The solar industry is expanding into new states, creating new business opportunities nationwide. The Energy Information Administration estimates solar power could account for 15% of the total U.S. electrical generation by 2050.
Since March 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has committed more than $400,000,000 to new solar projects. This reflects the administration’s commitment to lowering solar electricity costs.
We can still do more to reduce costs and integrate solar more securely with the grid, all with new technologies developed and manufactured within our borders. For years, the United States’ pioneering technologies have been manufactured abroad and imported to lower costs. Innovations could help us leapfrog our current status quo and make what is produced and imported obsolete.
The American Made Solar Prize is one way the administration reinvigorates the solar manufacturing industry. This $3 million prize is designed to harness American ingenuity and competitive spirit and to accelerate the development of new solar solutions. The Solar Prize brings together innovators and industry experts with national laboratories, private sector organizations, and the private sector to turn great ideas into prototypes that customers can test.
The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has announced this week that twenty teams from fifteen states each will receive a $50,000 prize and will advance to the next stage of the competition, where they will continue to develop their ideas with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and American Made Network. The teams will be tackling a range of solar challenges, including the development and implementation of new PV cell designs to increase efficiency and manufacturability. They will also develop new devices for PV installation that use silicon carbide at a low cost, as well as new hardware and module designs that enable new PV applications. The array of solar innovations is impressive, but the winners will be the teams and individuals who come up with the most innovative ideas. They’ll receive a cash prize of $500,000 and possibly a new American-made business.
These innovators risk their reputation, time, and capital to transform the solar industry. We will accelerate the development of viable, relevant solutions to help reestablish America’s competitive edge across the entire solar supply chain.