Funding Opportunity: PREDICTS 2

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As a part of their PREDICTS2 award, researchers at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) will do a comparative study of photovoltaic (PV) panels in order to maximize PV plant energy production and profitability. This project was announced on September 16, 2015 at the Solar Power International conference. Read the press release.

APPROACH

This project will use testing in environmental chambers to simulate the degradation of PV modules and systems at an accelerated pace, to better understand how solar photovoltaic (PV) panels age and fail over time. After information is gathered from the simulations and compared to panels in the field, researchers at EPRI will develop an algorithm that can be used to predict panel performance over time and determine the levelized cost of energy. 

INNOVATION

Because EPRI researchers are studying which PV panels and systems have the highest power outputs over a PV system’s lifetime, findings from this study may spur the development of new PV projects and lower solar financing costs.