Solar Site
The Center for Energy Research’s Solar Site is located on the corner of Flamingo Road and Swenson Street, at the northwest corner of UNLV’s main campus. This site houses two flat-panel Amonix concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems and a 100-kV solar dish. This site also has a Façade Evaluation Facility, where windows, built-in photovoltaics (BIPV) systems, and other building components can be experimentally studied.
Solar Technology Center
Located in the Eldorado Valley, south of Boulder City, Nevada, the Solar Technology Center consists of an office building and 34 acres. The land borders on two large solar plants, a 200-MW photovoltaic plant owned by Sempra Energy, and a 75-MWe thermal trough plant operated by Acciona, seen in the background of this photo.
Regional Test Center
UNLV’s Center for Energy Research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to operate one of five Regional Test Centers nationwide to evaluate new photovoltaic (PV) products in various types of climatological conditions. The other four facilities are in Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, and Vermont. UNLV's facility is located at the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s water treatment plant located between Las Vegas and Boulder City, Nevada. Because of the high solar fluxes present in Southern Nevada, this facility has been operating high-concentration PV systems manufactured by Soitec. Units from other manufacturers will be added.
The Façade Facility
The UNLV Center for Energy Research has developed a facility that can be used to evaluate the thermal and optical performance — if the latter is pertinent — of facade elements, also known as fenestration. This facility is located at UNLV's Solar Site on Flamingo Road in Las Vegas.
Thomas Beam Engineering (TBE) Building
The TBE building is one of two main buildings at UNLV’s main campus that house the College of Engineering. Up on the rooftop of TBE is a small test station for solar research.
Science and Engineering Building (SEB)
The SEB is one of two main buildings at UNLV’s main campus that house the College of Engineering. Along with the TBE rooftop, the rooftop of SEB as well as a lab within the build is a site for solar research.