New Mexico RTC at Sandia National Laboratories
The NM RTC has two PV deployment areas available for RTC systems. The first is intended for larger sized systems (>50kW) and the second for smaller systems (5-50 kW).
- Located at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and managed by Sandia National Laboratories, this site represents a hot, arid climate. The site plan is flexible—allowing the RTC Team to combine or split lots to accommodate partners testing criteria. The initial eight-acre site (Site 0) has four 300 kVA transformers with a total 1.2 MW DC capacity (see artist’s rendition). Expansion into Site A is addressed in the preliminary plans. Expansion into Sites B–F will accommodate additional partners interested in making use of the site, as needed. The RTCs leverage Sandia expertise in PV testing, research, performance modeling, and reliability. The Sandia-based RTC supports 1.2 MW of PV plus baseline test equipment, labor, and data analysis. Together, the RTCs will demonstrate whether PV systems are sufficiently understood to project performance/reliability in other system configurations and environments. The RTCs will establish data ownership and transparency guidelines to encourage manufacturer participation.
- Located at Sandia’s Photovoltaic Systems Evaluation Laboratory (PSEL), this second site will available in the Fall of 2014 to host smaller PV systems in the size range of 5-50 kW. This site is colocated with Sandia’s indoor and outdoor PV module and system laboratories.
