Energy Department Announces $102 Million to Tackle Solar Challenges, Expand

Anyone standing in the way of solar market growth will be left standing on the wrong side of history, said Vice President Joe Biden in an impassioned speech on Wednesday at Solar Power global. From March to June, the industry saw approximately 1,393 megawatts of new capacity installed. And as deployments have increased, the number of solar jobs has grown while costs have dropped, falling by 50 percent since 2010.

Biden, who is considering a presidential bid, is in California talking with the solar industry and speaking to a meeting of climate officials from the USA and China later Wednesday.

The Clean Power Plan, finalized in August, requires states to reduce their carbon emissions from existing power plants using fossil fuels by switching to natural gas and renewables for power generation and becoming more energy efficient. The DOE is also offering a US$20 million Photovoltaics Research and Development funding opportunity that is expected to support up to 35 projects in order to push new PV cell and module performance.

According to the report, the US solar industry is now producing a record 20 gigawatts of electrical power. “We are proud to be recognized for our leadership in alternative energy and look forward to the demonstration of our innovative thermochemical storage system at our Southeastern Solar Research Center, where we test and validate technologies for grid-tied solar power generation”. The program recognizes communities for achievements that distinguish them from their peers as they become more solar-friendly, and in doing so, ignites local solar markets while establishing consistency in solar practices across the country.

– Decreasing time it takes to install these technologies.

The competition asks teams to find ways to reduce the amount of time it takes for people and businesses to plug in solar power systems after receiving a permit. The growth of the industry has had an economic impact as well, with new projects creating new jobs and reducing the cost of energy overall.

The Energy Department also announced more than $52 million will be used to “support 22 new projects in partnership with companies, non-profit organizations, universities and national laboratories that aim to make solar energy more affordable and accessible across the nation”.

The commitment includes 2 million in competitive grants for solar from the Department of Energy.

If they are successful, the projects funded this week will contribute to the Energy Department’s goal of having almost 30 percent of US electric power produced by solar by 2050.