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Solar Research Spotlight: Manufacturing and

Competitiveness Production line at the manufacturing plant in Perrysburg, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Dennis Schroeder / National Laboratory. Manufacturing and competitiveness is one of the five main research areas affordable . Additionally, Early-stage Incubator assistance in SETO, and it funds projects with the this research area helps small enables startup businesses to cross potential for high-impact innovation businesses develop ideas into critical technological barriers that the investment community is unable in the solar industry. The goal is successful that benefit to address. Once these key risks are to move technologies to market by the solar industry. addressed, the startup businesses strengthening innovative concepts are ideally suited for private follow and increasing their readiness for Projects in manufacturing and on funding and success. Since greater private sector investment and competitiveness cover a wide the program began in 2007, DOE scale-up to commercialization. variety of technologies including awarded $323 million to more than (PV), concentrating 200 Incubator awardees, who have received $8.3 billion in follow-on Research and development in solar solar-thermal power, and power funding, representing a 25 fold return manufacturing and competitiveness electronics, as well as those that on investment. helps to build a strong clean energy address non-hardware costs such manufacturing sector and supply as customer acquisition, permitting, American-Made Challenges in SETO chain. This enables the production financing, interconnection, inspection, The American-Made Challenges of cost-competitive clean energy and solar workforce development. incentivize the nation’s entrepreneurs products on pace with the rising to strengthen American leadership domestic and global demand for Funding Initiatives in energy innovation and domestic manufacturing. These challenges Several funding initiatives within seek to lower the barriers U.S.- Solar Energy Technologies Office SETO focus on manufacturing and based innovators face in reaching competitiveness. The U.S. Department of Energy manufacturing scale by accelerating (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies the cycles of learning from years Incubator to months. Competitors identify Office (SETO) funds early- The Incubator program provides an impactful idea or solution that stage research, development, early-stage assistance to help startup addresses a critical need, design a proof and demonstration projects to companies cross technological of concept and identify market demand improve the affordability, reliability, barriers to commercialization for their solution, and develop and and domestic benefit of solar while encouraging private sector demonstrate their prototypes before a panel of expert judges for a chance technologies on the grid. The office investment. The Incubator program takes an all-inclusive approach to to win cash prizes. All competitors works to advance photovoltaic (PV), significantly lower the total installed have access to support from the concentrating solar-thermal power cost of solar energy systems. By taking American-Made Network, which (CSP), and systems integration breakthrough innovations and putting leverages national laboratories, energy technologies to drive U.S. them through a rigorous de-risking incubators, and other resources across the country. leadership in innovation. process, Incubator allows entrepreneurs to focus on rapid commercialization. Manufacturing and Competitiveness Funding Programs Are you an... With an... You should apply for...

Idea American-Made Challenges

Prototype STOP Need to be an incorporated business INDIVIDUAL

Funding up to $800K Ease of entry: low American-Made Challenges Idea No cost share

Funding up to $1.3M* over 3 years Ease of entry: medium SBIR/STTR No cost share Prototype SMALL BUSINESS Funding up to $2M over 2 years Ease of entry: high Incubator** Must provide cost share

Idea American-Made Challenges

Prototype Incubator** LARGE BUSINESS

Specific National Lab Technology Identified to Commercialize Commercialization Fund***

ALL OF THE ABOVE

*SBIR/STTR funding level is based on participation in two phases of the SBIR/STTR funding program. **Incubator can include Incubator funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) or Incubator topics in SETO-issued FOAs. ***The Technology Commercialization Fund provides funds to a National Lab to work with a company. The National Lab is the applicant on applications to this program, not the company.

Small Business Innovation Research and Small commercialization involve existing DOE facility technology Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) or intellectual property, and the facility must have a private This program encourages U.S.-based small businesses to partner with an identified commercial application for the engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology technology. development with the potential for future commercialization. It is part of the larger SBIR program across the federal Funding Program government, which is administered by the Small Business This funding program advances perovskite PV by addressing Administration. Programs take a phased approach with challenges with manufacturing processes and equipment. two funding levels: feasibility study and proof-of-concept Projects are working to develop perovskite devices at development (Phase I) and prototype development (Phase commercially relevant sizes and throughput to understand II). Small businesses that apply for SBIR/STTR funding are manufacturing issues, improve process control, reduce expected to address the commercialization challenges of their cell-to-module efficiency losses, and validate production cost technology and ensure it is a profitable business opportunity. estimates. Each project aims to demonstrate viability of the manufacturing approach at a level that shows a clear path to Technology Commercialization Fund commercialization for perovskite technology. This program is designed to help commercialize promising energy technologies developed at the DOE’s National Laboratories, ensuring federal R&D investments in technologies with commercial potential find their way to a SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE viable market. Projects focusing on technology maturation are developed to the point where a business will enter into For more information, visit: energy.gov/eere/solar a cooperative research and development agreement or seek DOE/EE-2320 • February 2021 to license the technology. Projects focusing on technology