SunPower will work with a number of partners to build solar photovoltaic/energy-storage systems at a major retailer. The company will demonstrate that solar power can be made more viable when combined with storage technology - a crucial step in ensuring solar technology's continued popularity, SunPower president Jim Pape said.
"SunPower is excited to … evaluate how to make solar power even more valuable during peak energy periods," he noted.
Perhaps the largest downside to solar power is that it only produces energy when the sun is shining. Renewable-energy facilities often have a fossil fuel-powered backup system to meet demand when the sun has set - but fossil fuels, unlike renewable energy sources, produce carbon.
In the future, it's likely that solar-energy systems will use energy-storage systems - like batteries or flywheels - to meet demand at all hours of the day. SunPower's research could help make energy-storage technology commonplace.
