Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar+Storage
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
      • COVID-19 News
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractors Corner
      • Installation Practices
      • Trends in Solar
      • Folsom Labs Solar Boot-Up
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • Manufacturing Locations
  • Leadership
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
  • COVID-19 NEWS

Department of Energy announces up to $45 million for research to advance solar hardware, systems integration

By Kelsey Misbrener | December 16, 2020

Share

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $45 million for research to advance solar hardware and systems integration, including the creation of a consortium dedicated to developing control technologies for a modernized electric grid.

While solar makes up 3% of U.S. electricity, that amount is expected to reach 18% by 2050 — requiring an increase of hundreds of gigawatts of solar capacity. As a result, DOE seeks new solutions that can reliably bring large quantities of solar onto the grid and that can ensure that American-made hardware is used in those installations.

“The nation’s solar energy use is on the rise,” said Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “Funding innovative research and development projects will ensure that the technologies we’re using benefit the U.S. economy while securely delivering reliable power to all Americans.”

The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Fiscal Year 2021 Systems Integration and Hardware Incubator funding program will advance solar in two broad areas: systems integration and hardware incubator.

Systems integration

Today’s grid uses power from multiple energy resources, and it has become digitized and complex. Connecting solar reliably and securely to the power grid — whether as utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) or as smaller-scale distributed PV systems for homes and businesses — is a challenge the following two topic areas are designed to meet. The new Research Roadmap on Grid-Forming Inverters, which was developed in collaboration with three DOE National Laboratories and two universities, will help guide the research as these technologies advance. U.S. universities, companies, nonprofits and state, local and tribal governments are encouraged to apply under this topic. DOE seeks innovative projects in the following areas:

  • Grid-Forming Technologies Research Consortium – $25 million, 1 award: Grid-forming technologies automatically coordinate inverter-based and other resources to start up and maintain electricity on the grid. SETO and the Wind Energy Technologies Office will support the creation of a consortium to advance research and industry-wide collaboration on grid-forming technologies and ensure that they enhance power systems operation.
  • Integrating Behind-the-Meter Solar Resources into Utility Data Systems – $6 million, 2-3 awards: Integrated communication systems that digest sensor measurements from distributed energy sources, especially those from behind-the-meter solar PV systems, are necessary for utilities to manage the grid. This will lead to greater PV system visibility and more flexible and reliable control and operation of the overall power system. Selected projects will receive funding ranging from $2 million to $3 million.

Hardware incubator

In 2019, less than half of the $9 billion spent on PV hardware in the United States was spent on domestic hardware. U.S. solar hardware manufacturing creates jobs and economic activity and promotes energy security. This topic is designed to increase U.S. solar manufacturing by bringing innovative technologies to market more quickly. Only U.S. for-profit entities may apply under this topic. DOE seeks innovative projects in the following areas:

  • Product Development – $6 million, 6–12 awards: The goal of this topic area is to bring new technologies and manufacturing processes to the prototype stage and develop and validate a pathway to commercial success. Selected projects will receive funds ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million.
  • Product Development & Demonstration – $8 million, 1–4 awards: Under this topic area, products or solutions will undergo pilot-scale testing and demonstration. Examples include high-volume or high-throughput manufacturing processes for solar hardware; production of a large number of devices for field testing and validation; and demonstration of a system, like a microgrid, that pilot-tests new hardware. Selected projects will receive funds ranging from $1.5 million to $3 million.

Sign up to learn more about this funding opportunity at a webinar on January 6, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET. Register for tomorrow’s SETO quarterly stakeholder webinar, December 17 at 2 p.m. ET. Visit the SETO website for more information. Learn more about DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

News item from DOE

About The Author

Kelsey Misbrener

Kelsey is senior editor of Solar Power World.

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

SunPower bringing residential solar services to 7 more US markets
Gov. Cuomo announces over $17 million for New York community clean energy efforts
FIMER rolls out new commercial solar inverters suitable for bifacial applications
New Mexico legislator introduces clean electricity bill to expand on Energy Transition Act

Stay Informed With Great Solar Power Content

Videos Podcasts Webinars Whitepapers

SPW Digital Editions

Solar Power World Digital EditionBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Solar Power World in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today.

Solar Policy Snapshot

Solar policy differs across state lines and regions. Click to see our monthly roundup of recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Read More >

Popular Posts See More >

Solar investment tax credit extended at 26% for two additional years
The changing state of retiring solar panels
Think before trashing: The second-hand solar market is booming
The winners and losers in U.S. solar manufacturing in 2020
Tweets by @SolarPowerWorld
Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Top Products
  • Leadership
  • WTWH Media
  • About/Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Windpower Engineering & Development

Copyright © 2021 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar+Storage
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
      • COVID-19 News
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractors Corner
      • Installation Practices
      • Trends in Solar
      • Folsom Labs Solar Boot-Up
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • Manufacturing Locations
  • Leadership
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
  • COVID-19 NEWS