Sandia Expertise Guides New Photovoltaic RequirementsSandia’s Photovoltaic (PV) Arc-Fault Detection and Mitigation team has gained worldwide renown as a leader in the science of PV arc faults. As a driver of groundbreaking experimental and numerical simulations in this area, codes and standards bodies have called on Sandia to improve requirements for arc-fault circuit interrupters. Sandia has advised the National Electrical [...]
Solar Test Facility Upgrades Complete, Leading to Better Sandia Capabilities to Support Power IndustryA recent overhaul of the DOE’s National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF), operated by Sandia, is dramatically improving researchers’ ability to understand and use concentrating solar power (CSP). The $17.8M upgrade to the NSTTF adds state-of-the-art test capabilities, and the resulting research is expected to lead to more solar power use on the electric grid. [...]
Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne TestingOn November 24, 2012 the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) began testing of the Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) solar receiver shroud. Fifteen days of solar testing are scheduled for this testing. The flux levels on the shroud range between 100 and 500 suns. The work is sponsored by PWR in cooperation with the Department [...]
NASA TestingDuring the week of October 15 multiple ablator samples were exposed to the concentrated solar beam. The samples were provided by NASA via Work for Others agreement. Some of the samples were five-inches in diameter and others were 12-inches square. The samples were exposed to 150-200 W/cm2 flux levels for up to 300 seconds using [...]
Excellence Award in the 2012 Facilities Environmental, Safety and Health Go Green InitiativeA team from Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) recently won a first place Excellence Award in the 2012 Facilities Environmental, Safety and Health Go Green Initiative of the Lockheed Martin Electronics Systems Business Area. The award was given for an innovative means of disposing of 5000 mirrored glass facets that [...]
Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States Kick-OffThe purpose of the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS) is to establish a Joint Clean Energy R&D Center (JCERDC)—to create an environment for cooperation and innovation “without borders” in order to develop and improve emerging revolutionary solar electricity technologies and contribute to the long-term success of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru [...]
Sandia to Co-Host International Workshop on Photovoltaics (PV) PenetrationSandia National Laboratories, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and European Distributed Energies Research Laboratories (DERlab) have organized a workshop on utility operating experience with high solar PV penetration levels. The workshop, “Utility Experience with High Penetration PV,” is scheduled Monday, December 3, in Berlin. The workshop will take place just before the Fifth International [...]
National Solar Thermal Testing Facility Beam ProfilingOn Thursday, June 7, we began beam profiling the NSTTF field heliostat beam. Using the “Hot 80” heliostats aimed at a single aimpoint on a vertical target, the peak flux was 192 W/cm2. Using the remaining 128 heliostats (the Cool 128) aimed at a single aimpoint on a vertical target, the peak flux was 152 [...]
Molten Nitrate Salt Initial Flow Testing is a Tremendous Success The Molten Salt Test Loop (MSTL ) system at Sandia National Laboratories’ National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) completed initial flow testing this week with great success. The system pumped molten nitrate salt through a range of process conditions and showed performance characteristics that meet or exceed the design specifications. The outstanding system performance was [...]
Air Force Research Laboratory TestingRecently, personnel from the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque utilized the site at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility to evaluate seismic and optical activity from explosives set off at locations east and west of the facility. Some of the explosives were set-off above ground and some below. The shots varied in strength between [...]
View all Solar Energy News
RSS
Google+
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Flickr
ECIS Highlights
4.71 MB
242.63 kB
