The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will provide nearly $60M to increase the use of solar power.
$2.5 million will go to Solar America Cities cooperative agreements, in which thirteen selected cities will receive awards to promote increased use of solar-powered technologies throughout each city; the issuance of a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $30 million for universities to research near-term improvements in solar products; and the competitive selection of ten cost-shared Photovoltaic (PV) Module Incubator projects that will receive up to $27 million in DOE funding over 18 months.
The 2007 Solar America Cities are: Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA; Madison, WI; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Tucson, AZ.
DOE will provide $2.5 million in financial assistance to the 13 competitively selected, cost-shared, two-year projects. DOE will provide hands-on assistance from technical and policy experts to help cities integrate solar technologies into city energy planning, zoning, and facilities; to streamline city-level regulations and practices that affect solar adoption by residents and local businesses; and to promote solar technology through outreach, curriculum development, and incentive programs.
Solar America Cities have been identified as large cities with high electricity demand, and represent a diverse geography, population, and maturity of solar infrastructure. Cities were selected based on their plan and commitment to a comprehensive, citywide approach to the deployment of solar technologies. Their efforts will improve the ability of citizens and businesses to adopt solar technology locally, and will provide a model that other cities across the country can follow.
University Research
$30 million (FY 2008-2010): Over the next three years, this funding will support university work on materials and process research to yield near-term improvements in solar products. Funding is subject to Congressional appropriations.
PV Incubator Projects
10 projects, subject to negotiation of final terms and Congressional appropriations, will receive up to $27 million in DOE funding over 18 months (Fiscal Years 2007-2009).
With a minimum 20 percent cost share from industry, the total research investment is expected to reach $71 million. In these projects, businesses will address the challenges related to reducing cost, improving performance, and expanding manufacturing capacity of innovative PV technologies to move from small-scale to pilot production.
The following companies have been selected: AVA Solar (Fort Collins, CO); Blue Square Energy (North East, MD); CaliSolar (Menlo Park, CA); EnFocus Engineering (Sunnyvale, CA); MicroLink Devices (Niles, IL); Plextronics (Pittsburgh, PA); PrimeStar Solar (Golden, CO); Solaria (Fremont, CA); SolFocus (Palo Alto, CA); and SoloPower (Milpitas, CA).
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