“American ingenuity is the engine of our energy economy,” said DOE Secretary Rick Perry. “Investing in all of our abundant energy sources, including solar technologies, will help to drive down costs and ensure that the nation leads the world in energy production and innovation.”
The 2018 Solar Energy Technologies Office Funding Opportunity Announcement will combine all of SETO’s technology areas into one request. By creating a more streamlined and consolidated funding strategy, DOE seeks to accelerate the cycles of learning in solar research and reduce government overhead costs.
The funding program will focus on four main areas:
TOPIC 1: Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies (up to $46 million) for up to 14 projects advancing research on technologies that enable the seamless integration of solar energy onto the nation’s electricity grid.
TOPIC 2: Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Research and Development (up to $24 million) for up to 21 projects pursuing innovative CSP concepts and technology solutions that enable the solar industry to reach DOE’s 2030 levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) targets for CSP.
TOPIC 3: Photovoltaics Research and Development (up to $27 million) for up to 28 projects supporting early-stage research to increase performance, reduce materials and processing costs, and improve reliability of PV cells, modules, and systems.
TOPIC 4: Improving and Expanding the Solar Industry through Workforce Initiatives (up to $8.5 million) for up to four projects pursuing innovative initiatives that prepare the solar industry for a digital future while also increasing the number of veterans and participants in the solar industry.
Sign up HERE to learn more about this funding opportunity at an upcoming webinar.
For more information on the Solar Energy Technologies Office, visit their website HERE.
