Solar Power World

More harvest for hungry solar cells

Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB), have developed the first designed molecular system that produces two triplet states from an excited singlet state of a molecule, with essentially perfect efficiency. What does that mean for the solar industry? The development could lead to a 35% increase in light-harvesting yield in cells for photovoltaics. The graphic shows the double triplets before and after excitation... Read More

NREL Releases Feed-in Tariff Guide

With over 75 countries, states and provinces around the world with some kind of feed-in tariff, policymakers and researchers in the U.S. are considering the role for the policy in America. A new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) examines the growth and efficacy of FITs and focuses on how these policies can be used in the U.S. The policy is known for spurring dramatic growth of renewable energy in Europe during the past decade. At 144 pages, the... Read More

NREL Study Shows Power Grid Can Accomodate Substantial Increase In Wind & Solar

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released an initial study assessing the operational impacts and economics of increased contributions from wind and solar energy producers on the power grid. The Western Wind and Solar Integration Study examines the benefits and challenges of integrating enough wind and solar energy capacity into the grid to produce 35 percent of its electricity by 2017. The study finds that this target is technically feasible and does... Read More

Solar Panels Inspire LED Breakthrough

Light bulbs that last 100 years and fill rooms with brilliant ambiance may become a reality sooner rather than later, thanks to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory discovery. NREL scientists found a way to generate a tricky combination of green and red that may just prove to be the biggest boost for illumination since Edison’s light bulb. Green isn’t just a symbol of environmentalism, it is a real color, and a desperately needed one for researchers looking... Read More