Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy September 11, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) today gives notice of a request for information on photovoltaic reliability and durability research and development. Photovoltaic modules are exposed to severe operating conditions involving temperature, thermal cycling, UV radiation, humidity, environmental weathering and soiling, electrical and other stresses. It is necessary to address the risk and uncertainty in photovoltaic performance due to these conditions in order to enable greater investor confidence, which ultimately can lead to lower financing costs and greater volume of installations. The DOE SunShot Program therefore requests information to determine fruitful areas of research and development that could lead to improved reliability and durability of photovoltaic modules, with the purpose of creating increased appetite for photovoltaic projects for investors, developers, integrators, and utilities. The RFI document is posted at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.