Author: SETO Staff  Published: 12/12/2024  Solar Energy Technologies Office
What’s Inside: Solar Snapshot, the newsletter of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), shares recent announcements; deadlines; upcoming events; and more. If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, you can subscribe here. Reach out to us at solar@ee.doe.gov with any inquiries or suggestions.
Estimated read time: 5 minutes 13 seconds
What’s New?
SETO Consortium Awards $2M to Advance Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) Solar Cells
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced $2 million of funding for eight projects as part of SETO’s CdTe Accelerator Consortium, which seeks to develop more efficient, less expensive CdTe solar cells.
Apply for the Equitable Community Solar and Energy Assistance Fellowship
SETO recently announced the opening of applications for the 2025 cohort of the Equitable Community Solar and Energy Assistance Fellowship and the addition of three new states who will pilot the Clean Energy Connector. The fellowship invites energy professionals to collaborate on scaling the Clean Energy Connector, a tool designed to connect low-income households to affordable community solar subscriptions. Fellows will play a critical role in expanding this tool across states, including Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. Apply by December 30.
Upcoming Deadlines
Don’t forget to participate in these funding opportunities, prizes, and solicitations:
- Draft Circularity Strategic Framework Request for Information (RFI) – Industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders can submit feedback by December 16.
- Community Power Accelerator Prize – Round 3 – Community solar project developers can apply by December 17.
- Photovoltaic-Thermal Systems RFI – Industry, academia, research laboratories, state and local government agencies, and other stakeholders can share feedback by December 31.
- Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) Technical Assistance Provider Opportunity – Organizations with expertise on key renewable energy and energy storage planning, siting, and permitting can apply to provide technical assistance to state-based collaboratives by January 9.
- American-Made EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) – Faculty mentors can register to participate by January 13. Students can register to compete by February 3.
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Science and Technology Fellowship – Students, researchers, and professionals interested in clean energy can apply to join SETO as a fellow by January 15.
- Solar District Cup Class of 2025 One-Semester Timeline – The Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition is seeking college student teams to compete on an accelerated timeline for the Class of 2025. Registration is free and open until January 16.
Some Light 🌞 Reading
DOE’s Interconnection Roadmap Wins 2024 Energy Award
The American Energy Society named DOE’s Transmission Interconnection Roadmap 2024’s best peer-reviewed article for a general audience for its important subject matter and solutions-oriented approach.
Learn About the Upcoming Funding Program for Small Business Solar Innovations
DOE announced topics for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) funding programs for fiscal year 2025. The programs give U.S. small businesses an opportunity to conduct high-risk, cutting-edge research and technology development with potential for commercialization, spurring innovation and job creation. Learn how to leverage the free applicant education services. View slides from a recent informational webinar and stay tuned for more details.
Convection Confections & Warm Holiday Wishes
Our resident baking experts, Krysta Dummit and Rebecca Glaser, constructed an edible concentrating solar-thermal power diorama, complete with molten salted caramel storage cookies. SETO wishes all a merry and bright holiday season!
2025 PV Performance Modeling Collaborative (PVPMC) Workshop Call for Abstracts
Sandia National Laboratories issued a call for abstracts for the 2025 PVPMC Workshop, which will examine the technical aspects of PV module and system performance. Submit abstracts by February 1.
Apply to NREL’s 2025 Executive Energy Leadership Academy (Energy Execs) Program
NREL is seeking applications for its Energy Execs program, which provides industry professionals and community leaders an opportunity to learn about NREL’s research and programs to better design renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and address relevant issues for their organizations and companies. Leaders from the private sector, communities, nonprofits, and government can apply by January 10.
2024 Investment Snapshot: Advancing Energy Innovation Across America
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) released the 2024 EERE Investment Snapshot, an expansive summary of the scientific, technical, and economic achievements facilitated by EERE funding in recent years. The 60-page document features data, case studies, and success stories from every program in the EERE portfolio, covering nearly 2,000 active EERE projects that highlight the tangible benefits of energy innovation.
Meet Energy Innovation Champion Talia Dorian
This summer, Talia participated in SETO’s Solar Manufacturing Internship for Leaders in Energy (SMILE) program, which matches students from minority-serving institutions with companies in SETO’s portfolio. Hear how SMILE helped Talia learn about career opportunities in the solar industry and take the next steps in her clean energy journey.
Congratulations to the Community Energy Innovation Prize WinnersÂ
DOE awarded more than $2 million to 19 teams at the Community Energy Innovation Summit for successfully completing the challenge to support innovation, entrepreneurship, capacity building, and economic development in communities historically underrepresented in clean energy funding.
The Agrivoltaics Growth Spurt
Catch up on a decade of NREL’s agrivoltaics research and 6 years of research into ecovoltaics—the co-location of PV and ecologically beneficial planting practices—in two recent news stories.
Products & Publications
DERiving Community Economic Development through Distributed Solar – Cooperative Energy Futures
Upcoming Events
Informational Webinar: DOE’s Research, Technology, and Economic Security (RTES) Framework
December 16 | 2 p.m. ETÂ | Virtual
DOE awardees and funding applicants are invited to register for this webinar on the recently published RTES Framework, which highlights DOE’s goals, process, high-level risk factors, and commitment to mitigation when assessing RTES risk. Participants can ask questions and engage in discussion.
i2X Forum for the Implementation of Reliability Standards for Transmission (FIRST)
December 17 | 11 a.m. ET | Virtual
Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) FIRST is a series of monthly interactive meetings to facilitate the adoption of new and recently updated standards relevant to interconnected clean energy resources such as solar and wind energy. Register here for all the i2X FIRST events and view recordings and slides from past events.
U.S. Floating Solar Opportunities and Barriers Workshop
February 10–11 | Golden, CO
Dive into the future of U.S. floating PV at an upcoming SETO workshop. Engage with experts from industry, government, and research in discussions, case studies, and
In Case You Missed It
Stakeholder Webinar: Consumer Protections in the Solar Industry—Best Practices and Expert Perspectives – SETO hosted this webinar to share research and development efforts to improve the customer experience and discuss what kinds of problems consumers are facing, steps the government is taking to deter deceptive business practices, and how the industry is developing standards that can protect consumers from harm. Watch a recording of the webinar [password: vV^8z#3O] and download the slides.
Learn more about SETO