DOE to provide USD 15m for solar R&D

Nov 3, 2014 - The US Department of Energy said on Wednesday it will award USD 15 million (EUR 12m) for research projects aiming to help integrate solar power into the US electricity network.

The goal of the research and development (R&D) initiative will be to promote the integration of distributed, on-site solar plants into the power grid. Eligible projects will help enhance distributed solar power and energy storage through the incorporation of solar and load forecasting, innovative uses of smart components as well as optimised hardware, software and firmware technologies. Successful projects will be using smart inverters and be able to work with smart buildings and appliances along with utility communication and control systems, the DOE said.

The financing will be distributed through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), with individual grants planned to range between USD 500,000 and USD 5 million. Each candidate will have to cover at least 50% of their project’s cost. DOE will accept concept papers until December 15, while the deadline for full applications is March 19, 2015.

The US currently has 15.9 GW of installed solar power capacity, as compared to 1.2 GW in 2008.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.800)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!