{"id":108340,"date":"2025-01-15T09:29:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T14:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/\/?p=108340"},"modified":"2025-01-15T09:29:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T14:29:35","slug":"nextracker-and-uc-berkeley-create-solar-energy-research-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/\/2025\/01\/nextracker-and-uc-berkeley-create-solar-energy-research-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"Nextracker and UC Berkeley create solar energy research facility"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nextracker<\/a> and the University of California Berkeley Engineering (UC Berkeley) formed a partnership aimed at advancing solar power plant technology to meet rising global energy demand. The collaboration will establish the CALNEXT Center for Solar Energy Research that will drive a research program and a planned state-of-the-art solar test field. Nextracker has contributed a $6.5 million gift to support the initiative, which is already soliciting and receiving research proposals from UC Berkeley Engineering faculty and graduate students.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Nextracker<\/p><\/div>\n

The CALNEXT Center for Solar Energy Research is dedicated to advancing solar energy technology by leveraging UC Berkeley\u2019s academic expertise and research facilities. The center\u2019s efforts will prioritize technologies to enhance power plant performance and operations, with the hopes of increasing the expansion of utility-scale solar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to partner with UC Berkeley to inaugurate the CALNEXT Center for Solar Energy Research,\u201d said Alex Au, co-founder and CTO of Nextracker, who will oversee CALNEXT operations and initiatives on behalf of Nextracker. \u201cThrough our partnership with UC Berkeley Engineering, we are creating a powerful platform to continue to push the boundaries of solar technology, ensuring clean and affordable energy generation is available to all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The center also plans to integrate solar technologies into UC Berkeley\u2019s engineering and environmental science programs and curricula, providing students with hands-on learning experiences and access to industry tools and real-world applications.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy fostering collaboration between academia and industry, we aim to drive significant advancements in solar power technologies,\u201d said Tarek Zohdi, associate dean for research, UC Berkeley Engineering, and director of the CALNEXT center. \u201cNextracker shares UC Berkeley\u2019s ethos of education, discovery and innovation, and this center will provide our faculty and students with a world-class research experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, UC Berkeley Engineering students will be able to tap into Nextracker\u2019s established internship and mentoring programs and employment opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis center will not only accelerate innovation but also develop the next generation of engineers and researchers at the forefront of the global solar energy revolution,\u201d said Francesco Borrelli, professor of mechanical engineering and co-director of the CALNEXT Center.<\/p>\n

News item from Nextracker<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nextracker and the University of California Berkeley Engineering (UC Berkeley) formed a partnership aimed at advancing solar power plant technology to meet rising global energy demand. The collaboration will establish the CALNEXT Center for Solar Energy Research that will drive a research program and a planned state-of-the-art solar test field. Nextracker has contributed a $6.5…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19854,"featured_media":108341,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[640,5117,16,1690,1697,5120],"tags":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post","13":"entry","14":"has-post-thumbnail"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNextracker and UC Berkeley create solar energy research facility<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nextracker and the University of California Berkeley Engineering (UC Berkeley) formed a partnership aimed at advancing solar power plant technology to\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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