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The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are competitive funding opportunities that encourage U.S.-based small businesses to engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology development with the potential for future commercialization. The program is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science and awards projects in technology areas across the entire department. It is part of the larger SBIR program across the federal government, which is administered by the Small Business Administration.
In the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), funding is awarded to companies that are working to advance the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on to the grid. Funded projects address a wide variety of solar energy topics such as photovoltaics, grid integration, solar plus energy storage, and community solar, among others. See a full list of projects under the Awardees section below.
The SBIR and STTR programs take a phased approach with two funding levels: feasibility study and proof-of-concept development (Phase I) and prototype development (Phase II). Small businesses that apply for SBIR/STTR funding are expected to address the commercialization challenges of their technology and ensure that it is a profitable business opportunity. DOE performs follow-up surveys to track commercialization outcomes of all SBIR/STTR awards.
Small businesses are the prime recipients both for SBIR and STTR awards. However, there are few differences between the two programs:
SETO may also announce one or more Technology Transfer Opportunities (TTO)—a unique subtopic designed to transfer a specific development patented by a DOE national laboratory or university to a small business for commercialization. Only one small business can be awarded for each TTO. In addition to the SBIR/STTR funding, the awardee receives a six-month, non-exclusive licensing agreement for that patent, with the option to continue the licensing agreement upon negotiation with the research institution owning the patent.
Bringing new technologies from conceptualization to the prototype stage, and then into the market has been proven to be challenging, especially in the solar sector. Entrepreneurs developing new hardware or software technologies, or innovating the solar manufacturing processes, face high risks and have difficulties raising the funding needed to fully mature their ideas. The SBIR and STTR programs aim to foster technology transfer to the private sector, support and encourage participation by entrepreneurs, and stimulate innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small businesses and research institutions.
Learn more about the solar topics in the FY 2025 Phase I Release 2 SBIR/STTR funding opportunity.
AmpX Technologies (College Park, MD)
Cost-Effective Multi-Port Solar Power Conversion Unit based on Wide Bandgap Devices and Planar Magnetics
This project is developing a compact and low-cost integrated multi-port power electronics system for residential rooftop solar systems. This “one box” unit will interface all the major uni- and/or bi-directional sources and loads of a household, including solar panels, energy storage systems, and electric vehicles. It will also utilize the storage of electric vehicles more effectively and support home load and grid applications.
Atonometrics (Austin, TX)
Fault Finder: Sensor that Locates Electrical Faults in PV Strings
This project is developing a “Fault Finder” sensor, which will help locate electrical faults in a photovoltaic (PV) string so they can be repaired more quickly, which saves time for operations and maintenance personnel, reduces downtime for PV systems, and improves system reliability. This cost-effective fault detection sensor would lower operational costs and risks of PV projects.
Combustion Research and Flow Technology (Pipersville, PA)
Efficient and Robust Compressor Designs for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO₂) Power Cycles
This project focuses on the development of highly efficient compressors for the sCO₂ power cycle that improve performance and reduce risk at commercial-scale operation. The effort is developing innovative compressor design paradigms that are highly efficient and robust across the entire performance map. The goal is to commercialize these advanced new technologies for renewable solar power.
Concepts NREC (White River Junction, VT)
Advanced sCO₂ Turbine for Concentrated Solar Power Application 
This project is designing a test rig for demonstrating scale-appropriate bearing and seal component technology. The test rig can effectively replicate greater than 1 megawatt electric power levels. This will be done with an existing turbomachine in real-time conditions to accurately represent the challenges facing the component technologies.
DER Security(Scotts Valley, CA)
Energy-Informed Cyber and Physical Resilience for Distributed Energy Systems 
This project is researching analytical techniques to detect cyberattacks on solar plants using PV network traffic and on-site power data to defend critical electrical grid infrastructure and maintain safe, continuous solar generation. The proposed technology will create long-term security and reliability improvements for utility-scale and commercial PV systems by creating the world’s first energy-informed resilience and security solution for distributed energy resources (DER) or, more generally, inverter-based resources (IBR) that perform cyber-physical analysis of DER/IBR operations.
Fastwatt (Clifton Park, NY)
Compact Solar Direct-to-Medium-Voltage Grid Interface using Silicon Carbide and High Frequency Magnetics
This project is developing a compact, lightweight, multi-port power converter using wide-band gap semiconductors and high frequency transformers that can interface solar systems directly with medium voltage grids up to 35 kilovolts. The approach uses a high-frequency magnetics link driven by silicon carbide devices along with a novel insulation method to provide power conversion and step-up between a solar direct current plant and a medium voltage alternating current grid. The technology would be attractive in applications where a compact footprint is desirable (e.g., electric vehicle fast charging stations in cities) or where reduced weight has benefits (e.g., solar installations and wind turbines.)
Maxout Renewables (Livermore, CA)
Kiloboost: PV Surge Capacity for Off Grid Power and Battery Protection
This project uses a novel and effective approach for PV systems to supply load surge power when they are not connected to the grid by utilizing a supercapacitor with a power electronics interface.  The technology will provide cost-effective surge power capability to a system, allowing a homeowner to use a backup system for average loads instead of the peak loads and reduce the cost of a whole-house PV backup system by 75% or more. The technology will also shield the installed lithium-ion batteries from the surge loads, protecting them from potential damage.
