Sandia has performed photovoltaic research and development for over 40 years
In 1976, Sandia National Laboratories tested the performance and reliability of the first fielded terrestrial systems in the co-sponsored U.S. Department of Energy-National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Jet Propulsion Laboratory Block Program. Today, Sandia works with over 20 U.S. industry partners studying systems performance, reliability and degradation, new module architectures, and materials and components in racking designs, power electronic systems, and anti-soiling and anti-reflective coatings.
Photovoltaic research at Sandia has led to multiple new and emerging technologies, including concentrating PV, mc-Si cells, and micro-engineered PV, and resulting in new companies, fields of study and multi-national conglomerates. Sandia studies indoor and outdoor characterization to understand PV performance, reliability and degradation at locations around the world. For example, Sandia leads the PV Performance Modeling Collaborative, consisting of over 5,300 members in 50 countries; the Regional Test Center program at six climatically distinct locations in the United States; and PVCAMPER, a consortium of ten countries coordinating reliability data collection and analysis.
Sandia’s latest PV contributions include leadership of the PV Perovskite Accelerator for Commercial Technologies Center, or PV PACT, in partnership with other national labs, universities and industry to improve perovskite PV performance and reliability.
Contact
Tom Lowry
tslowry@sandia.gov