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June 15, 2001
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Sandia July 18-20 photovoltaic symposium aimed at increasing work with US industry

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — With energy and environmental issues at the forefront of the nation’s consciousness, Sandia National Laboratories’ photovoltaic (PV) research group is hosting a three-day symposium on PV, a technology that can help with both issues.

The Photovoltaic Systems Technology symposium offers an opportunity for participants to learn about the Department of Energy’s Systems Engineering Program, offer input aimed at helping shape the future of DOE’s national PV program, and participate in a discourse on the current state of PV systems technology.

It will run July 18-20 at Albuquerque’s Sheraton Uptown Hotel. Technical content will focus on efforts to improve reliability, increase performance, reduce costs, remove barriers, and stimulate markets.

Registration and other symposium information is available at http://www.sandia.gov/pv/syssyp.htm. Registration will cost $175 up to June 22, and $225 after that. That fee includes materials and admission to all technical sessions, and all but one meal during the symposium.

Topics to be addressed are:

  • Roadmapping Strategies: Taking PV into the 21st Century
  • Meeting Manufacturing, Marketing, and Research Goals
  • Performance Issues Encountered in Fielded Systems
  • Testing Protocols for PV Certification
  • Reliability Issues in a Variety of Applications
  • PV Opportunities for Rural Co-ops
  • Getting the Most out of PV Systems
  • Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to the Technology
  • Accurately Predicting the Performance of a PV System
  • Incorporating PV into Government Development Programs
  • Productive Use Applications

The symposium coincides with activities celebrating the 75th anniversary of historic Route 66, which is Albuquerque’s Central Avenue, the city’s “main street.” Albuquerque is one of the media stopovers for the American Solar Challenge race, whose race cars will be passing through Albuquerque July 19-22 as part of the Route 66 celebrations.

For more information on the symposium, contact Connie Brooks at 505-844-4383, cjbrook@sandia.gov, or PVSAC@sandia.gov.


Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major research and development responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.

Media contact:
Howard Kercheval, hckerch@sandia.gov, (505) 844-7842

Sandia contact:
Connie Brooks , cjbrook@sandia.gov , (505) 844-4383

For some other Sandia PV-related stories, see:
Connecting PV systems to utility grids:
http://www.sandia.gov/media/NewsRel/NR2000/pvmeth.htm

Electrifying remote homes on the Navajo Reservation:
http://www.sandia.gov/media/NewsRel/NR2000/navajos.htm

Sandia PV and wind energy systems for remote Mexican homes:
http://www.sandia.gov/media/renewed.htm




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