# DOE Offered $12 Million to Spur Solar Energy Innovation

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2012/02/doe-offers-12-million-to-spur-solar-energy-innovation/
- Published: 2012-02-20T01:00:12-05:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

DOE announced on February 8, 2012 of a funding opportunity for more than $12 million
in funding to speed solar energy innovation from the lab to the marketplace. The
funding, which will be made available through the agency’s SunShot Incubator program,
will support advancements in hardware, reductions in soft costs, and the development
of pilot manufacturing and production projects. Each awardee will make significant
cost-share commitments.

The SunShot Incubator program, part of the SunShot Initiative:

**_helps launch new startups and business units within existing companies to accelerate
innovative solar technology development. _**

Since 2007,_ DOE has invested $60 million_ through the incubator in promising technologies
as they are brought from lab to marketplace. These investments have _**catalyzed
$1.6 billion in private sector support.**_

DOE is offering $12 million to help speed solar energy innovation. Credit: LBNL

The current funding opportunity builds on the SunShot Incubator Program’s history
of successful partnerships. Nearly 40 companies have participated in the Incubator,
including Colorado-based PrimeStar Solar. In 2007, DOE’s National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) and PrimeStar began a cooperative research and development agreement
to transition NREL’s cadmium telluride solar technology to commercial production.
PrimeStar later received a $3 million Incubator award to commercialize its low-cost
photovoltaic solar panels. PrimeStar is now owned by GE, which has launched a $600
million investment in PrimeStar and the construction of a large-scale manufacturing
plant in Colorado that will employ more than 350 workers to produce state-of-the-
art solar panels.

Applications were due April 9, 2012. See the [DOE press release](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwMjE1LjU1OTY3NDEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwMjE1LjU1OTY3NDEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNjg3NzM2MCZlbWFpbGlkPUdyZWVubGl2aW5nZ3V5QGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9R3JlZW5saXZpbmdndXlAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&108&&&http://energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-over-12-million-spur-solar-energy-innovation),
the [funding opportunity announcement](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwMjE1LjU1OTY3NDEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwMjE1LjU1OTY3NDEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNjg3NzM2MCZlbWFpbGlkPUdyZWVubGl2aW5nZ3V5QGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9R3JlZW5saXZpbmdndXlAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&109&&&https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/#467b6123-63b9-48b0-b738-46f0fa961356),
and the [SunShot Initiative website](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTIwMjE1LjU1OTY3NDEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTIwMjE1LjU1OTY3NDEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNjg3NzM2MCZlbWFpbGlkPUdyZWVubGl2aW5nZ3V5QGdtYWlsLmNvbSZ1c2VyaWQ9R3JlZW5saXZpbmdndXlAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&110&&&http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot/).

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
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