The Solar Energy Technologies Office’s Solar Blog features stories about the office, its awardees, and its work. Learn more.
March 5, 2024
Beyond Recycling: Reducing Waste from Solar Modules Before They’re Even Made
More than 85% percent of a solar photovoltaic (PV) module is made of materials we already know how to recycle, like aluminum and glass. However, solar panel recycling—and recycling overall—is not currently cost-effective or widely adopted.
February 8, 2024
Fremont, California Leads Solar Energy Advancement as First Local Government to Earn SolSmart’s Coveted Platinum Designation
The new designation requires local governments to automate residential solar permitting.
January 23, 2024
Risky Solar Research Ideas Shine with Funding from SIPS: Small Innovative Projects in Solar
This $6.5M DOE funding opportunity is ideal for early-career solar energy researchers, supporting early-stage ideas in photovoltaics and concentrating solar-thermal power.
January 18, 2024
New Federal Guidance Says LIHEAP Funds Can Cover Community Solar Subscription Fees
States should address key considerations before allocating LIHEAP funds toward community solar subscriptions. Learn about this new guidance from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
January 4, 2024
Expanding Solar Energy Opportunities: From Rooftops to Building Integration
Building-integrated photovoltaics is a set of emerging solar energy applications that replace conventional building materials with solar energy generating materials in the structure, like the roof, skylights, balustrades, awnings, facades, or windows.
October 11, 2023
Solar Eclipse + Solar Energy: What to Expect When the Sun Goes Dark
On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will travel across parts of the United States, blocking up to 90% of the sun for several minutes. What could this mean for our power grid? Learn what to expect when the sun goes dark.
September 6, 2023
The Benefits of Powering Your EV with Solar Energy
Harnessing the sun to power your vehicle saves you money, benefits the electric grid, and provides backup power to your home in the future.
May 11, 2023
Tackling High Costs and Long Delays for Clean Energy Interconnection
The critical role that interconnection plays in enabling the clean energy transition is why the U.S. Department of Energy established i2x to identify and develop solutions that make interconnection fairer, faster, and simpler.
May 4, 2023
Keeping Solar in the Field by Keeping Water Out
Solar panels need to withstand the elements to keep producing power for decades, and water is one of a solar module’s trickiest foes. Using clever measurement and modeling methods, researchers are optimizing the way we seal solar modules to keep water out
April 17, 2023
The Potential of Agrivoltaics for the U.S. Solar Industry, Farmers, and Communities
To make agrivoltaics a widely available option for developers in the U.S., questions about cost, liability and other business, legal and regulatory issues need to be addressed.