DOE Awards Nearly $40 Million for Grid Decarbonizing Solar Technologies
The U.S. Department of Energy this week awarded nearly $40 million to 40 projects that are advancing the next generation of solar, storage, and industrial technologies necessary for achieving the Biden-Harris administration's climate goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035. Specifically, the projects will reduce the cost of solar technologies by increasing the lifespan of photovoltaic (PV) systems from 30 to 50 years, developing technologies that will enable solar to be used in fuel and chemicals production, and advancing novel storage technologies.
"We are laser focused on deploying more solar power and developing more cost-effective technologies to decarbonize our electricity system," said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "Research to develop stronger and longer-lasting solar panels is critical to addressing the climate crisis. The 40 projects announced today - led by universities and private industry across the country - is an investment in the next generation of innovations that will strengthen the nation's solar capacity and enhance our grid resilience."
The 40 projects announced this week focus on concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) and PV. PV technologies directly convert sunlight into electricity, while CSP captures heat from sunlight and uses that thermal energy. The projects will focus on:
Photovoltaic research - Three projects to help make PV systems last 50 years, 20 years longer than current PV system lifetimes, which would reduce replacement and maintenance costs of solar systems. These projects will enable modular components that could be easily replaced due to normal wear and tear or after extreme weather events and better monitoring of systems. (Total award amount: $4.5 million)
Concentrating solar-thermal power research - Thirteen projects will develop technologies that can enable CSP plants to operate at very high temperatures, which are necessary to produce fuels and chemicals with solar. These projects also improve commercial CSP plants' overall reliability. (Total award amount: $25 million)
Pumped thermal energy storage - Three projects will develop long-duration thermal energy storage, which can store and deliver at least 10 hours of electricity whenever it is needed, supporting DOE's Long Duration Storage Shot. (Total award amount: $4 million)
PV and CSP research advancement - Twenty-one projects will test novel ideas that can produce significant results in less than two years. These projects have a simplified application process, designed to encourage applications from engineering and science researchers in traditionally underrepresented groups, as well as early-career researchers who have never applied or been selected for DOE funding. (Total award amount: $6 million)
To better inform DOE about future research needs, DOE seeks comment on two requests for information: (1) proposed research areas for supporting American solar manufacturing and (2) performance targets for perovskite photovoltaics. Stakeholders in the solar industry, business community, financing entities, and others are encouraged to respond.
More information about DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office is available here.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
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