Source: Christine D. Harbin, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy, April 1, 2019.
NEARLY $170M FOR EARLY STAGE SOLAR RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) in DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently made three announcements that amount to nearly a $170 million investment in advancing early-stage solar technologies.
— $130 Million in New Research Funding: DOE announced recently that it will fund up to $130 million for new research to advance early-stage solar technologies. The funding will go toward as many as 80 projects across five research areas: photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), soft costs reduction, innovations in manufacturing, and solar systems integration. These projects will aim to make solar energy more affordable, reliable, and secure, while working to boost solar manufacturing, reduce red tape, and make systems more resilient to cyberattack. Mandatory letters of intent are due May 7, 2019.
— 10 New Projects Selected to Advance Solar Situational Awareness: These projects will seek to improve situational awareness of solar energy systems, especially at critical infrastructure sites, increase resilience to cyber and physical threats, and strengthen solar integration on the grid. As more solar installations are deployed across the country, continued safety and reliability remains of utmost importance.
— $3 Million Solar Manufacturing Prize: The second round of the $3 million American-Made Solar Prize was recently announced. Entrepreneurial competitors with solutions that can revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing are invited to enter the challenge. Contestants will be asked to identify a critical issue and then come up with a marketable solution. Applications are due July 16, 2019.
ADDITIONAL RECENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES & AWARDS
— Wind Energy: DOE announced $28 million in funding for wind energy research. This funding will advance wind energy nationwide across the land-based, offshore, and distributed wind sectors.
— Nuclear Technology: DOE awarded $19 million to 4 domestic advanced nuclear technology projects, which will boost the state of U.S. commercial nuclear capabilities.
— Geothermal Drilling: DOE announced up to $7 million toward the research and development (R&D) of innovative subsurface geothermal technologies.