Regional Test Facility

Sandia (with DOE support) recently installed infrastructure on eight acres of the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) to support US industry in actual field test and validation of US-based PV modules and systems designs to accelerate bankability assessments. The initial phase has 1 MWe connectivity to the utility system. The second phase, an additional ten acres when complete, will provide an additional 1 MWe. This site, one of four RTCs in the country, capitalizes on the capabilities of the NSTTF and the expertise of Sandia’s PV group to validate US manufacturers’ products at the commercial scale and utility scale in a hot, dry climate.