The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will invest $40 million across the solar supply chain, including the selection of four projects that are aimed at improving the lifecycle of PV solar systems.
The selected projects are ones that maximize the environmental benefit of solar technologies by increasing the systems’ lifetimes and those that work to facilitate material recovery once the systems are decommissioned.
The selected projects include those at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH; kWh Analytics in Sacramento, CA; University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, NC; and Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, CA.
The DOE has also launched a prize program to open new markets for solar energy system equipment, announced winners in the American-Made Solar Prize Round 7, and issued a notice of intent for up to $20 million to bolster domestic solar manufacturing. These investments serve to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to boosting U.S. solar manufacturing and competitiveness while reducing waste and improving sustainability.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in a clean energy future that’s built to last,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, in a statement. “The U.S. has doubled annual solar installations over the past four years, and today’s announcement further supports manufacturers as they create more resilient solar energy technologies and maximize the life of their products.”
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