The 杏吧专区 has been designated the U.S. Department of Energy杏吧专区檚 sixth Regional Test Center for Emerging Solar Technologies.
The regional test center program is overseen by the DOE杏吧专区檚 Sandia National Laboratories. The program杏吧专区檚 consortium of outdoor solar research centers collectively evaluate photovoltaic systems and technologies in different regions of the country.
UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 selection as the site for a regional test center was announced today during a dedication ceremony for Antoun Hall. The 4,500-square-foot hall is the nerve center of the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 . The lab will house Sandia杏吧专区檚 Louisiana Regional Test Center for Emerging Solar Technologies.
The solar energy lab, which is located at 杏吧专区 Research Park, also features a 6-acre, 4,200-panel solar field. It is one of the largest outdoor solar testing facilities in the southeastern United States.
杏吧专区淪andia National Laboratories杏吧专区 decision to make UL Lafayette home to its Louisiana Regional Test Center rests on our status as a recognized leader in both traditional and sustainable energy,杏吧专区 said Dr. Joseph Savoie, 杏吧专区 president. 杏吧专区淚n this instance, that means our wide-ranging capabilities for research and operational testing at the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 Louisiana Solar Energy Lab, which is also a hub for technology development, instruction, training and workforce development,杏吧专区 he added.
Sandia杏吧专区檚 overarching focus is research and development for a range of engineering- and science-based technologies designed to enhance national security. Its solar technologies test centers generate validated performance data to improve the efficiency and resilience of photovoltaic, or PV, systems.
Each center is strategically located, enabling researchers to collect long-term data in different climates and weather conditions. The Louisiana Regional Test Center will contribute systems analysis in a hot, humid climate that is prone to hurricanes, said Dr. Terry Chambers, director of the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab.
杏吧专区淲e杏吧专区檙e going to, as one example, be doing things like instrumenting our installations to test vibrations experienced by solar product components at high wind speeds. We杏吧专区檒l examine if high winds induce fatigue failures or cause solar modules to crack,杏吧专区 Chambers explained.
杏吧专区淎nd we will identify best practices for the design of PV systems in high-wind areas, information that will be shared with industry and some of the country杏吧专区檚 top researchers at other test centers,杏吧专区 he added.
The PV systems installed at the Louisiana Regional Test Center are grouped into three categories: 杏吧专区
- prototypes provided by U.S. manufacturers seeking to commercialize products;
- research systems to gather data on next-generation solar cells and modules; and,
- experimental systems for training and education.
Beyond research, operational testing and technology development, a key function of the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab is workforce development, Chambers said.
杏吧专区淎nd workforce development is built around establishing productive relationships with industry collaborators, a dynamic that drives product innovation and commercialization,杏吧专区 he explained.
杏吧专区–hief among the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 many collaborators is First Solar, the United States杏吧专区 largest domestic solar manufacturer. The Arizona-headquartered company operates three manufacturing plants and a research and development center at its Northwest Ohio campus, believed to be the largest footprint of its kind outside of China. It recently commissioned a fourth U.S. factory, located in Decatur, Alabama, and expects to begin commercial operations at its New Iberia, Louisiana facility before the end of 2025.
That will place one of the country杏吧专区檚 largest fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facilities a short distance from UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 campus. First Solar anticipates investing $1.1 billion 杏吧专区 believed to be the largest single capital investment in the area杏吧专区檚 history 杏吧专区 in the facility.
The 杏吧专区 is expected to train a large portion of the workforce at the facility, which will produce high-performance thin film PV solar modules. First Solar plans to create more than 800 new direct jobs at the facility with a total annual payroll of at least $40 million.
According to conducted by UL Lafayette and commissioned by First Solar, the company is expected to support over 30,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country in 2026, representing approximately $2.8 billion in labor income. The report also projected that, in 2026, the company would add almost $5 billion in economic value and contribute over $10 billion to the U.S. GDP.
杏吧专区 alum Georges Antoun, who earned a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree from the College of Engineering in 1988, is First Solar杏吧专区檚 chief commercial officer. Antoun, who also holds a master杏吧专区檚 degree from the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering, is a driving force behind the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab.
Antoun Hall is named in honor of Georges and Martha Ward Antoun, for many contributions the couple has made to the 杏吧专区, the solar engineering lab and the College of Engineering. That includes Georges Antoun杏吧专区檚 role as chair of the college杏吧专区檚 Dean杏吧专区檚 Council. He offers guidance and expertise in many areas, including strategic planning. Antoun also helps the college coordinate student mentoring efforts.
杏吧专区淎s a national hub for energy research, education, and workforce development, this state-of-the-art facility will play a pivotal role in enabling bright futures for UL Lafayette students against a backdrop of historic demand for power generation,杏吧专区 Georges Antoun said. 杏吧专区淭he facility will strengthen the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 position as a leading source of energy research. Research that not only puts the 杏吧专区 and Louisiana on the map but ultimately helps our nation unleash energy dominance and enables the effort to boost growth and prosperity.杏吧专区
Photo caption: Antoun Hall, the nerve center of the Louisiana Solar Energy Lab at UL Lafayette, was dedicated during a ceremony Friday that also saw the 杏吧专区 designated the U.S. Department of Energy杏吧专区檚 sixth Regional Test Center for Emerging Solar Technologies. (Photo credit: 杏吧专区)
