Solar America Initiative
Source: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/
Mission
Accelerate widespread commercialization of clean solar energy technologies by 2015 to give the United States additional electricity supply options while reducing U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and improving the environment.
Goal
* Achieve market competitiveness for PV by 2015 through government partnerships with industry, universities, national laboratories, states, and other public entities.
* Achieve market competitiveness for CSP by 2020 through ongoing and new R&D activities.
Budget
The proposed FY 2007 budget for SAI is $148 million.
Approach
Pursue complimentary activities in Systems Development and Technology Acceptance, reducing costs through R&D and eliminating barriers through deployment efforts. The overall strategy for the Solar America Initiative will be described in the SAI Posture Plan, which will be posted to this Web page in the near future.
A Fundamental Shift
SAI represents a shift in how the SETP does business.
Pre-SAI: Emphasis on solar energy research and development with a goal of expanding impact through component performance improvements.
SAI: Emphasis on funding industry partnerships and alliances to accelerate market-ready PV using aggressive cost goals, down-selects, and a new focus on eliminating manufacturing and production barriers.
Performers
Through the SAI, the DOE Solar Program will promote the formation of Technology Pathway Partnerships to achieve its goals. Partners will include industry participants, universities, Federal and state government, and other non-governmental agencies. National laboratories will continue to provide needed R&D and will serve in key technical roles in areas such as measurements and characterization, reliability R&D, and systems integration.
Benefits Estimates
By 2015, PV will:
* Provide 5-10 GW of new electric capacity (equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power 1-2 million homes) to the U.S. grid
* Avoid 10 million metric tons per year of CO2 emissions
* Employ 30,000 new workers in the PV industry
Broad National Benefits
The SAI ensures domestic production of PV technologies. Decentralized PV diversifies the nation’s electricity portfolio, enhances grid reliability, and reduces the impact of a shutdown of the U.S. centralized electricity infrastructure. The SAI also brings significant environmental gains and reduced water consumption by avoiding fossil fuel, nuclear, and natural gas generation.
Timing
The cost of electricity from PV systems has fallen greatly – PV finally is penetrating energy markets. Meanwhile, the U.S. solar industry faces strong and growing challenges from competitors in Europe and Asia.
The objective of the SAI is to assure that PV will play a growing role in U.S. energy supplies and the U.S. economy by making the technology cost competitive in the near future.
To learn more about the initial schedule of activities for the SAI and the associated Technology Pathway Partnerships and Technology Acceptance areas, please see the implementation schedule.
Funding Opportunities
New funding opportunities will be made available through the SAI in the following areas:
Technology Acceptance
These activities address marketplace barriers and offer the opportunity for market expansion. The latest announcements about technology acceptance activities can be found in this section.
Technology Pathway Partnerships
This activity area emphasizes research and development of PV component and system designs, including low-cost approaches for manufacturing. The latest announcements about technology pathway partnership activities can be found in this section.
Getting Started with Federal Funding Opportunities
Finding the right information to get started working with the Federal government can be intimidating. Financial opportunities for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) are offered through Grants.gov, the federal government’s electronic financial assistance database. Grants.gov offers access to the financial opportunities of more than 900 grant programs from 26 federal grant-making agencies and provides a central location for locating and applying for financial assistance.