DOE SUNSHOT DETAILS

Solar Power Energized By DOE’s SunShot
Pete Danko, February 8, 2011 (Earth Techling)

"…[T]he Obama administration is…trying to push down the cost of cleaner sources. On the solar front, that effort is called ‘Sunshot,’ and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $27 million in SunShot projects that it hopes will help reduce the cost of photovoltaic cells by 75 percent.

"Such a reduction reportedly would take the cost down to about $1 a watt, equal to around 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity. At that level, the DOE believes [solar will be widely deployed in the U.S.]…"

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"The department said the $27 million includes $20 million for projects intended to bolster development of ‘U.S. supply chains for PV manufacturing,’ including companies who supply solar materials and tools. The other $7 million is being funneled into the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PV Incubator program, which supports emerging technologies in solar power such as thin and flexible film cells."

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"As for specifics of the two different categories of investments, the $20 million will go towards companies like Varian Semiconductor out of Massachusetts, which will get $4.8 million to help reduce the cost of manufacturing interdigitated back contact cells, said to be the most efficient silicon solar cells on the market.

"The other $7 million or so is being allocated towards start ups like Crystal Solar of California...[developing a new crystal silicon wafer technology four times thinner than standard cells which will get] up to $4 million over 18 months..."