Regional Test Centers for Solar Technologies: Catalysts for Innovation

Abstract

 

The Vermont Regional Test Center in Williston is part of a network of outdoor research laboratories that provide a technically exacting platform for validating the performance of cutting-edge photovoltaic (PV) technologies across different climates.  Funded through the US Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiaitive, the RTCs collectively represent catalysts for innovation, enabling the collection and analysis of data that then informs product development, strengthens US manufacturing and supports the growth of solar energy across the U.S.  Dr. Burnham will provide an overview of the RTC program, describing its history, infrastructure, some of the technologies under evaluation and preliminary performance findings that speak to the potential for innovation in the industry. She will also highlight the Vermont site, calling attention to the unique value it brings to the RTC program and its potential to broadly serve the state of Vermont.