The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced plans to spend $128 million in new projects to advance solar technologies. The funding will go toward 75 research projects that are expected to cut solar costs while simultaneously increasing manufacturing and making solar energy systems better prepared and resistant to cyberattacks.

The recent announcement but the DOE has leaders in the solar industry thrilled; one in particular being Nicki Zvik, Founder of Green Solar Technologies and avod solar energy advocate.

Zvik commented on the recent announcement, stating, "I and the rest of Green Solar Technologies could not be more delighted to hear that the DOE is committing such generous funding to solar energy. It goes to show that our industry has support from all avenues, and we need that support in order to continue charging forward."

An article published on Energy.gov lists how the funding will be broken down. It states, "The projects announced span 22 states. Selections are in the following areas:

Photovoltaics Research and Development: $23.6 million for 21 projects that aim to reduce the cost of solar photovoltaics by half, helping to provide more affordable electricity for U.S. consumers and businesses. To achieve these deep cost reductions, the PV projects will focus on increasing performance, reducing material and manufacturing costs, and improving the reliability of PV cells, modules, and systems.

Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development: $30 million for 13 research projects that enable CSP to provide power at any time and in any season, and that work to achieve the 2030 DOE cost target of $0.05 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for CSP-generated electricity with at least 12 hours of thermal energy storage. This research includes new materials and technologies that significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing, enable new energy storage technologies, and develop solutions that enable a solar field to operate autonomously without any human input.

Balance of Systems Soft Cost Reduction: $17.6 million for 19 research projects that work to reduce the costs associated with the non-hardware components of a solar system. These projects help reduce the red tape associated with installing solar and solar-plus-storage systems, since regulatory and financing burdens lead to higher costs for both developers and consumers.

Innovations in Manufacturing: Hardware Incubator: $6.8 million for 7 research projects from innovative companies with early-stage product ideas that can lower solar costs and rapidly achieve commercialization, with an emphasis on projects that contribute to a strong U.S. solar manufacturing sector.

Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies: $50 million for 15 research projects that improve the ability of grid operators to integrate increasing amounts of solar generation onto the grid in a cost-effective, secure, resilient, and reliable manner. These projects also support development of technology solutions that enhance the visibility and control of PV inverters and sensors, while improving the security of those devices from cyberattack."

"With dreams of becoming a 100 percent carbon free country, and possibly world, we need this kind of support from the DOE," shares Zvik, "and I believe that if we can all work together to speed the progression of solar energy and the solar industry, our future will be looking brighter than ever."

Related Links
Green Solar Technologies
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com

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