U.S. Department of Energy  [Printer-friendly version]
March 8, 2007

DOE SELECTS 13 SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS FOR $168 MILLION IN FUNDING

First funding awards for Solar America Initiative to make solar
technology cost-competitive by 2015

LOWELL, MA -- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W.
Bodman today announced the selection of 13 industry-led solar
technology development projects for negotiation for up to $168 million
(FY'07-'09) in funding, subject to appropriation from Congress. These
projects will help significantly reduce the cost of producing and
distributing solar energy. 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. These cooperative agreements, to be negotiated, will be the
first made available as part of President Bush's Solar America
Initiative (SAI), a component of his Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI),
announced in his 2006 State of the Union Address. Secretary Bodman
made today's announcement while visiting Konarka Global Headquarters
in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of the selected solar energy project
sponsors.

"Solar technology can play a crucial role in moving toward affordable
net zero energy homes and businesses -- which combine energy
efficiency
and renewable energy produced on-site. Efficient buildings with solar
power generation can help reduce peak demand and ease the need for
expensive new generating capacity, transmission, and distributions
lines as our economy grows," Secretary Bodman said.

President Bush's AEI challenges Americans to change the way we power
our nation. As an integral part of the AEI, the Solar America
Initiative aims to bring down the cost of solar energy to make it
competitive with conventional electricity sources in the U.S. by 2015.
The SAI is also part of the President's commitment to diversify our
energy resources through grants, incentives and tax credits and; aims
to spur widespread commercialization and deployment of clean solar
energy technologies across America, which would provide long-term
economic, environmental, and security benefits to our nation.

The teams selected for negotiation have formed Technology Pathway
Partnerships (TPP), which include companies, laboratories,
universities, and non-profit organizations to accelerate the drive
towards commercialization of U.S.-produced solar photovoltaic (PV)
systems. These partnerships are comprised of more than 50 companies,
14 universities, 3 non-profit organizations, and 2 national
laboratories. DOE funding is expected to begin in FY'07, with $51.6
million going to the TPPs.

In addition, the projects announced today will enable the projected
expansion of the annual U.S. manufacturing capacity of PV systems from
240 MW in 2005 to as much as 2,850 MW by 2010, representing more than
a ten-fold increase. Such capacity would also put the U.S. industry
on track to reduce the cost of electricity produced by PV from current
levels of $0.18-$0.23 per kWh to $0.05 -- $0.10 per kWh by 2015 -- a
price that is competitive in markets nationwide.

As part of a broader effort to highlight the Bush Administration's
bold energy initiatives, today, Assistant Secretary for Energy
Efficiency & Renewable Energy Andy Karsner traveled to United Solar
Ovonic in Auburn Hills, Michigan to highlight these selections and the
Solar America Initiative. Tomorrow, Under Secretary for Science Dr.
Raymond L. Orbach will travel to Boeing in Sylmar, California to
discuss today's selections and meet with representatives from the
solar industry.

Solar energy is a clean, abundant, widespread, and renewable energy
source that can be used to increase electricity generating capacity
while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions as compared to other energy
conversion pathways. Photovoltaic-based solar cells convert sunlight
directly into electricity. They are made of semiconductor materials
similar to those used in computer chips. When sunlight is absorbed by
these materials, the solar energy knocks electrons loose from their
atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce
electricity. The process of converting light to electricity is called
the photovoltaic effect.

Teams Selected For Negotiations under the Solar America Initiative

Amonix -- A low-cost, high-concentration PV system for utility
markets.
This project will focus on manufacturing technology for high-
concentrating PV and on low-cost production using multi-bandgap cells.
Partners for the project include CYRO Industries, Xantrex, the
Imperial Irrigation District, Hernandez Electric, the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Spectrolab, Micrel, Northstar, JOL
Enterprises, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and Arizona State
University. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year
of the project is expected to be roughly $3,200,000, with
approximately $14,800,000 available over three years if the team meets
its goals.

Boeing -- High-efficiency concentrating photovoltaic power system.
This
project will focus on cell fabrication research that is expected to
yield very high efficiency systems. The partners for the project will
be Light Prescription Innovators, PV Powered, Array Technologies,
James Gregory Associates, Sylarus, Southern California Edison, NREL,
the California Institute of Technology, and the University of
California Merced. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first
year of the project is expected to be approximately $5,900,000, with
approximately $13,300,000 available over three years if the team meets
its goals.

BP Solar -- Low-cost approach to grid parity using crystalline
silicon.
This project's research will focus on reducing wafer thickness while
improving yield of multi-crystalline silicon PV for commercial and
residential markets. Project partners include Dow Corning, Ceradyne,
Bekaert, Ferro, Specialized Technology Resources, Komax, Palo Alto
Research Center, AFG Industries, Automation Tooling Systems Ohio,
Xantrex, Fat Spaniel, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District,
Recticel, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of
Central Florida, and Arizona State University. Subject to
negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is
expected to be approximately $7,500,000, with approximately
$19,100,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Dow Chemical -- PV-integrated residential and commercial building
solutions. This project will employ Dow's expertise in encapsulates,
adhesives, and high volume production to develop integrated PV-powered
technologies for roofing products. Partners include Miasole, SolFocus,
Fronius, IBIS Associates, and the University of Delaware. Subject to
negotiations, funding for the first year of the project is expected to
be roughly $3,300,000, with approximately $9,400,000 available over
three years if the team meets its goals.

