CleanTechnica » NREL http://cleantechnica.com Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Tue, 30 Dec 2014 18:48:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 Renewable Cities Conference in Vancouver — Be There! http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/27/renewable-cities-conference-vancouver/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/27/renewable-cities-conference-vancouver/#comments Sat, 27 Dec 2014 17:02:33 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=76855 There are a lot of good cleantech conferences out there. It is quite hard for us to choose which ones we attend and which we skip. Clearly, I’m a big fan of the World Future Energy Summit (+ Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week as a whole) and EVS. But another big one that is new to

Renewable Cities Conference in Vancouver — Be There! was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/27/renewable-cities-conference-vancouver/feed/ 4 Why Do Some US States Have Higher Rooftop Solar Installation Than Others? http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/26/us-states-higher-rooftop-solar-installation-others/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/26/us-states-higher-rooftop-solar-installation-others/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2014 21:27:19 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=76816 Why do some states outperform others so much when it comes to solar installations? In an effort funded by the US DOE’s SunShot Initiative, NREL researchers used statistical analysis and detailed case studies to better understand why solar market policies in certain states are more successful and lead to higher distributed solar PV installations. The

Why Do Some US States Have Higher Rooftop Solar Installation Than Others? was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/26/us-states-higher-rooftop-solar-installation-others/feed/ 4 New Solar Cell Can Handle The Force Of 1,000 Suns http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/17/new-solar-cell-can-handle-force-1000-suns/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/17/new-solar-cell-can-handle-force-1000-suns/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:43:41 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=76474 A new solar cell from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is designed for a concentration of 1,000 suns and can reach 45.7 percent efficiency

New Solar Cell Can Handle The Force Of 1,000 Suns was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/17/new-solar-cell-can-handle-force-1000-suns/feed/ 28 Now’s The Time To Buy Into Community Solar Prices, At All-Time Low http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/06/community-solar-prices-low-report/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/06/community-solar-prices-low-report/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2014 18:51:07 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=75942 If you’re considering buying into a community solar project/facility in the future, then you may want to hurry up and do so, based on a recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory. According to the report, the downward slope of residential/community-scale solar systems will continue through 2016,

Now’s The Time To Buy Into Community Solar Prices, At All-Time Low was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/12/06/community-solar-prices-low-report/feed/ 15 NREL & SolarCity Join Forces In Hawaii http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/27/nrel-solarcity-join-forces-hawaii/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/27/nrel-solarcity-join-forces-hawaii/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2014 18:30:47 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=75488 Originally published on Solar Love. Hawaii is one of the hottest solar markets in the world. Good solar resources, high electricity prices, and low solar panel prices have made it one of the first markets to hit “grid parity.” But there are still challenges getting the utilities to accept and allow this, as well as

NREL & SolarCity Join Forces In Hawaii was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/27/nrel-solarcity-join-forces-hawaii/feed/ 6 The Good & Bad For Solar Power In Serbia http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/26/good-bad-solar-power-serbia/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/26/good-bad-solar-power-serbia/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2014 08:35:51 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=75449 The Serbian town of Kladovo, located 250 kilometers east of the capital city of Belgrade, now holds one of the largest solar PV plants in the country, along with the largest hydroelectric power station in the country, making it a major supplier of renewable energy in the country. Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Aleksander Antic, inaugurated the

The Good & Bad For Solar Power In Serbia was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/26/good-bad-solar-power-serbia/feed/ 5 US Could Generate 100x Electricity Needs From Solar (+ Other Solar News & Views) http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/24/us-generate-100x-electricity-needs-solar-solar-news-views/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/24/us-generate-100x-electricity-needs-solar-solar-news-views/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2014 14:52:13 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=75345 For the solar obsessed, here’s some more good solar news and views from around the interwebs. 1. The US Could Generate 100 Times Its Electricity From Solar Power 2. Nearly 6,000 Homes To Get Solar Power In San Diego Area 3. SolarCity & NREL Team Up In Hawaii 4. Does Solar Power Make Sense for Your Home? 5. Solar Stocks Headed

US Could Generate 100x Electricity Needs From Solar (+ Other Solar News & Views) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/24/us-generate-100x-electricity-needs-solar-solar-news-views/feed/ 0 US Solar Now 59% Cheaper Than Analysts Predicted Back In 2010 http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/29/us-solar-now-59-cheaper-analysts-predicted-back-2010/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/29/us-solar-now-59-cheaper-analysts-predicted-back-2010/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2014 11:50:33 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=74144 The cost of utility-scale US solar energy is currently 59% cheaper than what industry analysts predicted back in 2010 it would be by now, according to a new report from the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). In addition to that rather striking figure, the new report

US Solar Now 59% Cheaper Than Analysts Predicted Back In 2010 was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/29/us-solar-now-59-cheaper-analysts-predicted-back-2010/feed/ 3 Solar System Prices Decreased By 20% In 2013 http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/21/solar-system-prices-decreased-20-2013/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/21/solar-system-prices-decreased-20-2013/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:26:48 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=73774 RenewEconomy. A new report from the US Department of Energy has revealed that system prices for distributed solar PV in America dropped by between 12 and 19 per cent nationwide in 2013 – and will likely fall by a further 3-12 per cent this year, depending on system location and market segment. The third edition

Solar System Prices Decreased By 20% In 2013 was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/21/solar-system-prices-decreased-20-2013/feed/ 3 America Can Nearly Quadruple Its Renewable Electricity By 2030 http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/19/america-can-nearly-quadruple-renewable-electricity-2030/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/19/america-can-nearly-quadruple-renewable-electricity-2030/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2014 19:02:26 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=73653 Originally Published in the ECOreport. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) study found that America can nearly quadruple its renewable electricity in the next 15 years, reaching 23% by 2030. This comes in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal that America set a modest goal of 12% renewable energy by 2030. Rachel Cleetus, Senior Climate

