US DoE provides USD 32m for solar innovation, training

The US Department of Energy (DoE) on Tuesday announced total of USD 32 million (EUR 29.3m) in funding for developing low-cost concentrating solar power (CSP) collectors, training workers for the solar workforce, and improving solar data access.

As a whole, these money will help make solar more accessible and affordable for US families and businesses, the DoE said.

Up to USD 15 million is being made available for projects to develop new designs for CSP collectors. The aim is to drive down costs as the solar collector is the most expensive part of a CSP plant, accounting for up to 40% of the total system cost. The DoE initiative will back between seven and 10 projects.

Up to USD 12 million in additional funds will back projects to train technicians for solar careers, provide professionals in related industries such as real estate, insurance and finance with the required solar information, and create new credentials for solar energy professionals. The programme supports the Solar Ready Vets initiative designed to connect veterans to the solar energy industry and the President Obama's target of training 75,000 solar workers by 2020.

Deputy secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall said that the US saw a new solar energy project installed every two and a half minutes last year, adding that workforce training programmes were critical to ensure the continued growth of the industry.

The DoE will also provide up to USD 5 million to improve market transparency and access to key solar energy datasets. It will fund three to six projects to create capabilities for more efficient interaction between existing solar databases across the industry.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.916)

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