Mirai Solar (Mountain View, CA)
Agrivoltaic System with Adaptive Shading Addressing Vegetational Growth Cycle Needs through Seasonal Variations
This project is designing and testing components of a lightweight, semi-transparent, retractable PV system for agrivoltaics. This novel agrivoltaic system with unprecedented light management capabilities addresses the major drawbacks of current solutions, aiming to remove barriers that prevent widespread adoption of collocated farming and solar energy production. 
Optivolt Labs(San Francisco, CA)
Ultra-Efficient Intra-Module Balancing DC Optimizer for Solar Systems 
This project is developing low-cost power electronics to eliminate losses in solar panel output due to shading or debris, boosting solar energy output. Optivolt’s efficient sub-module balancing direct current optimizer will recover mismatch losses within a PV module at minimum cost while maintaining unshaded efficiency of over 99%.
Physical Sciences (Andover, MA)
Compact Additive sCO₂ Heat Exchangers
This project aims to design and build a recuperator for installation in an sCO₂ power cycle. Existing heat exchangers are very large and heavy with relatively low performance or are extremely expensive, representing an opportunity to reduce the cost of electricity generated in thermal power plants. The project will take advantage of advances in additive manufacturing that allow cost-effective development of advanced heat exchangers with low weight and volume that improve efficiency and cost-of-energy from new power generation plants.
Precision Combustion (North Haven, CT)
Improved Solar Industrial Process Heat Thermal Particles for Decarbonization of Chemical Production
This project aims to demonstrate decarbonization of industrial petrochemical manufacturing using advanced thermal particles, heated by concentrating solar power, by significantly reducing the amount of carbon emitted by ethylene manufacturing. Ethylene production is one of the most significant sources of carbon emissions in the chemical industry.
Quantum Power Systems (Austin, TX)
GaN Nanoinverter: Enabling Low-Cost Residential Solar Energy System
This project is developing a compact inverter, referred to as a nanoinverter, using gallium nitride (GaN) power switches. The nanoinverter will be much smaller and more efficient than today’s state-of-the-art microinverters with the goal of fitting in the panel junction box. This could result in a true plug-and-play alternating current PV module architecture with a substantially lower installation cost and fire risk.
Solar Unsoiled (Durham, NC)
A Photovoltaic Soiling Model for Development-Phase Solar Assets
This project is developing a soiling model to reduce the financial risk associated with uncertainties in modeling losses from solar panel soiling and accelerate the financing of new solar farms. A comprehensive approach will address soiling for currently operating sites that employ a predictive soiling model informed by data analytics and a proprietary method utilizing a digital microscope to image particles on the panel surface. Using the dataset, the project team plans to improve the accuracy of their predictive soiling model for development-phase sites where data analytics and the microscopy images are not available.
Solution Spray Technologies (Storrs, CT)
High-Performance Coatings for Turbomachinery in sCO₂ Cycles for Concentrated Solar Power Plants 
This project is developing and validating a high-performance thermal barrier coating that will significantly improve the efficiency, durability, and cost effectiveness of sCO₂ turbine systems for concentrated solar power plants. The novel coatings developed during this work will have the potential to advance the concentrated solar power technology and facilitate the adoption of renewable energy by providing a robust, low-cost, non-intermittent, supplementary power source. 
Turbine Monitoring and Support Services (Atlanta, GA)
Virtual Reliability Software for Real Time Detection of Failures at PV Plants
This project aims to commercialize a software-based failure detection technology to remotely and continuously detect string and tracker faults in PV power plants. This will be accomplished using measurement instruments already installed at plants. Currently, failures detected by this approach are only detectable through manual inspection or periodic aerial imaging. The technology will improve reliability and power production while reducing maintenance costs, and its successful adoption will enable accelerated renewables growth into the power grid.
VIA Science (Somerville, MA)
VPP Coordination of Solar Resources with Zero-Knowledge Proofs and Smart Contracts
This project is leveraging the latest in secure, distributed software technologies to create a new business model for solar virtual power plants. This will widen the reach and benefits of solar energy to millions of Americans, especially those who are renters and live in multi-family dwellings, enabling renters, often the most underserved and disadvantaged segment of the population, to benefit economically from their participation in the transition to clean energy. 
Epower Technology (Manhattan, KS)
GaN Quad-Active-Bridge Converter for Hybrid PV-Battery Systems
This project is developing a four-port, bi-directional power converter to efficiently connect distributed solar power, energy storage systems, electric vehicle charging stations, and the utility grid. This approach offers a modular, scalable, power-dense, and high-efficiency solution for managing diverse energy sources and loads. The proposed solution supports broader adoption of renewable energy and modernizes energy infrastructure.
Mission Power Corp. (Potsdam, NY)
Whole House Multi-Port Inverter
This project is developing and building a residential multi-port inverter for solar and storage connections. The unit is more powerful and flexible than current available units. It allows connection of multiple devices for the whole home and provides a direct current connection for any device to connect directly, including batteries and bi-directional electric vehicle charging.
