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Author: US DOE  Staff    Published 8/20/2024    EERE

U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Solar Energy Technologies Office

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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, 29 seconds

What’s New?

New $11.2M Program to Pilot Clean Energy and Electric Vehicle Interconnection Queue Management

DOE’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) team and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation just launched the Innovative Queue Management Solutions for Clean Energy Interconnection and Energization program. This program will award $11.2 million to distribution utilities to pilot innovative solutions for managing renewable energy interconnection and electric vehicle charging equipment energization queues. Register for an informational webinar on August 29 at 3 p.m. ET or attend office hours on September 19 at 3 p.m. ET. Applications are due October 16 at 3 p.m. ET.

i2x

Learn the Foundations of Community Solar Development for Free Online

SETO, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy’s Center for Impact Finance announced a new, public, no-cost, online course, Foundations of Community Solar Development. This course supports the accelerated development of equitable community solar and is modeled after the Community Power Accelerator’s Learning Lab. Enroll in this self-paced training today.

Two More Finalists Advance in Solar Desalination Prize

DOE announced GreenBlu and Solar Desalt as finalists in the American-Made Solar Desalination Prize, a $1 million competition designed to accelerate the development of low-cost desalination systems that use solar-thermal power to produce clean water from salt water. GreenBlu’s technology will recover valuable minerals from seawater. Solar Desalt’s project seeks to reduce the amount of wastewater rejected from wineries. As finalists, each team receives $850,000 and will construct their systems to demonstrate operation and validate key performance metrics.

Desalination

Teams Advance in Prize to Accelerate U.S. Community Solar Initiatives

The future of community solar continues to look bright with DOE selecting the first six community solar project teams to advance to Round 2, Phase 3 of the Community Power Accelerator Prize. Each team will receive $200,000 and advance to the final phase of the prize, during which they will connect with capital providers and work toward securing the financing needed to deploy their projects.

CPA Prize Rd2

Upcoming Deadlines

Don’t forget to participate in these funding opportunities, prizes, and solicitations:

  • American-Made Solar Prize Round 8 – Innovative entrepreneurial teams with creative solutions to make solar energy more affordable, accessible, and efficient must submit applications by September 26.
  • Solar District Cup Class of 2025 – The Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition is seeking student teams for the Class of 2025. Registration is free and open until September 26.

Some Light 🌞 Reading

New Advisories to Protect Residential Solar Consumers

DOE has partnered with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies to coordinate efforts to monitor and identify market trends and propose solutions for fraudulent and predatory behavior in the rooftop solar industry. This new federal partnership will enable DOE to access data and develop programs to tackle consumer protections in those communities that need it most. SETO is supporting several efforts that are examining the extent and nature of predatory practices happening in the marketplace, developing resources to educate consumers, and working with industry to establish strong consumer protection standards.

Blog Post: How Much Money Can I Save with Solar?

Calculating an average amount of savings from going solar is a challenge, but SETO has a new guide to help consumers estimate their monthly savings. Learn what factors to consider and check out different solar savings scenarios

White House Fact Sheet on Cybersecurity Needs for the Clean Energy Transition

The Biden-Harris Administration released a fact sheet on ongoing efforts to enhance the digital ecosystem to support a secure energy future, highlighting SETO’s work through the Securing Solar for the Grid program to develop nimble and robust standards and guidelines that strengthen cybersecurity for all solar stakeholders.

Where to Find SETO at RE+

RE+ 2024

Register for SETO Workshops at RE+ 2024

SETO is heading to Anaheim, California for RE+ 2024, a U.S. clean energy industry conference, in September. Register for four workshops and learn what else SETO has planned at RE+ this year.

Workshops:

Events: *stay tuned for more*

Events: *stay tuned for more*

Products & Publications

The Investors’ Guide to the DOE – CTVC

Upcoming Events

i2X Forum for the Implementation of Reliability Standards for Transmission (FIRST)

August 20 | 11 a.m. ET | Virtual
i2X FIRST is a series of monthly interactive meetings to facilitate the adoption of new and recently updated standards relevant for interconnected clean energy resources like solar and wind energy. Register here for all the i2X FIRST events and view recordings and slides from past events.

Equitable Solar Communities of Practice Convenings

August 22 | 2 p.m. ET | Virtual

The Equitable Solar Communities of Practice is hosting virtual community convenings. Register for a session on access and consumer protection.

Stakeholder Webinar: Solar Energy Progress and Building for the Future

August 27 | 1 p.m. ET | Virtual
Join SETO leadership and staff for a stakeholder webinar on the state of the solar energy landscape. Hear the latest announcements, reflect on progress two years after the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, and get a snapshot of what’s ahead. Remember to submit your questions when you register.

Learn more about SETO or DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.