In early 2007 the DOE commissioned the Renewable Systems Interconnection (RSI) reports that analyzed the main policies that would have the largest positive impact on solar demand in the U.S.

The major solar energy program activities include:

·    Photovoltaics Research and Development (R&D) to achieve impactful improvements in the cost, reliability, and performance of devices, components, and systems.

·   Concentrating Solar Power R&D to develop and improve utility-scale power systems and to create and demonstrate effective storage technologies.

·   Market Transformation to reduce market barriers through non-R&D activities, including infrastructure development and deployment assistance.

·   Partnerships with Other Programs to effectively accelerate the commercialization of solar energy systems and to integrate results of basic research results from other government programs into solar program R&D activities.

The program combines the advances of the solar energy industry, the national laboratories, and the nation’s leading universities. Meeting the solar market cost goals will result in 5-10 GW of PV installed by 2015 in the U.S. and 70-100 GW by 2030. For CSP, satisfaction of these cost targets is expected to lead to installation of between 16 and 35 GW of new generating capacity by 2030.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman on February 8 announced the selection of 13 industry-led solar technology development projects for negotiation for up to $168 million in funding, subject to appropriation from Congress. The Solar Program follows DOE guidelines on cost sharing. If the project assists industry in the engineering development of a product, then 50% or greater cost sharing by industry is required. As part of the cost-shared agreements, the industry-led teams will contribute more than 50 percent of the funding for these projects for a total value of up to $357 million over three years. But if the project is research-oriented, then cost sharing may be as little as 10%.

The NREL & Sandia Seed Fund provides funding for exploration of new ideas. The new ideas funded by the Seed Fund may include new materials, devices, or processes that have not reached the proof-of-concept stage:

• Doped Polymeric Semiconductor p-n Junction  

• Carbon Nanotube Architectures for Low Cost and High Efficiency

• Incorporation of 3rd generation mechanisms into OPV devices  

• Microfabrication and Design of High Watt/Gram Si and III-V Photovoltaic Cells and Modules

• Novel Nanocrystal-Based Solar Cell to Exploit MEG  

• Thin c-Si cells  

• Multifunctional TC and Self-Healing Impermeable Barriers

• Si Quantum dot solar cells

• Amorphous oxide semiconductors for ambient temperature deposited PV

By Vasil Sidorov on April 20, 2009 after U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Multi Year 2008-2012 Program