Noria Energy Holdings (Sausalito, CA)
Platform for Floating Solar-Powered Water Technologies
This project aims to commercialize technology that increases energy production from floating solar by up to 15%. The team is developing a platform that converts high voltage, direct current energy from a floating solar system to a usable, low voltage for water technology at the project site, such as aerators or pumps. This will lower the costs and infrastructure challenges associated with powering equipment to treat and maintain bodies of water and enable the rapid deployment of high value, distributed solar energy. 
Resilient Power Systems (Austin, TX)
Fast Recoverable and Fault-Tolerant Resilient Power Converter Under Extreme Weather Conditions for Megawatt-Power Solar Energy/Storage Systems
This project aims to enable direct connection of solar converters to distribution grids, supporting grid stability during adverse weather conditions and facilitating the addition of large amounts of solar energy into the nation’s power grid. This converter, housed in a weatherproof enclosure, is able to withstands extreme weather conditions and provides reactive fault current during short circuits to prevent voltage dips. 
Sporian Microsystems (Lafayette, CO)
Advanced High Temperature Instrumentation for Gen3 CSP Systems
This project is developing novel, high-temperature, onsite sensors for use in high-temperature CSP systems to aid the development of CSP technologies that provide electrical power safely, efficiently, and within the cost targets required for adoption. In the long term, the technology will improve monitoring and controls in plants by providing information on heat flow conditions in real time, enabling plants to run more efficiently and reliably to meet cost targets and meet adoption thresholds.
Quest Renewables (Atlanta, GA)
Resilient Solar Racking System to Provide Consistent Electricity to Regions Impacted by Natural Disasters
This project is developing a storm-resilient solar racking system capable of producing clean energy during severe weather conditions. This project is improving the resiliency of photovoltaic ground mounts and reducing the impact of more stringent International Building Code changes to the solar racking industry.
Gismo Power (Sarasota, FL)
The MEGA: Cost-Effective Plug-in Portable Solar Electricity for Lower-to-Moderate Income Homes and Small Businesses
Gismo Power is developing the Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance (MEGA)—an affordable, portable solar PV-EV charger for residential homeowners and renters. It fulfills the need for a portable, powerful grid-tied electrical appliance which can be either fixed or wheeled around freely, feeding renewable energy into the electric grid. MEGA can be deployed and used as a carport, solar electricity generator, and EV charger in driveways across America.
Radiation Detection Technologies (Manhattan, KS)
Commercial Production of the Group-V Doped Polycrystalline CdTe Source Material for the Next-Generation Photovoltaics
The current Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) feedstock production method for CdTe-based PV is not scalable or suitable for low-cost, high-performance PVs. The proposed technology will radically disrupt the current feedstock production method by introducing group-V doped materials using a high-pressure technique.
Smartville (Carlsbad, CA)
High Power DC Coupler to Integrate Second-Life Batteries with Solar and EV Chargers
Used EV batteries have tremendous value for secondary use purposes, such as serving as the go-between for solar generation and high-power, high-voltage EV charging, for grid and off-grid applications. The project develops a full system-level solution with key power electronics and system integration innovations that make use of second life EV batteries to charge EVs with solar generation as a power input.
Solar Dynamics (Broomfield, CO)
Advanced Development and Testing of the SunRing Heliostat
This project will further develop the SunRing heliostat yielding a cost up to 40% lower than the competition and transitioning the technology from a research prototype to a commercially ready product. This dramatic heliostat cost reduction is needed to meet DOE’s overall cost targets for CSP.
Sol-Go (Menlo Park, CA)
Displacing Auxiliary, Internal Combustion Engines on Commercial Vehicles
Sol-Go will develop a next generation solar panel for the commercial transportation marketplace. This advanced solar panel technology will reduce up to 50% of the greenhouse emissions from more than 10 million U.S. vehicles and enable over $10 billion in fuel savings for the U.S. marketplace.
Advanced Cooling Technologies (Lancaster, PA)
Thermally Enhanced Obstructed Flow Board for Hot Spot Mitigation
This project will develop a thermally enhanced solar receiver utilized in next-generation concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants, allowing the plant to operate at a higher efficiency and reducing the cost of renewable CSP. Future applications of the technology will support the decarbonization of some industrial processes or the creation of renewable solar fuels.
Advanced Material Analysis Technology (Hockessin, DE)
Development of New Metallization Pastes for Front-Side of Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells
AMA Tech is developing a state-of-the-art metallization paste for the front side of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) crystalline silicon solar cells. This innovative solution has the potential to replace current passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technologies in the photovoltaic (PV) industry. The success of this new TOPCon technology, featuring a new metallization solution, could significantly reduce the cost of solar energy.
Asymmetric Technologies (Dublin, OH)
Wireless Networks for Solar Uniform Modularity
Eliminating wires to individual heliostats would reduce one of the biggest cost drivers for CSP systems. This team will develop a robust wireless hardware and a simulation tool to support use of low-cost, flexible, and secure wireless communication capabilities in the field, further driving down operational costs.
EPOWER Technology (Manhattan, KS)
GaN Quad-Active-Bridge Converter for Hybrid PV-Battery Systems
This team will develop a quad-active-bridge multiport converter, which provides an intelligent power electronics interface to manage the power between solar arrays, battery energy storage, electric vehicles, and the distribution utility grid. Compared to the existing solutions, the proposed multiport power converter has higher energy efficiency, smaller volume, and higher reliability. The commercialization of the proposed multiport converter technologies can accelerate the decarbonization of the electricity and transportation systems and promote the advancement of domestic manufacturing supply chains on semiconductors, magnetics, and additive manufacturing of power components.
