by Jbs101409 e3 — October 19, 2009—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on October 8 that it will award $87 million—$50 million of it from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—to support the development of new solar energy technologies and the rapid, large-scale deployment of solar energy systems.
According to news from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), up to $17 million will be awarded to five DOE national laboratories—Argonne National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Savannah River National Laboratory—for research and development of both photovoltaic (PV) solar technologies and concentrating solar power technologies.
The remaining $70 million in funds will support the deployment of solar energy systems, including up to $37.5 million for seven projects that will model, test, and evaluate the impact of large amounts of solar PV power on the reliability and stability of the electrical grid; $10 million for 40 new Solar America Cities Special Projects, located in 16 cities, with the intent of addressing barriers to solar adoption in urban settings; and $27 million for nine colleges, universities, and local organizations to lead regional programs that will train instructors for solar installer training programs.
