.  For more information about what is happening at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, click here.