America Can Nearly Quadruple Its Renewable Electricity By 2030 was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/19/america-can-nearly-quadruple-renewable-electricity-2030/feed/ 39 New Software Tool Could Push Wind Energy Into Mainstream http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/01/new-software-tool-push-wind-energy-mainstream/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/01/new-software-tool-push-wind-energy-mainstream/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2014 16:30:47 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=72709 The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory believes that a new software tool it has been developing could push wind energy into the mainstream and past the Department of Energy’s goal for 20% of all energy coming from wind energy by 2030. The software tool, called Simulator for Wind Farm Applications (SOWFA), is

New Software Tool Could Push Wind Energy Into Mainstream was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/01/new-software-tool-push-wind-energy-mainstream/feed/ 13 Little Box Challenge — Finalist Inverters To Be Tested By NREL http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/25/little-box-challenge-finalist-inverters-tested-nrel/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/25/little-box-challenge-finalist-inverters-tested-nrel/#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2014 22:02:36 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=72462 The 18 finalist inverters of the “Little Box Challenge” will undergo extensive performance testing after the initial selection process at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, according to a recent press announcement. As part of this final testing process, the high power density inverters submitted to the Little Box Challenge will undergo

Little Box Challenge — Finalist Inverters To Be Tested By NREL was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/25/little-box-challenge-finalist-inverters-tested-nrel/feed/ 2 Move Over, Orange: Copper Is The New Black (Silicon) http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/05/low-cost-black-silicon-uses-copper-not-silver/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/05/low-cost-black-silicon-uses-copper-not-silver/#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2014 12:15:22 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=71570 Solar innovator Natcore and NREL team up to push the cost of black silicon solar cells down, down, down with new copper based catalytic process

Move Over, Orange: Copper Is The New Black (Silicon) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/05/low-cost-black-silicon-uses-copper-not-silver/feed/ 2 Solar City Achieves $201.5 Million Securitization http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/01/solar-city-achieves-201-5-million-securitization/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/01/solar-city-achieves-201-5-million-securitization/#comments Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:00:03 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=69997 Solar industry disruptor Solar City has achieved a $201.5 securitization through a rarely-used, and potentially challenging, financial model

Solar City Achieves $201.5 Million Securitization was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/01/solar-city-achieves-201-5-million-securitization/feed/ 3 California Keeps Crushing America’s Clean Energy And Tech Rankings http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/15/california-keeps-crushing-americas-clean-energy-and-tech-rankings/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/15/california-keeps-crushing-americas-clean-energy-and-tech-rankings/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2014 17:49:38 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=69503 Even though California once again dominates Clean Edge's annual Clean Tech Leadership Index, clean energy keeps growing in almost every corner of America.

California Keeps Crushing America’s Clean Energy And Tech Rankings was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/15/california-keeps-crushing-americas-clean-energy-and-tech-rankings/feed/ 7 NREL To Fuel Cell EV Critics: La-La-La-La-La http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/30/nrel-bets-the-ranch-on-fuel-cell-electric-vehicles/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/30/nrel-bets-the-ranch-on-fuel-cell-electric-vehicles/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2014 12:25:11 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=68885 NREL bets the ranch on fuel cell electric vehicles, forms a new R&D partnership with GM to cut the cost of EV fuel cells with materials

NREL To Fuel Cell EV Critics: La-La-La-La-La was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/30/nrel-bets-the-ranch-on-fuel-cell-electric-vehicles/feed/ 17 How To Invest In Solar Projects http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/06/invest-solar-projects/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/06/invest-solar-projects/#comments Fri, 06 Jun 2014 11:10:19 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=67869 By Tam Hunt, owner of Community Renewable Solutions LLC The solar market is booming in the US. We recently surpassed ten gigawatts of installed capacity, just a year after we surpassed five gigawatts. The future is equally bright. With this boom in solar we’re seeing new ways for investors to become involved in this exciting business. California is considered

How To Invest In Solar Projects was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/06/invest-solar-projects/feed/ 0 Smart Windows Startup Using NREL Patents http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/22/title-2/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/22/title-2/#comments Thu, 22 May 2014 09:07:18 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=67170 By James Lester Smart windows have been slow to grab a foothold in the construction and energy efficiency industry. The recent development of electrochromic (EC) windows, often called “smart windows”, promise to make a big impact on building heating and cooling costs. They are ‘smart’ because they can be programmed to absorb and reflect a different amount of

Smart Windows Startup Using NREL Patents was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/22/title-2/feed/ 0 Banking On Solar http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/15/banking-solar/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/15/banking-solar/#comments Thu, 15 May 2014 13:50:57 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=66719 Improving loan opportunities could boost solar rates where third-party financing is lacking in some states, said Banking on Solar recently. Assembled by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Banking on Solar plans to make progress eliminating roadblocks for banks that want to invest more in solar energy’s potential, and increase their own

Banking On Solar was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/15/banking-solar/feed/ 0 Black Silicon Wafers Processed Into Solar Cells In Actual Production Line http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/11/black-silicon-wafers-processed-solar-cells-actual-production-line-first-time/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/11/black-silicon-wafers-processed-solar-cells-actual-production-line-first-time/#comments Sun, 11 May 2014 09:10:25 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=66546 Natcore Technology’s black silicon wafers have now been processed into actual working solar cells in a production line, rather than a laboratory setting, for the first time. This has been done by one of the world’s largest photovoltaic manufacturers, which is located in China’s Hunan province. Five batches of the silicon wafers with a black

Black Silicon Wafers Processed Into Solar Cells In Actual Production Line was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/11/black-silicon-wafers-processed-solar-cells-actual-production-line-first-time/feed/ 12