Solar Energy

Decades of Solar Mirror Research Now Accessible in New Database

Published

12 months ago

November 4, 2023

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Decades of Solar Mirror Research Now Accessible in New Database

by Simon Mansfield

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 01, 2023

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy, is set to launch an extensive database cataloging the outcomes of decades-long exposure tests on solar mirrors. Known as the Solar Mirror Materials Database (SMMD), this resource promises to house a vast array of data, encompassing over 2,000 samples and 100,000 measurements from more than 100 suppliers. Designed to serve the solar-thermal power industry, the database aims to become a cornerstone in research and development.

NREL’s exhaustive solar mirror study spans a timeline reaching back to 1980. It offers deep insights into the durability and degradation of various materials that make up the mirrors commonly used in concentrating solar-thermal power systems. These mirrors have been exposed to a variety of testing conditions, in both outdoor settings and lab environments, across three locations: Phoenix, Miami, and NREL’s own campus in Golden, Colorado.

The research has been condensed into an article, “Compilation of a Solar Mirror Materials Database and an Analysis of Natural and Accelerated Mirror Exposure and Degradation,” published in the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Authored by Tucker Farrell, a research engineer at NREL, alongside co-authors Yue Cao, Daniel Celvi, Christa Schreiber, and Guangdong Zhu, the paper applies statistical analysis to synthesize decades of measurement data.

Tucker Farrell explained the utility of the SMMD, saying, “The database can guide the development of accelerated tests, design of solar reflectors, and manufacturing processes.” He elaborated on the scope of solar-thermal technology: “You’ve got a variety of forms like parabolic trough, tower, Fresnel, dish, and more, but they all center around a single principle. You aim to reflect and concentrate solar energy at a focal point to capture heat.”

The information within the SMMD is considered exceptionally valuable for its long-term outdoor exposure data. One significant observation made by the NREL team was a strong correlation between four months of accelerated lab testing and nine months of outdoor exposure. This suggests that extended durations in lab conditions are essential for precise modeling of material behavior over time.

The varying climatic conditions at the three test sites provide additional layers of nuance to the research. Phoenix offered the lowest humidity and highest daily temperature ranges, while Miami presented high humidity levels but stable temperatures. Golden experienced the lowest average temperatures but had considerable temperature fluctuations. This range allows for more comprehensive conclusions about how different environmental factors interact with solar mirror materials.

Mirrors used in the studies consisted of various combinations of materials such as glass and aluminum, polymer and silver, or glass and silver. While it’s a given that solar mirrors degrade over time, losing some of their reflectivity, the SMMD aims to offer a deeper understanding of the underlying causes. Factors like corrosion, microfractures, pitting, and other chemical and physical changes have been explored in the database. This enables the development of more targeted and environment-specific solutions. For instance, a mirror designed for arid climates with coarse sand may not be optimal for coastal settings with high humidity and airborne salts.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, the research embodied in the SMMD serves as a rich resource for the development and refinement of solar mirror technologies. The SMMD is expected to be accessible online later this year, offering a comprehensive tool for both researchers and industry professionals.

NREL operates as the U.S. Department of Energy’s premier lab for research and development in renewable energy and energy efficiency, managed by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC.

Research Report:Compilation of a Solar Mirror Materials Database and an Analysis of Natural and Accelerated Mirror Exposure and Degradation

ai.energy-daily.com analysis

Relevance Scores:

1. Renewable Energy Industry Analyst: 9/10

2. Stock and Finance Market Analyst: 7/10

3. Government Policy Analyst: 8/10

Analyst Summary:

The article focuses on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s upcoming Solar Mirror Materials Database (SMMD), a comprehensive compilation of decades-long research on solar mirrors, particularly their durability and degradation. This initiative is primarily aimed at serving the solar-thermal power industry.

Renewable Energy Industry Analyst:

For renewable energy professionals, especially those in the solar-thermal sector, the database is a treasure trove. It covers critical aspects like material degradation and performance under various climatic conditions. The in-depth data could accelerate R and D efforts and potentially lead to more efficient and durable solar mirrors.

