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DOE Pledges $170 Million to Advance Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies

April 13, 2011
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Steven Chu, the Secretary of Energy, announced nearly $170 million in available funding over the next three years to support the advancement of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technologies in four areas:

  • Foundational Program to Advance Cell Efficiency (F-PACE) — approximately $39 million to improve PV cell performance and reduce the costs of modules for grid-scale commercial applications;
  • PV Balance of Systems — approximately $60 million for research, development and demonstration of balance of system hardware components;
  • Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS)-Advanced Concepts — approximately $40 million to increase the integration of solar energy onto the electrical grid; and,
  • PV Next Generation — approximately $30 million for early stage applied research on new Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technologies.

 

This funding is part of the Department of Energy's SunShot initative to reduce total cost of solar energy systems by about 75 percent (approximately $1 per watt) before the end of the decade. Chu said, "A robust American solar industry will boost our technological leadership and competitiveness, improve the nation's energy security, create skilled manufacturing jobs and help reach the president's goal of doubling our clean energy in the next 25 years." Read the press release...

energy, dept of energy, cleantech