The IRA has helped spur significant clean energy investment, which in the past 3 months has totaled $40 billion – equal to the total amount in 2021. This includes an announcement about 20 new clean energy manufacturing facilities or facility expansions – 12 of which are for solar manufacturing. It represents a 300% increase in module manufacturing capacity with a potential for 22 new GW.
NREL researchers have developed an approach that produces highly efficient and stable perovskite solar. Creating perovskites based on a mixture of bromine and iodine is very important for the creation of tandem solar cells but there have been chronic issues around stability in response to factors like light and heat. NREL has found a way to remedy this issue with a new manufacturing process.
Solar Builder took a good hard look at their Project of the Year Awardees for 2022 and gleaned some insights for the industry around solar’s future. Discussion includes focusing on what solar is capable of rather than its limits (like solar in Alaska), the wisdom of diversity in skills in C&I, the key role batteries play in PPAs, and the need for policymakers and utilities to think outside the box.
Given that half the states have adopted the 2020 National Electrical Code, SPW has released a fire safety guide with an overview of the salient points and a listing of the available rapid shutdown devices on the market. Choices include AP Smart, SunSpec, TS4, Power Optimizer, and FireRaptor.