Source: Energy.gov, March 22
The U.S. Department of Energy launched the second round of the American-Made Solar Prize, a $3 million competition designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing. The Solar Prize encourages competitors to develop new solutions capable of advancing technologies for the domestic solar market. In February, the 20 semifinalists from round one were announced. The newly launched second round and the final stages of round one will run concurrently.
To compete, entrepreneurial individuals and teams will take innovative ideas and transform them into concepts and then early-stage prototypes ready for industry testing. The competition challenges competitors to make progress on a condensed timeline and seek private sector partnerships and investments, priming these solutions for market success.
To participate, competitors must identify a critical challenge related to American solar manufacturing competitiveness, create a proof of concept, and secure a partner to test a prototype. Competitors will participate in demonstration days, where they will pitch their ideas. At these national events, a panel of expert reviewers will evaluate competitors based on the quality of their solution and the progress made during the contest period.