The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) relies on a diverse pool of subject matter experts from both academia and industry to review applications for federal funding programs. You could be exactly who we are looking for!
SETO strives to grow our reviewer database of subject matter experts to review the merit of applications for federal funding opportunities and other funding programs. SETO is seeking reviewers with skill sets including, but not limited to:
- Photovoltaics (PV) research and development
- Materials science
- Electrical engineering
- Long-term degradation science and accelerated testing
- PV system optimization and improving performance ratio
- PV system durability
- PV module and system standards (UL, IEC)
- High temperature materials science (metallic alloys, ceramics, and composites)
- Heat exchanger design and manufacturing
- Thermochemical process engineering
- Optical device design and testing
- Turbomachinery and power cycle development
- Industrial process engineering
- Bulk solids handling
- Thermal science and engineering
- Power system planning and operation, including transmission, distribution, and microgrids
- Modeling, simulation, and data analytics
- Power electronics
- Energy storage
- Sensing and communications
- Weather and solar forecasting
- System control theories and applications
- Cybersecurity
- Codes and standards
- Photovoltaic (PV) technologies (silicon, cadmium telluride, and perovskite) and technology transfer
- Research, development, and demonstration across all segments of the c-Si and TF PV manufacturing supply chains from raw materials and equipment to modules
- PV electrical balance-of-system development and manufacturing (especially power electronics)
- PV structural balance-of-system development and manufacturing (racking, trackers, controls, and software)
- PV manufacturing metrology
- PV system installation, operations and maintenance (including monitoring)
- Peer-to-peer transaction software and products
- Startups
- Business management processes
- Bankability
- Workforce training
- Curriculum and certification development and implementation
- Equity, inclusion, and diversity in recruitment and mentorship
- Solar financing, especially low-income solar programs
- Low-income outreach and stakeholder engagement
- Siting large-scale solar facilities
- Siting solar on degraded or contaminated lands
- Co-siting solar and agriculture (agrivoltaics)
- Impacts of solar on wildlife
- Impacts of solar on water and soil
- Interconnection of solar to the electric grid
- Social science
- Energy justice
- Energy markets
- Data science
- Grid modeling
- Local or state government solar programs
- Commercial-scale solar
- Photovoltaics end of life and recycling
- Solar and storage for resilience
- Codes and standards related to solar deployment
- Floating solar
We highly encourage submissions from candidates in historically underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business, and entrepreneurship. We also encourage submissions from individuals at minority-serving institutions, historically black colleges and universities, minority business enterprises, minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, or entities located in underserved communities.
SETO provides an honorarium for reviewers’ time and expert feedback. While the timeline for review is rigid, reviewers are generally able to complete their reviews at times that fit with their schedule. Participation on a merit review panel may also include travel for in-person meetings.
To apply to be a SETO reviewer, send your resume or CV to solar@ee.doe.gov and follow these steps:
- Go to the reviewer registration page on EERE Exchange.
- Under "Reviewer Registration," complete all four sections:
- General Information: Provide your contact information, resume, link to your LinkedIn profile or similar on-line resource, and answer a few questions about your background.
- Account Information: Create your account username and password.
- Areas of Expertise: Select “Solar” as your primary area of expertise and add any additional areas of expertise you have. You must select “Solar” as your primary area for SETO to receive your submission.
- Education and Experience: Add your education, organizational affiliations, awards, and publications.
- Check the box to certify that the information provided is accurate and complete.
- Select the "Complete Reviewer Registration" button.
You can express your interest at any time. SETO will contact reviewers with relevant expertise based on the needs of specific programs and funding solicitations.
You can visit our funding programs page to see past solicitations that have been evaluated by SETO reviewers. You can also view examples of reviewer feedback from SETO's 2020 Peer Review.
Reach out to solar@ee.doe.gov with any questions.