DOE Announces $7 Million In New SunShot Funding

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu has released up to $7 million for efforts intended to reduce the non-hardware costs of residential and commercial solar energy installations.Made available through the SunShot Incubator Program, this funding will support the development of tools and approaches that reduce non-hardware - or "soft" - costs, such as installation, permitting, interconnection and inspection. These expenses can amount to up to half of the cost of residential systems, according to the DOE."Even if you paid nothing for the hardware, you'd still pay thousands of dollars to install a residential solar power system," Chu pointed out.

"This SunShot Initiative will help reduce costs such as permitting and installation, and spur American innovation to deploy solar energy at homes and businesses across the country."This effort is designed to complement the SunShot Initiative's Rooftop Challenge, which supports innovative approaches to information technology systems, local zoning and building codes, and regulations in order to simplify and expedite permitting processes. The new solicitation seeks applicants that will develop data-driven software tools, streamlined processes and innovative approaches, to reduce non-hardware cost.

Concentrating PV (CPV) technology manufacturer Soitec and Reflexite Energy Solutions Inc., a U.S.-based global supplier of microstructured optical components for the solar power industry and other industries, have entered a joint venture called Reflexite Soitec Optical Technology LLC.The new company will produce the silicone-on-glass (SOG) Fresnel lens plates used in Soitec's CPV modules and co-develop next-generation technologies that will continue to increase the efficiencies and lower the costs of SOG lens plates.

The joint venture will be located within the new CPV manufacturing facility that Soitec is planning to open in San Diego.Under the agreement, Reflexite will supply the technology and manufacturing expertise to produce injection-molded SOG lens plates at the "fab within a fab" to be built inside the San Diego facility. Soitec says it is providing lens design expertise, business opportunities in the Southwest U.S., and the technical infrastructure of the factory.Soitec and Reflexite are currently collaborating on the design of the area of the San Diego factory, which will employ approximately 100 people.

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