As part of Penn’s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with AES Clean Energy, Penn receives support for the PPA Renewable Energy Research Program. Penn Climate is excited to announce four new research projects funded through the program for 2026.
Field Measurements of wind cooling effects on a utility-scale solar farm
This project will conduct the first spatially and temporally resolved wind measurements over utility-scale solar panels to better understand how airflow affects panel cooling and efficiency. Using advanced 3D particle-tracking technology in operational solar farms, the team will generate unprecedented field data to improve solar performance, validate simulation models, and advance renewable-energy research and education.
Project team:
Nathaniel Wei of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Einara Zahn of the School of Arts & Sciences
Framework for Resilient Solar-Powered Mobile Infrastructure
This project develops resilient off-grid solar-powered mobile cooling infrastructure designed for deployment during extreme weather events and power disruptions. Through real-time monitoring, predictive modeling, and exploration of alternative thermal energy storage methods, the research will improve the reliability, scalability, and sustainability of mobile solar-powered systems for vulnerable and underserved communities.
Project team:
Dorit Aviv, Eric Teitelbaum and Zhan Shi of the Weitzman School of Design
Operando EPR Investigation of Mn Redox Evolution in Aqueous Zn–Mn Batteries for Safe and Scalable Solar Energy Storage
This project investigates the fundamental electrochemical behavior of aqueous zinc–manganese batteries to advance safer and more sustainable energy storage for solar applications. Using operando electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, the team will study manganese redox processes in real time to improve battery reliability, durability, and scalability for large-scale renewable energy infrastructure.
Project team:
Yifan Quan, Zeyu Wang, Liangping Zhu, and Duhan Zhang of the School of Arts & Sciences
High-Energy-Density, Low-Cost Sodium-Iron Molten Salt Redox Flow Battery for Grid-Scale Storage
This project aims to develop a next-generation sodium-iron molten salt redox flow battery for long-duration, grid-scale energy storage. By combining abundant domestic materials with innovative molten-salt chemistry, the technology could achieve energy densities far beyond current flow batteries while improving safety, scalability, and supply-chain resilience for renewable energy systems.
Project team:
Eric Detsi and KueHo Kim of the School of Engineering and Applied Science