The U.S. Energy Department said it will provide more than US$59 million in funding to support solar energy innovation as part of the government’s effort to double renewable energy generation for a second time by 2020.
Of the amount, $45 million in funding is available to quickly move innovative solar manufacturing technologies to market, and is also awarding more than $14 million for 15 new projects to help communities develop multi-year solar deployment plans to install solar electricity in homes, businesses, and communities. “As more communities look to solar energy as a source of clean, renewable electricity, the funding will help lower the cost of going solar and enable businesses to develop solutions for overcoming technical, regulatory, and financial challenges, further unleashing cost-competitive solar energy,” the DOE said in a statement.
The U.S. has installed more than 17 gigawatts of solar power and deployment is expected to accelerate as costs continue to fall and more residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects come online.