DOE Seeks to Invest up to $60M for Advanced Concentrating Solar Power Tech

May 7, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the Solar Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $60 million in funding over five years, Fiscal Years (FY) 2008-2012, which includes $10 million in FY 2008 appropriations and $10 million in the FY 2009 Budget request, to support the development of low-cost Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology.

According to DOE, increasing the use of solar energy is an important component of the U.S. federal government's efforts to diversify U.S. energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security. The Solar FOA issuance was announced at the Energy Marketer's Association Convention.

The FOA makes funding available for projects from industry and academia that develop advanced thermal storage concepts and heat transfer fluids to further increase the efficiency of concentrating solar power plants.

DOE anticipates offering 10-25 awards through this competitive solicitation. With a minimum 20% cost share by the private sector for R&D phases and a minimum 50% private cost share for final demonstration phases, the total research investment in advanced solar technologies under this solicitation is expected to exceed $75 million.

CSP systems use heat generated by concentrating and absorbing solar energy to produce thermal energy. This type of solar energy can be used immediately for generating power through a steam turbine or heat engine or saved as thermal energy for later use. Storage of solar energy in this manner removes the intermittency of sunlight, making it "dispatchable" and thus enabling CSP systems to provide electricity day or night.

According to DOE, the FOA complements the U.S. federal government Solar America Initiative, which seeks to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015. Additionally, the development of advanced solar energy technology is integral to the Advanced Energy Initiative, which increases investments to fundamentally change the way the U.S. powers their homes, offices and vehicles by increasing the use of clean, renewable energy technologies.

More information on the Solar America and Advanced Energy Initiatives and the DOE commercialization efforts are available on on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy web site.

"Harnessing the natural and abundant power of the sun and more cost-effectively converting it into energy is an important component of our comprehensive strategy to commercialize and deploy advanced clean, alternative technologies that will allow us to become less reliant on foreign oil," U.S. Undersecretary of Energy Clarence "Bud" Albright said.

Applications for this FOA are due on or before July 10, 2008. Funding beyond monies available in FY 2008 are subject to appropriations from Congress. For more information on this FOA, visit the financial opportunities page on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy web site or at Grants.gov.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).