Thin-film solar module manufacturer Stion has commissioned a 12 kW fixed latitude ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system at the DOE’s New Mexico Regional Test Center (RTC), located at Sandia. The system will be monitored and tested to collect a range of data related to the system’s performance and reliability in New Mexico’s hot, arid climate.
DOE’s SunShot Initiative established five RTCs across the US to independently validate the performance and reliability of PV and concentrated PV systems in various weather and climate conditions. The objectives are to collect performance data that can support commercialization of new technologies, facilitate development of standardized protocols for PV system validation, and accelerate PV deployment throughout the US.
Sandia co-manages the RTC program with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Commercial partners are invited to submit their interest in hosting a system at the RTCs.
Keywords:
- accelerate PV deployment
- independently validate PV performance
- independently validate PV reliability
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- NREL
- PV performance in various weather and climate conditions
- regional test center
- RTC
- SAND2015-8073M
- standardize PV system validation protocols
- SunShot Initiative
- support commercialization of new PV technologies
September 23, 2015