The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. Learn more about the office's work at our events and webinars.
Learn how the Inflation Reduction Act could help you save on solar and review ourfederal solar tax credit resources.
Solar Energy Technologies Office Newsletter
News and Success Stories
VIEW ALL
Funding Notice: i2X Innovative Queue Management Solutions (iQMS) for Clean Energy Interconnection and Energization
August 14, 2024
DOE and Joint Office of Energy and Transportation launch $11.2 million program to pilot solutions for managing renewable energy and electric vehicle charging interconnection and energization queues.
Learn More
DOE Announces $33 Million to Deploy Solar Technologies to Decarbonize America’s Industrial Sector
July 25, 2024
Nine Projects Across Seven States Will Support Solar-Powered Production of Hydrogen and Lower Emissions from the Aviation, Food and Beverage, and Other Sectors
Learn More
U.S. Department of Energy Provides $65 Million for Connected Communities: Innovations To Manage Growing Building, Transportation, and Industrial Loads on the Grid
July 22, 2024
DOE announced up to $65 million a funding opportunity to validate grid-edge technology innovations in real-world situations and provide new tools for grid operators, utilities, planners, and the communities they serve
Learn More
DOE Selects Two Winners in Prize To Train Workers for Skilled Jobs in Solar Manufacturing Workforce
July 16, 2024
DOE announced the first winners in the first round of the American-Made Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce.
Learn More
Success Story—Working with Co-ops to Increase Community Solar Access
July 11, 2024
The NRECA ACCESS project researched how to make solar energy affordable for low-and moderate-income (LMI) communities. Through this project, a toolkit was developed to assist electric co-ops and the broader industry deploy equitable solar projects.
Learn More
33 Innovators Selected for the U.S. Department of Energy's Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program
July 10, 2024
In the latest round of cohorts in its Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP), 33 innovators will be embedded across four U.S. national laboratories to work with an extensive network of mentors and experts to develop next-generation technologies.
Learn More
Success Story—@DiSCo’s Rhythm Keeps Hackers Offbeat – How an Award-Winning Software Tool Improves Cyber Defense Using Machine Learning
June 18, 2024
The @DisCo software helps utilities and solar manufacturers prevent cybersecurity and ransomware attacks affecting the U.S. electric grid. The software identifies cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the firmware of devices like solar inverters.
Learn More
DOE Launches American-Made Solar Prize Round 8 to Accelerate Solar Energy Innovation
June 14, 2024
The American-Made Solar Prize Round 8 is a $4 million competition designed to support U.S. solar manufacturing and address challenges to rapid, equitable solar energy deployment by incentivizing hardware and software development.
Learn More
DOE Welcomes New Round of Innovative Leaders to Peer-Learning Cohorts on Emerging Clean Energy Strategies
June 12, 2024
45 participants will convene to learn from each other and experts about agrivoltaics, residential energy efficiency, and electrifying municipal fleets.
Learn More
Funding Notice: Solar Energy Supply Chain Incubator
June 6, 2024
The Solar Energy Technologies Office announced a $38 million funding opportunity to strengthen U.S. domestic manufacturing across the solar energy supply chain.
Learn More
Research Areas
Photovoltaics
The Solar office supports development of low-cost, high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) technologies to make solar power more accessible.
Learn More
Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power
SETO supports CSP research and development to improve the performance, reduce the cost, and improve the lifetime and reliability of CSP technologies.
Learn More
Systems Integration
Systems integration research in SETO helps advance the reliable, resilient, secure, and affordable integration of solar energy onto the nation's grid.
Learn More
Soft Costs
Soft costs research in SETO addresses challenges associated with non-hardware cost components of a solar energy system.
Learn More
Manufacturing and Competitiveness
SETO supports solar manufacturing and competitiveness R&D to develop pathways to commercialization for disruptive innovation in the solar industry.
Learn More
Solar Workforce Development
Solar workforce development includes online training, on-the-job training, curriculum development, and other activities that prepare people for solar.
Learn More
Equitable Access to Solar Energy
Despite unprecedented solar deployment, many Americans still lack access to affordable solar electricity. SETO funds research to improve solar access for all.
Learn More
Connect the Dots on Solar Energy
Every day, Americans are making the choice to power their lives with solar energy. SETO is connecting the dots for you, demonstrating how solar energy investments accrue over years to benefit individuals, communities, and the nation.
VIEW MORE
Solar Energy Basics
How Does Solar Work?
Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics
Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Basics
Solar Systems Integration Basics
Solar Soft Costs Basics
Solar Radiation Basics
Solar Energy Research Database
Learn more about active SETO-funded projects at national laboratories, state and local governments, universities, nonprofit organizations, and private companies.
VIEW MORE
Blog Posts
VIEW ALL
How Much Money Can I Save With Solar Energy?
Lowering electricity bills is one of the main reasons why consumers may decide to install rooftop solar panels. So how much can someone actually save by switching to solar power?
Learn More
Should I Replace my Rooftop Solar System?
Is it worth replacing your rooftop solar energy system? Learn why in the vast majority of cases, it's more beneficial for homeowners to keep their existing rooftop solar energy systems for as long as possible.
Learn More
Beyond Recycling: Reducing Waste from Solar Modules Before They’re Even Made
More than 85% percent of a solar photovoltaic (PV) module is made of materials we already know how to recycle, like aluminum and glass. However, solar panel recycling—and recycling overall—is not currently cost-effective or widely adopted.
Learn More
Fremont, California Leads Solar Energy Advancement as First Local Government to Earn SolSmart’s Coveted Platinum Designation
The new designation requires local governments to automate residential solar permitting.
Learn More
Risky Solar Research Ideas Shine with Funding from SIPS: Small Innovative Projects in Solar
This $6.5M DOE funding opportunity is ideal for early-career solar energy researchers, supporting early-stage ideas in photovoltaics and concentrating solar-thermal power.
Learn More
New Federal Guidance Says LIHEAP Funds Can Cover Community Solar Subscription Fees
States should address key considerations before allocating LIHEAP funds toward community solar subscriptions. Learn about this new guidance from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Learn More
Expanding Solar Energy Opportunities: From Rooftops to Building Integration
Building-integrated photovoltaics is a set of emerging solar energy applications that replace conventional building materials with solar energy generating materials in the structure, like the roof, skylights, balustrades, awnings, facades, or windows.
Learn More
Solar Eclipse + Solar Energy: What to Expect When the Sun Goes Dark
On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will travel across parts of the United States, blocking up to 90% of the sun for several minutes. What could this mean for our power grid? Learn what to expect when the sun goes dark.
Learn More
The Benefits of Powering Your EV with Solar Energy
Harnessing the sun to power your vehicle saves you money, benefits the electric grid, and provides backup power to your home in the future.
Learn More
Tackling High Costs and Long Delays for Clean Energy Interconnection
The critical role that interconnection plays in enabling the clean energy transition is why the U.S. Department of Energy established i2x to identify and develop solutions that make interconnection fairer, faster, and simpler.
Learn More
