Concentrated Photovoltaics

Research focusing on the development of concentrating systems for solar photovoltaic devices began at the University of California, Merced in 2005. Through both funding and collaboration with public and private organizations, our research has led to the development of products that are currently entering the marketplace. These concentrating devices greatly enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic cells and permit the use of lower-cost materials in the fabrication of solar cell devices. [read more] 

Solar Thermal

Solar thermal systems operate by using sunlight to raise the temperature of an oil medium as high as 400° F or a molten salt to temperatures exceeding 1,800° F. The energy captured in this process is stored in the form of heat that can later be used in a number of applications ranging from large-scale electric power generation to simply heating water for home use. This capacity to store energy at a lower relative cost is a key advantage that solar thermal systems have over photovoltaic systems. [read more] 

Solar Power Forecasting Initiative 

The UC Merced Solar Forecasting Laboratory is developing a network of solar instruments to monitor, map and forecast the solar resource in the state of California with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. The data from a few strategically placed high-grade solar ground stations will be used for the continuing development of a self-learning, stochastic model that UC Merced has created for the accurate forecasting of the solar resource. The model combines remote sensing, ground irradiance measurements, and weather data from hundreds of National Weather Service (NWS) meteorological stations with the objective of providing solar irradiance forecasting capability for the entire state of CA at very high temporal and spatial resolutions [read more]

Contamination and Cleaning of Solar Collectors

Soiling is the phenomena of accumulation of dirt on solar collectors, which blocks or deflects sunlight and significantly reduce the performance of the solar energy systems. We will systematically study soiling and cleaning processes and their effect on the performance of solar systems.  Synergistic lab and field experiments and complementary numerical simulations will be conducted to investigate particle deposition, adhesion and mitigation under natural or artificial wind conditions, which will be applied for performance forecasting and optimal design of cleaning methods. [read more]

Nanopillar Photovoltaics

Solar energy represents one of the most abundant and yet least-harvested source of renewable energy. In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in developing photovoltaics (PVs) that can be potentially mass employed. [read more]

Nanostructured Photovoltaics

We are working on the design and development of solar cells and solar concentrators which will utilize nanoscale materials for converting solar energy into electrical power. The nanoparticles we use in our research are semiconducting quantum dots grown by chemical synthesis. These include dots of different materials and sizes, with optical and structural properties varying over a wide range. In particular, we are focusing on narrow band-gap semiconductor quantum dots with emission energies in the infra-red. [read more]

Daylighting

You are probably reading this, sitting in a room, illuminated by several conventional lights which are all consuming an abundant amount of energy—with the sun glaring outside! Our plan is to bring the free sunlight from outside, inside! Using our solar concentration technology we can direct daylight into buildings. [read more] 

Thermoelectric Materials

More efficient materials are needed to expand the commercial applications of thermoelectric devices. CoSb3 is the most promising thermoelectric material to replace PbTe-based alloys. The binary skutterudite compound cobalt triantimonide CoSb3 is particularly interesting because it displays remarkable electrical properties. The overall performance of this material remains however low due to an excessive value of its lattice thermal conductivity. [read more]