The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. Learn more about the office's work at our events and webinars.
Learn how the Inflation Reduction Act could help you save on solar and review our federal solar tax credit resources.
Solar Energy Technologies Office Newsletter
News and Success Stories
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Funding Notice: Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy
September 21, 2023
The Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar funding opportunity seeks to reduce costs and advance technology of concentrated solar thermal power for thermal energy storage and other uses, including industrial decarbonization.
September 18, 2023
Siting solar arrays is a challenge shared by developers, state and local governments, and communities. With the help of Energy Department funding, Nevados developed hardware that opens new sites by enabling solar panel installation on uneven terrain.
September 13, 2023
On September 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced the winners in two prize competitions: the American-Made Solar Prize Round 6 and the American-Made Net Load Forecasting Prize.
September 12, 2023
$10 million funding and technical assistance program will expand state and local government capacity to support the planning, siting, and permitting of large-scale renewable energy projects on private land
September 12, 2023
The Advancing U.S. Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaics funding opportunity will award $36 million for research, development, and demonstration projects on two major thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies.
August 1, 2023
Initiative will support states and local communities as they plan for and evaluate proposed development of large renewable energy facilities
July 26, 2023
With a $5 million award from SETO, Siemens develop a three-layer energy management system for microgrids that helps secure both microgrids and the larger electric grid against physical threats and cyberattacks.
July 21, 2023
Funding from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Will Improve Photovoltaic System Lifecycle Performance, Streamline the Reuse and Recyclability of Solar Technologies, and Boost Domestic Supply Chain
July 21, 2023
$20M in funding available for research and development projects that reuse and recycle solar energy technologies.
July 10, 2023
Communities can now use a solar-specific tool to understand stormwater runoff at their local solar energy installations.
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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Every day, Americans are making the choice to power their lives with solar energy. SETO is connecting the dots for you, demonstrating how solar energy investments accrue over years to benefit individuals, communities, and the nation.
Solar Energy Basics
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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Harnessing the sun to power your vehicle saves you money, benefits the electric grid, and provides backup power to your home in the future.
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The critical role that interconnection plays in enabling the clean energy transition is why the U.S. Department of Energy established i2x to identify and develop solutions that make interconnection fairer, faster, and simpler.
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Solar panels need to withstand the elements to keep producing power for decades, and water is one of a solar module’s trickiest foes. Using clever measurement and modeling methods, researchers are optimizing the way we seal solar modules to keep water out
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To make agrivoltaics a widely available option for developers in the U.S., questions about cost, liability and other business, legal and regulatory issues need to be addressed.
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As millions of Americans decide to power their homes with solar energy and take advantage of its numerous benefits, consumers should be on the lookout for warning signs of scams.
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Breaking Barriers to Community Solar Development with the Community Power Accelerator ™ Learning Lab
The new community solar training program is designed to provide solar developers with critical resources and know-how to help them launch new equity-focused community solar projects.
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The amount of solar connected to the grid has grown exponentially in the past several years, and with all of this interest and so much information available, let’s take a moment to highlight their benefits.
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SETO is Connecting the Dots on Solar Energy: making connections between solar energy investments and their enduring, long-term benefits and offer a resource hub so that the public can learn about how solar will positively impact our country's future.
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The Midwest Renewable Energy Association developed programs to grow Wisconsin’s solar workforce capacity and replicated their successful programs in surrounding states.
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Ceramic particles may be the key to making concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants more efficient.
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