Angeline Leishman
Forty solar technology-focused projects were awarded Department of Energy grants worth almost $40 million in total to support research and development initiatives that can provide power for fuel and chemicals production purposes.
The projects will center on photovoltaic systems that transform direct sunlight into electricity and will concentrate solar-thermal power platforms that turn solar energy into heat, DOE said Tuesday.
Teams led by various universities and private industry members across the U.S. will conduct PV and CSP research, pumped thermal energy storage development and test novel solar technology concepts.
DOE expects the efforts to increase the operating life of PV systems from three to five decades.
“We are laser-focused on deploying more solar power and developing more cost-effective technologies to decarbonize our electricity system,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
The projects are in line with the Biden administration’s goals of achieving 100 percent clean electricity by 2035.