Stock and Finance Market Analyst:

From a financial standpoint, this development has implications for companies involved in manufacturing solar mirrors and those investing in solar-thermal projects. The data could reduce risks associated with long-term investments by offering insights into material longevity and performance. However, the database mainly serves the solar-thermal industry, limiting its broader applicability in the entire renewable energy sector.

Government Policy Analyst:

For policy analysts, the database offers concrete data that could inform future policy decisions on renewable energy, particularly solar-thermal technologies. Given that the research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the government would have a vested interest in utilizing this information to shape grants, incentives, and regulations.

Historical Context:

Over the past 25 years, the renewable energy sector has seen significant advancements in technology, efficiency, and scalability. Early solar thermal projects were fraught with issues of inefficiency and durability, many of which this database aims to address. Additionally, in terms of policy, there has been an increased focus on renewable energies as part of sustainable development goals and climate commitments. The SMMD can be seen as a confluence of these advancements and policy directions, offering empirical data to support future initiatives.

Investigative Questions:

1. How can the data in the SMMD be used to create a more sustainable solar-thermal energy supply chain?

2. What are the financial implications of implementing the database’s findings in existing solar-thermal projects?

3. How will the SMMD influence governmental policies around renewable energy subsidies and tax incentives?

4. Could the methodology of the SMMD be applied to other forms of renewable energy technologies for similar benefits?

5. How might the SMMD impact international collaborations on renewable energy research and development?

The SMMD promises to be a valuable resource across different sectors, impacting R and D, investment strategies, and policy formulation in the realm of renewable energy.

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Solar Energy

Huge US lithium mine gets govt approval

Published

2 days ago

October 25, 2024

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Huge US lithium mine gets govt approval

By Romain FONSEGRIVES

Los Angeles, United States (AFP) Oct 24, 2024

An enormous lithium mine in the Nevada desert was granted final government approval Thursday in a project the miner predicts will quadruple US production of a mineral critical to the renewable energy revolution.

Operations at Rhyolite Ridge will produce enough lithium to supply the batteries for more than 370,000 electric vehicles every year, Australian operator Ioneer said.

The plant will create 500 construction jobs over the next few years and 350 jobs during its decades of extraction, the company said.

“There are few deposits in the world as impactful as Rhyolite Ridge,” said Ioneer Executive Chairman James Calaway, heralding the permit issued Thursday by the Bureau of Land Management.

The company’s managing director, Bernard Rowe, said construction would begin next year.

“This permit gives us a license to commence construction in 2025 and begin our work in creating hundreds of good-paying rural jobs, generating millions in tax revenue for Esmeralda County, and bolstering the domestic production of critical minerals,” he said.

The news comes less than two weeks before Americans go to the polls to elect a new president, and will be welcomed in Nevada, where unemployment is well above the national average.

The administration of President Joe Biden has made the green transition a key plank of its economic policy, investing heavily in technologies aimed at slashing the pollution that is causing the climate to change.

Scientists say electric vehicles are a vital link in that chain, and their widespread adoption in the car-dependent US will be vital if the country is to meet its carbon reduction targets.

Biden has tried to nudge the US auto industry to re-tool and shift production away from gas-guzzlers and into electric cars, in a move he says will help create jobs at home.

Subsidies for consumers have rewarded automakers who produce EVs in the United States, even while they struggle to source lithium batteries — a sector dominated by strategic rival China.

But the project at Rhyolite Ridge has highlighted the trade-off between the need to adapt energy sources and the desire to protect the planet’s biodiversity.

Campaigners say the mine will threaten the unique habitat of the endangered Tiehm’s Buckwheat — a rare wildflower with delicate cream-colored blossoms that grows only in this corner of Nevada.

“By greenlighting this mine the Bureau of Land Management is abandoning its duty to protect endangered species like Tiehm’s Buckwheat and it’s making a mockery of the Endangered Species Act,” said Patrick Donnelly of the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit conservation group.

“We need lithium for the energy transition, but it can’t come with a price tag of extinction.”

Ioneer admits that over the years the mine is in operation around a fifth of the flower’s habitat will be directly affected.

