National Center For Photovoltaics
The goals of the photovoltaics (PV) research done at NREL are to decrease the “nation's reliance on fossil-fuel generated electricity by lowering the cost of delivered electricity and improving the efficiency of PV modules and systems.” Photovoltaic research at NREL is performed under the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV). NREL, along with Sandia National Laboratories, helps to coordinate work on PV for the NCPV with other research institutions including Brookhaven National Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, DOE's Regional Experiment Stations; Southeast Regional Experiment Station and the Southwest Technology Development Institute. The NCPV also partners with many universities and other industry partners. The National Center for Photovoltaics is part of the DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Program (STEP). STEP’s main goal is to “develop cost-competitive solar energy systems for America.” The STEP program focuses funding on PV solar and concentrating solar because they feel that they have the greatest potential to be cost-competitive by 2015. In 2010, STEP spent over $128 million on PV research and development.
The lab maintains a number of research partnerships for PV research. Some examples include partnerships with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Western Governors' Association Solar Energy Task Force.
Read more about this topic: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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