What is a solar photovoltaic manufacturing map?

The U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Map shows only active manufacturing sites that contribute to the solar photovoltaic supply chain. It details their nameplate capacities, or the full amount of potential output at an existing facility, where known. This does not imply that these facilities produced the amount listed.

What is the US large-scale solar photovoltaic database?

The U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database provides the locations and array boundaries of U.S. ground-mounted photovoltaic facilities, with capacity of 1 megawatt or more.

Are solar photovoltaic map services free?

Map services and data downloaded from the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database are free and in the public domain.

What is thermophotovoltaics (TPV)?

Thermophotovoltaics (TPV) is a power generation technology that uses thermal radiation to generate electricity in photovoltaic cells. A TPV system generally consists of a thermal emitter that can reach high temperatures, near or beyond 1,000 C, and a photovoltaic diode cell that can absorb photons coming from the heat source.

How efficient is a thermophotovoltaic cell?

This cell achieved an efficiency of 41.1% operating at a power density of 2.39 W cm –2 and an emitter temperature of 2,400 C. The group presented the device in “ Thermophotovoltaic efficiency of 40%,” which was recently published in Nature.

How are photovoltaic absorbers made?

The manufacturing typically starts with float glass coated with a transparent conductive layer, onto which the photovoltaic absorber material is deposited in a process called close-spaced sublimation. Laser scribing is used to pattern cell strips and to form an interconnect pathway between adjacent cells.