The Sandia Solar Programs e-newsletter features highlights, key activities, events, and publications.
Focused on developing cost-effective, reliable photovoltaic energy systems and accelerating the integration of PV technology in the United States and globally.
Using mirrors to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small area where the concentrated light is converted to heat, which drives a generator.
Photovoltaics
Sandia Labs’ solar photovoltaic (PV) work is focused on developing cost-effective, reliable photovoltaic energy systems and accelerating the integration of PV technology in the United States and globally. The Labs’ PV department provides the technical lead for systems integration and balance-of-systems manufacturing technologies as well as technical support to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in deployment and validation of PV systems for federal agencies, utilities, and other institutional users. Sandia assists industry and users by providing technical assistance, accurate performance measurements, component development and improvement, and system evaluation. A major thrust of the department is to evaluate and improve the performance, reliability, and cost effectiveness of systems and balance-of-systems components.
Sandia’s PV research staff work collaboratively with DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Program, the U.S. photovoltaic industry, other government agencies and national laboratories, and international organizations to increase the worldwide use of PV power systems by reducing cost, improving reliability, increasing performance, removing barriers, and growing markets.
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)
In virtually all applications CSP is large power, on the order of 100 MW or larger, that is used by utilities to generate electricity and distribute to consumers. In a CSP plant, solar energy is converted to heat and the heat is used in a conventional power cycle or other heat engine to produce mechanical power and drive a generator.
CSP Videos
SunShot Solar CSP (Source: Department of Energy)
New Solar Power Technology: Could Get Power on Cloudy Days (Source: KOAT)
- Analysis to Inform CA Grid Integration Rules for PV: Final Report on Inverter Settings for Transmission and Distribution System Performance (0 downloads)
- Arc-Fault Detector Algorith Evalution Mehod Utilizing Prerecorded Arcing Signatures (150 downloads)
- The Variability Index: A New and Novel Metric for Quantifying Irradiance and PV Output Variability (150 downloads)
- Stochastic PV Performance/Reliability Model Preview of Alpha Version (150 downloads)
- ESTIMATING ANNUAL SYNCHRONIZED 1-MIN POWER OUTPUT PROFILES FROM UTILITY-SCALE PV PLANTS AT 10 LOCATIONS IN NEVADA FOR A SOLAR GRID INTEGRATION STUDY (150 downloads)
- Solar Energy Programs
- Sandia’s Livermore Site to Help Validate Cool Earth Solar’s CPV Technology
- Microsystems Enabled Photovoltaics (MEPV) “Solar Glitter”
- PV Value ®
- Arc Fault Detection and Mitigation
- Fuel Cell Membranes Open New Doors for Power
- Photovoltaic Systems Evaluation Laboratory (PSEL
- Distributed Energy Technologies Laboratory (DETL)
- Regional Test Centers for PV Technologies
- National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF)
- Molten-Salt Test Loop (MSTL)
- Solar Glare Hazard Analysis (SGHAT)
- Roof Structure Analysis
Sandia’s Energy Programs Organize Three Symposia at Spring MRS Symposium, April 2-6
Researchers from Sandia’s energy programs have organized three symposia for the 2018 MRS Spring Meeting in Phoenix, AZ. The symposia sessions will discuss topics that include flow batteries for grid energy storage, harvesting natural and [...]
Sandia’s Kenneth Armijo Featured in UNM Alumni Spring Magazine
Photo courtesy of UNM Alumni Association: Kenneth Armijo at Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility. Kenneth Armijo, a senior member of technical staff in Sandia’s Concentrating Solar Technologies department, was recently featured in [...]
Sandia Joins Senator Martin Heinrich in Launching the Solar Toolkit
Sandra Begay speaking at the Solar Toolkit launch held by Senator Martin Heinrich at the CNM Workforce Training Center. Sandia’s Indian Energy program lead Sandra Begay and Renewable Energy Technologies senior manager Amy [...]
Tower Illuminance Model Investigates Glare and Avian-Flux Hazards at CSP Towers
Solar glare reflections and avian solar-flux hazards are an important concern for concentrating solar installations. Reflected sunlight from “standby” heliostats has been noted by pilots as potentially hazardous, and reports of birds being singed by [...]