The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) funds research and development across the solar energy spectrum to drive innovation, lower costs, and support the transition to a decarbonized power sector by 2035 and a decarbonized economy by 2050. Learn more about the office's work at our events and webinars.
Solar Energy Technologies Office Newsletter
Solar Energy Basics
Research Areas
The Solar office supports development of low-cost, high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) technologies to make solar power more accessible.
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SETO supports CSP research and development to improve the performance, reduce the cost, and improve the lifetime and reliability of CSP technologies.
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Systems integration research in SETO helps advance the reliable, resilient, secure, and affordable integration of solar energy onto the nation's grid.
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Soft costs research in SETO addresses challenges associated with non-hardware cost components of a solar energy system.
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SETO supports solar manufacturing and competitiveness R&D to develop pathways to commercialization for disruptive innovation in the solar industry.
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Solar workforce development includes online training, on-the-job training, curriculum development, and other activities that prepare people for solar.
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Despite unprecedented solar deployment, many Americans still lack access to affordable solar electricity. SETO funds research to improve solar access for all.
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News and Success Stories
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September 21, 2022
With funds from DOE, Trevi and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority created a solar desalination plant that produces fresh water
September 21, 2022
DOE announced the winners of the American-Made Solar Prize Round 5, a multimillion dollar competition designed to advance hardware and software solar technologies
September 16, 2022
DOE issues Best Practices Guide for Inclusive Outreach Strategies that can engage diverse communities to reap the benefits from cheap, clean electricity.
August 30, 2022
DOE awarded funding to start-up company EnergySage to build an online marketplace for rooftop solar systems and make the process of solar adoption more consumer-centric.
August 17, 2022
Two new reports from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) highlight the potential for successfully and synergistically combining agriculture and solar photovoltaics (PV) technologies on the same land, a practice known as agrivoltaics.
August 2, 2022
Funds Projects Focused on Demonstrating How Solar, Wind, and Energy Storage Can Provide Steady, Reliable, Affordable Energy on America's Electricity Grid
August 2, 2022
$26 million in funding is available to demonstrate a grid with 100% solar, wind, and storage.
August 1, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the launch of the Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium.
July 27, 2022
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Will Support Solar Energy Careers in Underserved Areas; New Digital Platform Will Make Reliable Solar Power More Accessible
July 27, 2022
$10 million funding available for solar workforce development programs.
Learn more about active and inactive SETO-funded projects at national laboratories, state and local governments, universities, nonprofit organizations, and private companies in the solar energy research database.
Blog Posts
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President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, expanding the Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaics, also known as the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).
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Solar Landscape engaged with communities in New Jersey to connect low- and moderate-income households with community solar subscriptions while providing workforce training and educational opportunities.
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The members of People Power Solar Cooperative in Oakland, California, are demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of community-owned solar, a type of community solar in which residents of a community collectively own a solar system.
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Pollinators—such as bees, butterflies, and other insects—are critical to the success of about 35 percent of global food crop production. Learn about the benefits of establishing pollinator-friendly plants under and around ground-mounted solar arrays.
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Solar cells created with perovskite minerals can be an important tool in the race to deploy clean energy as quickly and cost effectively as possible, but only if we first overcome key technological hurdles
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An Oklahoma Electric Cooperative community solar installation turned into an educational opportunity for local children and has sparked interest in solar throughout the community.
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The Solar Energy Innovators Program has seen success in providing valuable real-world experience for fellows and provides institutions with capacity to implement ideas that support the clean energy transition.
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More states, including New York, are passing policies that enable residents to tap into community solar, which allows customers to benefit from a shared solar installation.
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Learn how local jurisdictions across the United States are exploring solar energy.
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The team that pioneered community solar at the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Queensbridge Houses worked together to overcome challenges and ensure equitable access to the benefits of community solar.
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