HelioVolta (Carlsbad, CA)
Fieldwork Data Management & Analysis Software for Reliable Assets
Insufficient management of renewable energy asset data can present a significant safety risk to personnel and property while making the electrical grid less reliable. This proposal creates a robust data model and analytics method for renewable energy assets, processing both metered data and on-site fieldwork data, giving asset managers and operations teams the tools needed to avoid electrical failure.
Mission Power (Potsdam, NY)
Whole House Multi-Port Inverter
This project will develop a whole house multi-port inverter for residential solar and storage connections. The technology will be more flexible and generate more power than units currently on the market.
Optigon (Somerville, MA)
Rapid Multi-Modal Characterization Tools for PV Manufacturing
Developing and scaling new solar material is expensive and slow. This proposal will provide tools to accelerate the rate solar technologies are commercialized and deployed.
Portable Solar (Miami, FL)
Solar Photovoltaic Awning as Installation Method for Manufactured Homes
Home solar installation has high fixed costs that result in small rooftop systems being priced well above market. This team will design and prototype a solar awning that attaches to the walls of manufactured homes without the need for solar installation companies, resulting in a lower price.
PowerTech Water (Lexington, KY)
Electrolytic Metal Recovery from Photovoltaic Waste
This team will design electrochemical cells with novel cathodes for the selective, bulk recovery of silver and copper from solar panel waste. The design allows recyclers to enhance their revenue generation, while also laying the foundation for future PV build-out, rescuing critical commodities from the landfill, and reducing dependence on increasingly unreliable overseas supplies.
RCAM Technologies (Boulder, CO)
Industrialized Gravity Anchors for Floating Photovoltaics
Deploying floating solar panels on water saves land, produces electricity more efficiently, and has other benefits, but still costs more than mounting panels on utility-scale ground-mounted solar arrays, partly because of the cost of anchoring floating arrays. To make anchoring of floating solar arrays less costly, we will commercialize a technology that reduces the installed cost of concrete anchors by 42%.
RockeTruck (Escondido, CA)
Advanced Multiport Solar Converter (AMSC)
Achievement of national sustainable energy goals and equitable energy outcomes will require technological advances to make deployment of solar PV and other distributed energy resources (DERs) simpler and more affordable. The proposed AMSC project will help achieve this by driving down the cost of procuring and integrating the power conversion devices required to efficiently perform the power conversion required to integrate solar PV with battery storage, EV charging, and other DERs. This will reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuels and result in significant reductions in emissions of toxic substances and greenhouse gases.
Sporian Microsystems (Lafayette, CO)
Advanced High Temperature Instrumentation for Gen3 CSP Systems
A novel, high-temperature, in situ flow sensor is proposed for use in Gen3 CSP systems to allow real-time monitoring of fluid conditions. This will aid the development of solid and falling particle technologies, which will provide electrical power safely, efficiently, and within the cost targets required for adoption.
Starfire Industries (Champaign, IL)
Next-generation High-power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering HiPIMS for Electronic Chemical Vapor Deposition (e-CVD), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Etch, and Precision Implantation Control for PV Manufacturing
This team will develop manufacturing technology to enable more efficient production of PV modules used for electricity. This project is specifically targeted to accelerate the development, introduction, and adaptation of a disruptive technique in the field of thin-film deposition. The high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) innovation specifically targets a critical technology gap for thin-film electronic materials to improve function, physical characteristics, and manufacturability.
STEM Resources (Little Rock, AR)
Solar Surveillance System
This project is developing a cutting-edge intrusion detection system for solar energy systems. The system uses advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence to predict and detect potential threats to the security and reliability of string inverters, which convert solar energy into electricity. By improving the accuracy and effectiveness of intrusion detection, this project has the potential to increase the safety and accessibility of renewable energy, helping to create a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
StorEdgeAI (Bothell, WA)
A Resilient PV Solar Plant with Enhanced Grid Reliability Services and Integrated Multi-MW EV-charging Infrastructure for 2x Faster and 50% Lower Cost Implementation
Distributed solar will require energy storage for higher availability and reliability necessary to support the electric utility grid. Most solar systems are left alone, without storage, due to the high installation and commissioning cost and fire safety concerns. This project will develop a fire-safe solar-plus-storage building block to reduce the overall cost of battery storage integration by over 30%, enabling distributed solar systems to shift energy to the period of the day with peak demand. The overall solar-plus-storage architecture provides a lower-cost way to implement EV charging infrastructure while minimizing grid infrastructure upgrades.
 
Advanced Materials Scientia (Bothell, Washington)
Economical Thermal Transfer Media for Generation 3 Concentrating Solar Power System with High Durability
This project team will optimize materials used in the next generation of concentrating solar power systems to ensure they can maintain their basic properties when operating at high temperatures. The team will perform the field test at Sandia National Laboratories, then test the prototype manufacturing while keeping the product’s sales price at $82 per ton or less.
