The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) funds research and development in three technology areas: photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), and systems integration with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and domestic benefit of solar technologies on the grid. Learn more about the office's work at our next stakeholder webinar.
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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The Solar Energy Technologies Office partners with the national labs and its researchers to develop innovations that lower the costs of solar energy.
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News and Success Stories
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June 29, 2022
The Energy Department announced the fourth round of the Solar District Cup—a collegiate competition designed to design energy systems for a campus or urban district.
June 10, 2022
DOE selected 19 projects, with a total funding of $6 million, that will pursue innovative, targeted, early-stage ideas in solar energy research and development
June 6, 2022
DPA Invocation Will Boost American Production of the Critical Technologies Necessary to Lower Energy Costs, Support the Clean Energy Economy, and Strengthen National Security.
May 31, 2022
The Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X).
May 24, 2022
SolSmart Awardees Will Help Communities Cut Red Tape For Solar Projects; Program Meets 2022 Goal to Add 60 New Communities, Including First Five In Puerto Rico
May 23, 2022
The Solar Forecast Arbiter is a first-of-its-kind platform that analyzes solar forecasts, comparing them against a standard so grid operators can better manage the amount of solar energy on the grid
May 18, 2022
Diverse Group of Entrepreneurs Receive $21.8 Million as part of Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs
May 5, 2022
$8 Million in funding is available to study for the co-location of agriculture and solar energy.
April 27, 2022
The Administration through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information seeking public input on the structure of a $2.3 billion formula grant program to strengthen and modernize America’s power grid.
April 22, 2022
Secretary Granholm Honors the People and Prizes Supercharging the Clean Energy Revolution Through Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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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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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Joining with other people who also want to go solar can result in saved money through the bulk purchase of solar systems.
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Residential solar energy systems paired with battery storage—generally called solar-plus-storage systems—provide power regardless of the weather or the time of day without having to rely on backup power from the grid. Check out some of the benefits.
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