USA To Give $56 Million For Solar Manufacturing & Recycling

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) will be funding new initiatives with $56 million which includes $10 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to spur innovation in solar manufacturing and recycling in the country.

The government said that the funding will help make clean energy more affordable and reliable. Also, developing more solar power is key to achieve President Biden’s goal of 100 per cent clean electricity by 2035 and also net zero emissions by the middle of this century.

“This administration wants to seize U.S. leadership in solar energy, from manufacturing to recycling, and that means making the right investments to ensure these technologies are made right here at home,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. She also said that DoE funding will improve solar manufacturing and strengthen the domestic solar supply chain that would ultimately lead to lowering of energy bills for Americans and businesses and driving toward an equitable clean energy future.

The US government says that the new programs are designed to drive innovation in solar technology and manufacturing, supporting opportunities for the U.S. to expand production of thin-film modules, which do not rely on foreign-dominated supply chains, as well as supporting newer technologies like perovskite solar cells.

DOE’s New Solar Innovation Funding Opportunities

The funding entails $29 million under the FY22 Photovoltaics (PV) Research and Development funding to support projects that increase the reuse and recycling of solar technologies. It will also provide support projects to make PV module designs that bring down manufacturing costs, as well as those that advance the manufacturing of PV cells made from perovskites.

The FY22 Solar Manufacturing Incubator funding will provide aid worth $27 million, which will bolster projects eyeing commercialization of new technologies that can augment private investment in the country’s solar manufacturing.

The DoE has also declared funding worth $18 million  through the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) for seven proposed National Laboratory projects. These have been designed to tackle commercialization challenges DOE-funded technologies face. The agency will also issue a Request for Information on challenges and opportunities for vehicle-integrated PV, which would enable solar energy to provide power to vehicles, including cars, recreational vehicles, trains, boats, and planes.