BREK Electronics Corporation (Broomfield, Colorado)
250-kW Solar String Inverter Using Silicon Carbide (SiC) Modular Architecture and Grid Support Functionality
The project will develop a new disruptive power electronics technology for solar power inverters with battery energy storage that is manufacturable in the United States and provides a path to significant reductions in cost. The technology can contribute to grid reliability and will reduce the balance of system costs.
Dissigno International (Larkspur, California)
Platform for Floating Solar-Powered Water Technologies
Water resource management and access to clean energy are key challenges for the 21st century. This project team will create a platform to utilize water bodies for the development of low-cost solar energy systems while improving the quality of the water underneath.  
Hawaii Fish Company (Waialua, Hawaii)
Floating Solar Aquaculture Aerator with Secondary Renewable Energy Source
This floating solar aquaculture aerator technology will improve efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture pond aeration, helping to reduce farmers’ operating costs and improve their overall farm profitability. This will in turn reduce the nation’s carbon footprint and help farmers meet the U.S. demand for sustainable, domestically-produced sources of protein.
LITESPEED ENERGY (Livermore, California)
A New Generation of Lightweight, Universally Deployable and Re-deployable Integrated Commercial and Industrial Solar Solutions
This project will develop a novel integrated solar solution for commercial and industrial rooftops that enables five times faster installation, at reduced hardware cost and without the need for grounding. The system weighs less than 40% of standard ballasted systems, enabling deployment on rooftops that otherwise would not support solar. 
Resilient Power Systems (Athens, Georgia)
Fast Recoverable and Fault-Tolerant Resilient Power Converter Under Extreme Weather Conditions for Mega-Watt Power Solar Energy/Storage Systems
The next generation of solar power converters needs to be resilient, fault tolerant, and able to quickly recover from extreme weather-related events. The project team will develop a power converter for distribution grids that withstands harsh conditions and supports the grid during extreme weather-related events. 
Solar Dynamics (Broomfield, Colorado)
Aerial Solar Thermal Radiometric Observer
The awardee will digitize operations and maintenance data of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants and develop best practices and procedures based on the data-driven insights. The goal of the project is to increase performance, reduce costs, and lower the overall life cycle cost of ownership of CSP systems. 
Altitude Grid(Grapevine, Texas)
Reinforced Hierarchical Probabilistic Solar Forecasting Tool Based on Dynamic Multimodel Machine Learning
An electric grid with large amounts of solar power requires operators to have increased accuracy and reliability of solar forecasting. This project will develop and commercialize a probabilistic forecasting software tool for end-users in the solar forecasting industry that can add concrete value to the operation of a low-carbon grid.
CoolCAD Electronics (Takoma Park, Maryland)
Low-Cost Hybrid Silicon Carbide/Gallium Nitride-based Single-Stage Microinverter with Leakage Integrated Planar Magnetics Technology
The main objectives of developing the proposed microinverter are decreasing the price and the volume per watt during solar power conversion and increasing the reliability during its lifetime. Due to the employment of wide bandgap semiconductor devices, the microinverter can be made more efficient and of higher power density—leading to real estate savings on a bulk installation and a lower installation complexity. This award engages novel approaches for enabling ‘design for manufacturing,’ ‘design for reliability,’ and lower cost for photovoltaic (PV) microinverters through power converter innovation, alongside leveraging the enhanced device properties of the new power semiconductors.
CorePower Magnetics(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
High Induction, Power Dense Transformers to Enable Adoption of SiC and GaN Power Electronic Devices
Silicon carbide is increasingly becoming a valuable technology for power electronic components; one of the strengths of this material being its strong domestic manufacturing capacity. Moreover, prices of SiC semiconductors are dropping, which presents a unique opportunity to drive adoption of the technology. Combining this with new soft magnetic transformer designs, solar and electric vehicle (EV) systems relying on semiconductors will see improved performance through a strong domestic supply chain.
Gismo Power (Sarasota, Florida)
Wheeling Gismo Power onto Residential Driveways Enables Cost-Effective Solar Energy for Lower- to Middle-Income Homes
Gismo Power is developing the Mobile Electricity Generating Appliance (MEGA)—an affordable, portable solar PV-EV charger for residential homeowners and renters. It fulfills the need for a portable, powerful grid-tied electrical appliance which can be either fixed or wheeled around freely, feeding renewable energy into the electric grid. MEGA can be deployed and used as a carport, solar electricity generator, and EV charger in driveways across America.
MARSCHARGE (Palo Alto, California)
Advanced Multifunctional Electric Vehicle Chargers with Integrated Decentralized Energy Storage
Current EV fast-charging infrastructure is too expensive and cumbersome to provide the charging coverage needed to alleviate drivers’ concern about the proximity of charging station. The proposed solution is a combined clean energy storage and EV fast charger that reduces infrastructure costs, energy costs, and energy constraints to provide wider charging coverage.
Mission Drives Corp. (Potsdam, New York)
Low-cost High Frequency Inverter for Utility-Scale PV
Utility-scale solar is an important part of any plan to decarbonize the grid and cost reductions make this easier. Further, if the United States is going to capitalize on this transition, it is important to have domestic design and manufacturing of solar components. This award will develop a low-cost solar string inverter that is designed and manufactured in the United States.
