| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.69 |
| Liaison | Alan Turnquist |
| Submission Date | July 24, 2023 |
Michigan Technological University
IN-47: Innovation A
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Alan
Turnquist Director of Sustainability and Resilience Office of the President |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
Established in 2012 by the DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, and under the technical oversight of Sandia National Laboratories, the RTC program represents a consortium of five outdoor solar research sites across the U.S. that collectively form a state-of-the-art technical platform for evaluating the performance and reliability of emerging PV technologies. The RTC program gives U.S. solar companies access to these multiclimate research facilities and to the technical expertise of Sandia and its academic partners to validate new technologies under rigorous conditions. Pairing industry with laboratory and academic expertise helps drive both product innovation and commercialization of new high-efficiency solar products.
The newly built Michigan Tech facility offers the RTC program a unique location to demonstrate the resilience and efficiency of new-generation PV technologies in severe winter environments and to document the energy gains from novel designs. Research is also underway at the Michigan RTC to develop new methods of rapid snow removal from PV panels. Overall, this state-of-the-art research facility plays a key role in driving the growth of solar in northern regions by helping identify the factors that will ensure the nation’s solar infrastructure is robust, dependable and high performing.
The test center will provide opportunities for research, workforce training and education to further the deployment of PV in this rural, underserved county in the Upper Peninsula, while fostering increased collaboration between the community and the University. The RTC also helps establish MTU as the premier research institution for solar energy at northern latitudes.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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