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Projects across the country are working to make it faster, easier, and more affordable for Americans to go solar.
U.S. Department of Energy

View this webpage in Spanish. Vea esta página web en Español.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy no later than 2050, starting with a decarbonized power sector by 2035. To support this mission, SETO works to:

  • Drive innovation in technology and soft cost reduction to make solar affordable and accessible for all Americans;
  • Enable solar to support the reliability, resilience, and security of the grid; and
  • Create a sustainable industry that supports job growth, manufacturing, and the circular economy in a wide range of applications.

Learn more about SETO’s goals to improve the affordability, reliability, and domestic benefit of solar technologies on the electric grid.

Our Organization

SETO is part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). View the full organization chart to see how SETO fits into the Energy Department.

The director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office is Dr. Becca Jones-Albertus. See the leadership team and staff bios

What We Do

SETO funds cooperative research and development projects in several research areas that drive innovation and lower costs. A list SETO-funded projects can be found in the Solar Energy Research Database. Reports resulting from research projects can be found on the Office of Science and Technical Information (OSTI) website.

Funding opportunity announcement (FOA) are developed through a collaborative process in order to achieve the office's goals. Adhering to an open, highly competitive solicitation process, these funding opportunities encourage collaborative partnerships among industries; universities; national laboratories; federal, state, and local governments; and nongovernment organizations.  View the office’s open funding opportunities and learn how to apply for them.

FOA applications undergo a rigorous peer review process before projects are selected for negotiation to receive DOE funding. Upon the successful completion of this negotiation process, including collaboration on a statement of project objectives, milestones, and budgets, projects can begin.

In addition to these projects, SETO also funds prizes and challenges to encourage innovation and accelerate the development of new solar energy solutions.

See a list of awards won by SETO-supported research.

Success Stories

With hundreds of active projects, SETO helps to drive costs down and spur the solar energy innovation pipeline. SETO success stories help to show the specific, measurable results from these projects. From solar cell technology breakthroughs to the software platforms and unlikely partnerships that are helping to reduce costs, these stories highlight the work behind solar energy's historic progress.

More About SETO