NanoSpray (Brooklyn, New York)
Low-Cost Direct-Write Contacts and Interconnects for Thin Film Solar
NanoSpray aims to grow American-made solar production by providing an innovative method for making thin-film solar panels. The proposed technology can replace one of the most time intensive steps in thin film solar panel manufacturing, while simultaneously setting the stage for increased efficiency gains. These innovations will make American-made thin-film solar panels more competitive in the global market and lower the barrier to increased renewable energy adoption.
Physical Sciences (Andover, Massachusetts)
Reclaimed Coal Ash as Low-Cost Thermal Energy Storage Material
Existing thermal energy storage materials for concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants are expensive and limit the efficiency of the plant. This proposal will investigate the usage of reclaimed coal ash from landfills to provide low-cost, high-performance thermal energy storage to help ensure future U.S. energy security. 
Radiation Detection Technologies (Manhattan, Kansas)
Commercial Production of the Group-V Doped Polycrystalline CdTe Source Material for the Next-Generation Photovoltaics
The current Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) feedstock production method for CdTe-based PV is not scalable or suitable for low-cost, high-performance PVs. The proposed technology will radically disrupt the current feedstock production method by introducing group-V doped materials using a high-pressure technique.
Smartville (Carlsbad, California)
Riding the Solar Curve – Solar+Second-Life-Storage+EV Charging
Used EV batteries have tremendous value for secondary use purposes, such as serving as the go-between for solar generation and high-power, high-voltage EV charging, for grid and off-grid applications. The project develops a full system-level solution with key power electronics and system integration innovations that make use of second life EV batteries to charge EVs with solar generation as a power input.
Solar Dynamics (Broomfield, Colorado)
Advanced Development and Testing of the SunRing Heliostat
This project will further develop the SunRing heliostat yielding a cost up to 40% lower than the competition and transitioning the technology from a research prototype to a commercially ready product. This dramatic heliostat cost reduction is needed to meet DOE’s overall cost targets for CSP.
Sol-Go (Menlo Park, California)
Displacing Internal, Auxiliary Combustion Engines on Commercial Vehicles
Sol-Go will develop a next generation solar panel for the commercial transportation marketplace. This advanced solar panel technology will reduce up to 50% of the greenhouse emissions from more than 10 million U.S. vehicles and enable over $10 billion in fuel savings for the U.S. marketplace.
TelemeTrack (Oakland, California)
Buffering to Cut Photovoltaic-Plus-Storage System Costs
Lowering the total cost of PV energy production will encourage deployment of solar power and support an equitable transition to a decarbonized grid. This project will lower the total cost of solar power generation systems by eliminating the loss of energy that occurs when PV power surges to levels that cannot be safely stored in battery systems.
Tietronix Software (Houston, Texas)
Improving the Non-Intrusive Optical Heliostat Field Optical Error Characterization Method and Tools
CSP plants can help decarbonize the power grid, provided that operators can quickly assess and correct poorly performing heliostats. The non-intrusive optical technology and toolset development will provide an efficient way to fill this current gap.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (Seattle, Washington)
Affordable, Reliable, High-Performance Ceramic Components for CSP
This project will greatly enhance the economic and environmental benefits of CSP systems and support the development of innovative manufacturing in the United States. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation will use additive manufacturing to produce advanced ceramic composites for affordable, reliable, and high-performance components.
VesprSolar (Somerville, Massachusett)
Resilient, Economical Structures for Dynamic Agricultural Photovoltaics Plants
Solar PV racking is a critical component of installing a solar power plant on a commercial farm. This research will result in a competitive photovoltaic solar tracker system optimized for deployments on commercial farms. This project will enable U.S. farmers to harness solar energy as a secondary source of revenue, increase the amount of land available for clean energy production, and help establish the United States as a leader in the global market for multi-use integrated PV systems.
Atonometrics (Austin, TX)
Bifacial Photovoltaic System Low-Cost High-Accuracy Irradiance Measurements
Inaccurate solar radiation measurements at photovoltaic power plants increase plant operation costs. This project is working to determine the commercial feasibility and develop a prototype of a new, low-cost sensor with a simplified design that can measure direct, diffuse, and reflected sunlight, including sunlight reflected off the ground.
NexTC Corporation (Corvallis, Oregon)          
Solar Modules: Low-Cost Manufacturing
This project is developing a transparent, conductive layer that can be incorporated into thin-film cadmium-telluride solar modules to improve performance and durability, and lower the cost of materials. This layer will also serve as a diffusion barrier, protecting against oxygen and impurities that can diminish module performance.
Operant Networks Corporation (Santa Rosa, California)
Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection System for Large-Scale Solar Field Networks     
This project fills a market void by aiming to commercialize a modular, economical cybersecurity detection system that can be scaled to solar energy systems of any size. This system uses next-generation peer-to-peer networking to protect the U.S. electric grid from security breaches.
Phase3 Photovoltaics (Portland, Oregon)   
Intelligently Manufactured Homes with Factory Integrated Solar Systems Delivered to the Build Site Enabling Dramatic Soft Cost Reductions      
Phase3 is advancing its low-cost, pre-installed solar-plus-storage system for new factory-built homes. Integrating solar panels into the pre-manufactured-home fabrication process can substantially reduce the cost of the system relative to a traditional rooftop solar installation on a home. Incorporating the solar system into the home’s cost can also make financing easier. Phase3 won the American-Made Solar Prize in 2019 with this innovation.
