U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Tuesday the department will support up to $53 million to projects of early-stage solar technologies.
'Through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, DOE will fund 53 innovative research projects that will lower solar electricity costs and support a growing solar workforce,' according to the statement.
These selections will advance research and development in photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).
The projects announced Tuesday span across 21 states plus the District of Columbia, and include PV research to increase grid resiliency in Puerto Rico.
Selections are in the following areas:
Photovoltaics Research and Development: $27.7 million for 31 projects that will support early-stage research to advance new PV materials, like perovskites, which can essentially be painted on a surface to generate electricity.
Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development: $12.4 million for 15 research projects that will advance the high-temperature components of CSP systems such as heat exchangers.
Improving and Expanding the Solar Industry through Workforce Initiatives: $12.7 million for 7 projects that will pursue initiatives to grow and train the solar workforce.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said that innovation is key to solar’s continued growth in U.S. nation’s energy portfolio.
'It increases our energy diversity and reinforces our ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy,' he said and added that said developing new skills through workforce training is critical to expanding job opportunities in the renewable sector.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr