$87 million allocated for solar technologies

DOE Solar Funding Awards accelerate PV and CSP innovation, grid integration, workforce training, and urban deployment through ARRA-backed projects with universities, utilities, and National Laboratories, speeding commercialization and lowering solar costs nationwide.

At the opening of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon on the National Mall, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced up to $87 million will be made available to support the development of new solar energy technologies and the rapid deployment of available carbon-free solar energy systems.

Of this funding, $50 million comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided Recovery Act funding for geothermal and solar projects nationwide as well. The 47 projects with universities, electric power utilities, DOE’s National Laboratories, and local governments have been selected to support use of solar technologies in U.S. cities, help address technical challenges, ensure reliable connectivity with the electrical grid, and train a new generation of solar workers to install and maintain solar energy systems.

These projects will help speed adoption of solar energy nationwide, while supporting development of a skilled workforce, and continuing to pursue new scientific breakthroughs through targeted solar power studies that increase the efficiency and lower the cost of solar technologies.

“Today’s awards are among the many investments made to create new jobs and a clean energy future with solar power. The projects will help accelerate the use of solar energy by residents, businesses and communities, and promote the long-term viability of solar energy by investing in the technologies of the future, including the American-Made Solar Prize program that spurs innovation,” said Secretary Chu. “I applaud each of these award winners who are vital to moving our country towards a sustainable solar infrastructure.”

The selected projects will help accelerate the commercialization of solar technologies in an effort to achieve cost-competitive solar electricity by 2015, in addition to developing advanced solar technologies for the future. Projects focus on both technology improvements and the elimination of market barriers to help make solar electricity accessible to a wide variety of consumers.

The projects selected for negotiation of awards are in four categories:

• High Penetration Solar Deployment. Seven projects will model, test, and evaluate the impact of large amounts of photovoltaic (PV) electricity on the reliability and stability of the electric power system, aligning with smart grid benefits explored under federal stimulus programs. These projects will help pave the way for broader adoption and growth of grid-tied solar energy systems by improving understanding of the impact of PV electricity on the grid.

• Solar America Cities Special Projects. As the load centers of energy use across the nation, cities play a strategic role in accelerating solar technology adoption at the local level, mirroring lessons from wind projects funding under the Recovery Act that bolstered local renewables uptake. Sixteen cities have been selected for projects that will address specific barriers to solar adoption in urban settings and support innovative approaches that can be widely replicated. Many cities will use this funding for multiple efforts.

• Solar Installer Training. Nine colleges, universities, and local organizations have been selected to lead regional solar installation “train-the-trainer” programs. The projects will support a national ramp-up and coordinated network of training programs, and complement the first renewable loan guarantee that helped catalyze market growth nationwide. This funding will help address the critical needs for qualified solar energy system installers.

• Research projects at DOE National Laboratories. Fifteen projects at DOE National Laboratories will seek to improve technologies, devices and processes for both the PV and Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) industry, reflecting ongoing concentrated solar research supported by DOE initiatives. PV projects focus on development of next generation devices and processes, as well as supply chain technologies for the entire PV system. CSP projects focus on improved energy storage technologies to enable consistent and reliable energy generation.

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