Tau Science Corporation (Hillsboro, Oregon)              
Microwave Photoconductance Spectrometer for Thin-Film Deposited Semiconductor Materials    
Tau Science is creating a tool with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which initially developed the technology, and the University of Toledo, that measures the quality of semiconductor materials, particularly perovskites, during the manufacturing process, as they’re being deposited. This tool is designed to ensure high-quality manufacturing of perovskite solar cells as they prepare to enter the market.
Advanced Materials Scientia (Bothell, Washington)
Economical Thermal Transfer Media for Generation 3 Concentrating Solar Power System with High Durability
This project team will develop low-cost, durable particles to transfer heat in a concentrating solar-thermal power system integrated with thermal energy storage. The cost target will be around 5 cents per kilogram, and the team will demonstrate the particles’ durability at 1,000 degrees Celsius, and outline the preliminary design and cost of installation. This project will help reduce the cost of particles to lower the levelized cost of energy.
Asoleyo (Herndon, Virginia)
Decorative Metallization Patterns for Aesthetic Solar Cells
This company makes affordable solar cells that complement architecture by applying the artistic principles of symmetry, rhythm, and line to the cell metallization. These panels address the concern of some customers that solar panels affect the visual appeal of their property and therefore can help increase solar adoption.
Blue Rock Solutions (Williamstown, New Jersey)
Low-Cost Racking for Agricultural Solar Photovoltaics
This project team will design and develop a low-cost, suspended racking design for solar panels installed over agricultural fields, providing farmers with an additional revenue stream.
Dissigno International (Larkspur, California)
DC Bus Platform for Floating Solar-Powered Aeration
This project team will create a floating solar aeration system design that can be integrated into existing large-scale floating solar energy projects deployed on wastewater treatment facilities. It provides a low-cost option to add aerators to improve water quality.
Echogen Power Systems (Akron, Ohio)
Low-Cost Particle-to-CO₂ Moving Bed Heat Exchanger
Echogen will develop a finned-tube moving bed heat exchanger that moves particles carrying heat in concentrating solar-thermal power systems. This project will increase design flexibility and reduce costs.
Energy Sense Finance (Tampa, Florida)
Solar Automation in the Home Buying Experience
This project will enable automation of new solar installations into the process of purchasing a home, to accelerate and increase solar adoption and help decarbonize the electricity sector. It combines the house and solar investments to help reduce the cost of solar by up to a third and provide a positive cost/benefit for solar.
Enviromation (Pensacola, Florida)
3-Tab Solar Roof Shingle
This project team will develop solar roof shingles that look like standard asphalt shingles and are installed the same way, with an energy-conversion efficiency and price competitive with current solar panels. These shingles will not change a property’s appearance and may help increase solar adoption.
Epsilon Innovation Group (Silver Spring, Maryland)
Floating Solar-Powered Aeration System for Aquaculture
This project team will develop a self-sufficient, small-scale, floating solar aeration system coupled with energy storage that improves water quality and protects underwater organisms and habitats. This technology will supply dissolved oxygen to maintain fish and pond health.
FarmAfield Labs (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Adding Value to Floating Aeration Systems via Solar-Powered Destratification Equipment
This project team will explore ways to integrate solar technology into existing floating pond aeration equipment to improve fishery production efficiencies and reduce water-management costs.
Floating Island International(Shepherd, Montana)
Advancing the Development of Floating Solar-Powered Nanobubble Aeration Systems for Use with Floating Treatment Wetlands in Natural and Man-Made Waterbodies
This project will use solar panels to power an aerator, mounted on a floating platform, that creates tiny bubbles to affordably boost the water recovery process. Very small bubbles can efficiently disperse air through the water to combat algal blooms and anaerobic bacteria that emit high levels of methane and adversely affect water quality.
Hawaii Fish Co. (Waialua, Hawaii)
Floating Solar Aquaculture Aerator with Secondary Renewable Energy Option
This project team will develop an efficient, floating water aeration system powered by solar and wind for fish farmers. The system contains a battery to store energy and provide round-the-clock aeration.
LiteSpeed Energy (Livermore, California)
A New Generation of Lightweight, Universally Deployable and Redeployable Integrated Commercial and Industrial Solar Solutions 
This project team will develop an integrated solar racking solution for commercial and industrial rooftops that enables solar installation five times faster than the current rate, at reduced hardware cost and without the need for grounding. This racking system weighs less than 40% of standard ballasted systems, enabling deployment on rooftops that otherwise would not support solar.
Makai Ocean Engineering (Waimanalo, Hawaii)
Compact Heat Exchanger for the Stringent Operating Conditions of Gen3 CSP Systems
This project team will explore innovative, cost-effective heat exchanger designs and materials for high-temperature, high-pressure concentrating solar-thermal power systems, which can help decarbonize the industrial sector.
NTRE Tech (North Canton, Ohio)
Pulsed Fluidized Bed Design for High-Temperature Solids-to–Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Heat Exchange for Concentrated Solar Applications
This project team will develop a heat exchanger for high-temperature concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems that use particles to transfer heat to supercritical carbon dioxide. The design will use fluidized bed technology to vibrate the particles so they don’t clump and can flow like a liquid, to improve efficiency in limited space to lower energy requirements. This project will help reduce the cost of electricity of CSP systems to less than $0.06 per kilowatt-hour.