But the company, which has spent $2.5 million researching the plant, says mining will not affect its survival, insisting their experiments show it is already growing well in greenhouses.

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Solar Energy

Eramet suspends battery recycling project in France

Published

2 days ago

October 25, 2024

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Eramet suspends battery recycling project in France

By Isabel MALSANG

Paris (AFP) Oct 24, 2024

French mining firm Eramet said Thursday it was suspending plans to build a battery recycling plant, the second such project in France to fall through in a month as the electric vehicle sector struggles.

Batteries for electric cars are packed with costly critical minerals and recycling these to lower costs and make them more sustainable is a key challenge.

Eramet was looking to build a facility that would have been able to separate the minerals out from the black powder that used batteries are initially transformed into.

While the sale of new internal combustion engine cars is supposed to end in Europe in just over a decade, the shift towards electric vehicles has seen a setback recently with consumer demand flagging.

Battery manufacturers have since put expansion plans on hold, with firms that aim to recycle used batteries now following suit.

“Due to the lack of ramp-up in Europe of battery factories and their components… there are currently major uncertainties about the supply of raw materials to the plant, and about recycling opportunities for the metallic salts,” Eramet said in a statement.

“The required conditions for pursuing a hydro- metallurgical battery recycling plant project in France are therefore not met, and the Group has decided to suspend the project,” it added.

Company officials said if the project went forward it would likely have to export the minerals to Asia, which would not make economic sense.

Eramet’s partner Suez said it would go forward with building a plant outside Paris to break down used car batteries.

Last month carmaker Stellantis and mining group Orano similarly shelved plans to develop a battery recycling facility in France.

im-ngu/rl/sbk

ERAMET

Stellantis

SUEZ

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Solar Energy

New efficiency record set for eco-friendly nanocrystal solar cells

Published

2 days ago

October 25, 2024

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New efficiency record set for eco-friendly nanocrystal solar cells

by Erica Marchand

Paris, France (SPX) Oct 25, 2024

As climate change accelerates the shift towards renewable energy sources, solar cells are becoming increasingly vital. Solar power generation in Spain, for instance, grew by 28% in 2023 compared to the previous year, contributing to 20.3% of the country’s total energy mix. However, despite their widespread adoption, solar cells still rely on materials that are not always environmentally sustainable. Expanding solar technology to a broader range of applications, such as powering buildings, infrastructure, and vehicles, requires the development of flexible, lightweight, and cost-effective solar cells.

Colloidal silver bismuth sulfide (AgBiS2) nanocrystals have recently emerged as a promising eco-friendly material for ultra-thin solar cells. These nanocrystals possess an exceptionally high absorption coefficient, but current manufacturing techniques for such solar cells rely on multi-step processes that are costly and inefficient. A new single-step approach using nanocrystal inks could streamline production, but defects on the nanocrystal surfaces have limited efficiency.

To address this issue, researchers at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), led by ICREA Prof. Gerasimos Konstantatos, have developed an innovative post-deposition in situ passivation (P-DIP) technique. This method enhances surface passivation, leading to nanocrystal ink films with superior optoelectronic properties. Their work, published in “Energy and Environmental Science”, achieved a power conversion efficiency of around 10%, surpassing the performance of previous AgBiS2-based solar cells.

Dr. Jae Taek Oh, the study’s first author, explained the importance of surface passivation: “Imagine a bumpy road that slows down cars. Surface passivation is like repaving the road, making it smoother so cars can move without getting stuck. In our case, the removal of surface defects is very important to facilitate the transportation of charge carriers created from light absorption in nanocrystal films.”

The research team’s P-DIP strategy improved the quality of the nanocrystal films by addressing surface defects, leading to a significant boost in efficiency. By using a multifunctional molecular agent containing chlorine, they were able to stabilize the nanocrystals and ensure even dispersion in the solution, which resulted in smooth film coatings and enhanced carrier transport.

This combination of techniques has set a new performance record for sustainable, eco-friendly solar cells.

Research Report:Post-deposition in situ passivation of AgBiS2 nanocrystal inks for high-efficiency ultra-thin solar cells