General Electric -- A value chain partnership to accelerate U.S. PV
growth. This project will develop various cell technologies -
including a new bifacial, high-efficiency silicon cell that could be
incorporated into systems solutions that can be demonstrated across
the industry. Partners include REC Silicon, Xantrex, Solaicx, the
Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, and
the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for
the first year of the project is expected to be roughly $8,100,000,
with approximately $18,600,000 available over three years if the team
meets its goals.

Greenray -- Development of an AC module system. This team will design
and develop a high-powered, ultra-high-efficiency solar module that
contains an inverter, eliminating the need to install a separate
inverter and facilitating installation by homeowners. Research will
focus on increasing the lifetime of the inverter. Partners include
Sanyo, Tyco Electronics, Coal Creek Design, BluePoint Associates,
National Grid, and Sempra Utilities. Subject to negotiations, DOE
funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly
$400,000, with approximately $2,300,000 available over three years if
the team meets its goals.

Konarka -- Building-integrated organic photovoltaics. This project
will focus on manufacturing research and product reliability assurance
for extremely low-cost photovoltaic cells using organic dyes that
convert sunlight to electricity. Partners for this project include
NREL and the University of Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE
funding for the first year of the project is expected to be
$1,200,000, with approximately $3,600,000 available over three years
if the team meets its goals.

Miasole -- Low-cost, scalable, flexible PV systems with integrated
electronics. This project will develop high-volume manufacturing
technologies and PV component technologies. Research will focus on new
types of flexible thin-film modules with integrated electronics and
advances in technologies used for installation and maintenance.
Project partners include Exeltech, Carlisle SynTec, Sandia National
Laboratories, NREL, the University of Colorado, and the University of
Delaware. Subject to negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of
the project is expected to be $5,800,000, with approximately
$20,000,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Nanosolar -- Low-cost, scaleable PV systems for commercial rooftops.
This project will work on improved low-cost systems and components
using thin-film PV cells for commercial buildings. Research will
focus on large-area module deposition, inverters, and mounting.
Partners include SunLink, SunTechnics, and Conergy. Subject to
negotiations, DOE funding for the first year of the project is
expected to be roughly $1,100,000, with approximately $20,000,000
available over three years if the team meets its goals.

Powerlight -- PV cell-independent effort to improve automated
manufacturing systems. This project will focus on reducing non-cell
costs by making innovations with automated design tools and with
modules that include mounting hardware. Partners include Specialized
Technology Resources and Autodesk. Subject to negotiations, first-
budget period funding for this project is expected to be approximately
$2,800,000, with approximately $6,000,000 available over three years
if the team meets its goals.

Practical Instruments -- Low-profile high-concentration PV systems for
rooftop applications. This project will explore a novel concept for
low-profile high-concentration optics to increase the output of
rooftop PV systems. The project will also explore designs using multi-
junction cells to allow for very high efficiency modules. Project
partners include Spectrolab, Sandia National Laboratories, SunEdison,
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subject to
negotiations, funding for the first year of the project is expected to
be roughly $2,200,000, with approximately $4,000,000 available over
three years if the team meets its goals.

SunPower -- Grid-competitive residential solar power generating
systems. This project will research lower-cost ingot and wafer
fabrication technologies, automated manufacture of back-contact cells,
and new module designs, to lower costs. Project partners include
Solaicx, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NREL, and Xantrex.
Subject to negotiations, first-budget period funding for this project
is expected to be approximately $7,700,000, with approximately
$17,900,000 available over three years if the team meets its goals.

United Solar Ovonic -- Low-cost thin-film building-integrated PV
systems. This project will focus on increasing the efficiency and
deposition rate of multi-bandgap, flexible, thin-film photovoltaic
cells and reducing the cost of inverters and balance-of-system
components. Partners include SMA America, Sat Con Technology
Corporation, PV Powered, the ABB Group, Solectria Renewables,
Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems, Turtle Energy, Sun Edison,
the University of Oregon, Syracuse University, the Colorado School of
Mines, and NREL. Subject to negotiations, funding for the first year
of the project is expected to be roughly $2,400,000, with
approximately $19,300,000 available over three years if the team meets
its goals.

For more information on the solicitation and facts about the Solar
America Initiative, visit:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america/.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), signed by the President in
August of 2005, provides incentives for purchasing and using solar
equipment. Now extended through 2008, these incentives could provide
a credit equal to 30 percent of qualifying expenditures for purchase
of commercial solar installations, with no cap on the total credit
allowed. EPAct also provides a 30 percent tax credit for qualified PV
property and solar water heating property used exclusively for
purposes other than heating swimming pools and hot tubs. Private
property owners of qualified property could be eligible for a credit
up to $2,000 for either property, with a maximum of $4,000 allowed, if
both photovoltaic and solar hot water qualified properties are
installed. More information on available incentives for solar
installations is available at:
http://energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.

Fact Sheets

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