$50 Million To Aid U.S. Solar Manufacturing

According to the DOE, as recently as 1995, the United States was the established leader in solar by manufacturing 43 percent of the world's PV panels. By 2000, the U.S. produced 27 percent of the world's panels, and last year that number dropped to 7 percent.

The program will help companies with pilot-scale commercial production increase their manufacturing capabilities. The department says the initiative will accelerate cost reduction and commercialization of solar technologies by coordinating solutions across the industry.

The Department of Energy is seeking applicants with industrial-scale demonstrations of PV modules, cells, or substrates that offer lower-cost solutions in line with the SunShot goal. Applications are due by Oct. 28.  More information and application requirements can be found at the Funding Opportunity Exchange (FOA number DE-FOA-0000566). For more information on the SunShot Initiative, visit energy.gov/sunshot.