DOE Research Grants Target Lower Cost Solar Power Grid Integration

The Solar Technologies Office of the US Department of Energy has awarded research grants to several US universities to develop new solar integration technology. The goal is to reduce costs by 50% before 2030. The research will have two principal objectives. In the first area, projects will focus on advancing inverter/converter technology that lowers lifetime costs by reducing upfront costs, extending product life, improving efficiencies and lowering manufacturing costs. In the second area, projects will explore enhanced grid integration capabilities, which include holistic power electronics designs that: integrate solar with other power flow devices like energy storage or reactive power devices, provide online operations and maintenance services that can detect and respond to fault events, or help to quickly recover from power outages.