Photovoltaic Research News
Visit the NREL news section for a complete list of NREL press releases and feature stories related to PV.
Dec. 22, 2022
A new approach to manufacturing perovskite solar cells has addressed previous problems and yielded devices with high efficiency and excellent stability, researchers at NREL report in the new issue of the journal Science.
Dec. 8, 2022
The American-Made Solar Prize announced the 20 semifinalist teams in this year's competition, selected for their game-changing solar energy ideas, including concepts to energize solar manufacturing, address obstacles to wider solar adoption, or make installation and maintenance more efficient and cost-effective.
Nov. 30, 2022
NREL has released its annual cost breakdown of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage systems.
Nov. 18, 2022
There is a new way to explore NREL's famous chart spotlighting the efficiency of solar cells. The Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart is now interactive, with the ability to pull up decades of research data and create custom charts that focus on specific technologies or time periods. You can also dive deeper into the data behind many points on the chart, going beyond just efficiency.
Nov. 18, 2022
Skyscrapers dominate city skylines, but these massive glass-walled structures can be made more energy efficient through the addition of thermally efficient photovoltaic (PV) windows, according to an analysis by researchers at NREL.
Nov. 15, 2022
Eight scientists from NREL were named today to the Highly Cited Researchers list, including two who are making their first appearance.
Oct. 28, 2022
To meet its 2050 decarbonization goals, the United States will need to install up to 20 times more solar photovoltaic (PV) modules than are installed today.
Oct. 27, 2022
Two recently published papers spell out advances in the field of photovoltaics made from III-V materials. The improvements to the III-V solar cells will help the technology find a terrestrial home. III-V cells—although efficient—carry such a high price tag it only makes economic sense to use them on satellites and Mars rovers.
Sept. 22, 2022
Cutting-edge semiconductor research at NREL will continue at the Center for Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Semiconductors for Energy (CHOISE) as part of funding announced last week.
Sept. 12, 2022
A collaborative team from NREL and Princeton University has resurrected a century-old microwave technique to reveal a surprising feature of well-established light-driven chemistry. The study outlines how an important class of "photoredox catalysts" operates, leading to unforeseen ways to manipulate their efficiency and selectivity.
Sept. 1, 2022
A unique architectural structure enabled the researchers to record a certified stabilized efficiency of 24% under 1-sun illumination, making it the highest reported of its kind. The highly efficient cell also retained 87% of its original efficiency after 2,400 hours of operation at 55 degrees Celsius.
Aug. 18, 2022
It is hard to find a flock of sheep nestled under an array of solar panels. But both solar developers and those in the local community who care for the land—whether as farmland, rangeland, or native habitats—can benefit from agrivoltaics.
Aug. 4, 2022
This week, U.S. Department of Energy announced a new three-year consortium intended to accelerate the development of cadmium telluride (CdTe) technologies by lowering the cost and increasing the efficiency of the thin-film solar cells.
July 6, 2022
NREL researchers made for an inventive bunch in fiscal year 2021, even exceeding record-breaking activity in FY '20. A patent issued in November 2021 for compressed gas energy storage, for example, which covers the idea of injecting compressed natural gas into defunct oil and gas fracking sites, accounted for just one of 36 issued patents in FY '21.
July 1, 2022
How do we reduce the carbon impact of an already green technology?
June 27, 2022
In a new comprehensive literature review, researchers at NREL discovered that alternatives to recycling may have untapped potential to build an effective circular economy for solar photovoltaic and battery technologies, such as reducing the use of virgin materials in manufacturing, reusing for new applications, and extending product life spans.
June 15, 2022
The sixth round of competition offers $4.1 million in prizes for those ready to revolutionize the solar industry.
June 14, 2022
Scientists at NREL have demonstrated a tin-lead perovskite cell that overcomes problems with stability and improves efficiency. The new cell, a tandem design with two layers of perovskites, measured a 25.5% efficiency.
June 6, 2022
NREL Senior Scientist Steve Johnston has been selected as a recipient of the 2022 American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award.
May 31, 2022
Deblasio was instrumental in getting the solar photovoltaics and distributed energy industries going. Sadly, he died on April 27 at the age of 80.
May 19, 2022
Among NREL's many funding agencies, the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funds what is perhaps some of NREL's most innovative work.
May 18, 2022
NREL has a long history of building solar cells that capture light from the sun at record-setting efficiencies. But the sun is not the only light source from which photovoltaics can capture energy.
May 18, 2022
Researchers at NREL created a solar cell with a record 39.5% efficiency under 1-sun global illumination. This is the highest efficiency solar cell of any type, measured using standard 1-sun conditions.
May 5, 2022
Perovskite materials may hold the potential to play an important role in a process to produce hydrogen in a renewable manner, according to an analysis from scientists at NREL.
May 4, 2022
On Monday, April 25, DOE announced the top division winners and Project Pitch Champion in the Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition Class of 2021–2022. A total of nine student-led teams won first, second, or third place across the three divisions, plus four honorable mentions.
April 22, 2022
As solar grows rapidly as an energy source, the number of photovoltaic (PV) modules that are manufactured and installed each year will continue to expand.
April 18, 2022
As researchers develop new technologies for space applications, careful thought and rigorous testing must be performed to be certain the technology can function for an extended period in the operating environment.
April 14, 2022
NREL customizes competitions for DOE technology offices—solar, water, buildings, geothermal, and others—to meet industry needs. American-Made is a pillar of DOE's activities, incentivizing U.S. entrepreneurs to strengthen American leadership in energy innovation and domestic manufacturing.
March 15, 2022
DuraMAT, a multi-laboratory consortium led by NREL, is exploring ideas that could extend solar module lifetime up to 50 years.
Feb. 28, 2022
No U.S. cities have done anything like what Cohoes, New York, was proposing: a municipally-owned and operated floating solar installation—but there was no reason it would not work. The technology of floating solar is sound, and their reservoir could hold enough panels to power all Cohoes city-owned buildings and streetlights—erasing around $500,000 in annual electricity costs.
Feb. 24, 2022
The National Community Solar Partnership hosted its annual summit, featuring esteemed DOE leadership, state governors, and industry experts.
Feb. 7, 2022
The Solar Futures Study draws insights from across NREL's expertise and tools to deliver detailed analysis of solar energy's future in the United States.
Feb. 3, 2022
Winning thousands in cash prizes is just one of the many benefits that comes with being a finalist in an American-Made Challenges (AMC) Prize competition.
Jan. 14, 2022
Since 2019, the American Chemical Society (ACS) has published an annual series, titled "Women Scientists at the Forefront of Energy Research," to celebrate the accomplishments of women in the energy science field.