Otherlab (San Francisco, California)
Solar Integrated Hi-Strength Aesthetic Metal Roofing Panels
This project team will integrate small solar cells into corrugated roofing panels that can be easily installed on the roofs of buildings without being visible from the ground. This unobtrusive architectural style will provide a desirable solar power option for homeowners and reduce installation and contractor costs.
Resilient Power Systems (Athens, Georgia)
Fast Recoverable and Fault-Tolerant Resilient Power Converter Under Extreme Weather Conditions for Megawatt-Power Solar Energy/Storage Systems
This project team will develop a power converter for large-scale solar systems, specifically designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes and floods, and quickly restore weather-related power interruptions.
RUTE Foundation Systems
Cable Stayed Agrophotovoltaic System
This project team will develop a solar module support system consisting of in-ground poles that minimize land use and enable farmers to grow crops underneath the modules. The system will rotate to track the sun’s movement and capture the most energy possible.
Sistine Solar (Somerville, Massachusetts)
High-Efficiency, Durable, Affordable, Aesthetic Solar
This project team will develop innovative, efficient, and affordable color-match technology to make solar panels blend in with a homeowner’s roof and preserve curb appeal. The technology will be applied on top of an existing solar module.
Solar Dynamics (Broomfield, Colorado)
Aerial Solar Thermal Radiometric Observer
This project team will develop a drone-based, artificial intelligence–enhanced surveying tool to analyze the performance of concentrating solar-thermal power plants in remote desert locations. The project leverages optical analysis tools under development at DOE’s national laboratories.
Solar SEED(Rockaway Park, New York)
Development of the SEED-Storage Optional System
This project team will develop a flexible, cost-effective, module-level inverter for grid-interactive systems that can supply power during the daytime even when the grid is down. This technology solution is designed for consumers who want to have daytime backup power without the need to install costly battery storage.
Taka Solar (Mountain View, California)
Integrated Tube-Based Photovoltaic Panel System Optimized for Co-Location with Crops
This project team will test the feasibility of a new module design—solar tubes—on agricultural lands to affordably generate electricity while maintaining or improving crop yields. Traditional solar panels have unsuitable shade characteristics and a high system cost. Solar tubes co-located with agriculture could fully supply U.S. electricity demand while enhancing rural economic development.
TrackerSled (Oak Park, Illinois)
Improving Dual-Use Farming with TrackerSleds
This project team will build mobile solar platforms on agricultural lands that are suitable for crop rotation in any climate. Today’s agricultural solar farms are static, costly, and specialized for certain crops, rendering them useless for farms with rotating crops or located in other climate zones. This project will allow farmers to grow their economies and increase self-sufficiency and resilience while generating clean energy.
Atonometrics (Austin, Texas)
PV Module Soiling Spectral Deposition Detector
This project will help determine the commercial feasibility of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s new technology that measures the soiling rates of solar modules in the field, based on the measured transmissivity of a single-wavelength LED light through a glass window. The goal is to develop a market-ready product enabling accurate and low-cost soiling measurements.
BREK Electronics Corporation (Englewood, Colorado)
250 kW Solar String Inverter Using Silicon Carbide Modular Architecture and Grid Support Functionality
This project will develop a compact 250 kW string inverter product based on a new photovoltaic string inverter technology that uses emerging silicon carbide modular architecture and grid support functionality (MOSFET). This technology will improve cost, power density, efficiency, and reliability.
FarmAfield Labs (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Livestock and Solar—Synergistic Opportunities for Rural America
This project will develop a solar photovoltaic system that will reduce electricity cost and improve the quality of livestock in rural areas.
GVD Corp. (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Reduced Environmental Controls in Perovskite Solar Cell Manufacturing Enabled by Vacuum-Deposited Gas Barrier Coatings
This project will develop a vapor barrier coating for next-generation solar cells based on perovskites in ambient conditions. The coating will lower costs, improve manufacturing, and enable rapid commercialization of perovskite solar cells.
Helical Solar Solutions (Austin, Texas)
Low Cost Dual-Axis Solar Positioning System with Novel Monopole and Integral Lateral Support
This project aims to develop a low-cost, modular, dual-axis solar solution for rural applications. It is designed to accelerate rural solar deployment by removing barriers to small and medium rural solar installations. 
NanoFlex Power Corporation (Scottsdale, Arizona)
Advanced Manufacturing of Low-Cost Building Integrated Organic Photovoltaic Modules
This project will develop low-cost, organic, building-integrated solar panels to substantially reduce energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings.
NanoSonic (Pembroke, Virginia)
Electrospray Deposition of Perovskite Solar Cells
This project is developing a material composition for perovskite solar cells to retain solar conversion performance while increasing the service life of the device. 
Norwich Technologies (White River Junction, Vermont)
Behind-the-Meter, Distributed Scale CSP System Enabled by Very Low-cost Working Fluid and Thermal Storage
This project will develop a dual distributed-scale CSP and low-cost storage system, which is not centralized but generates in multiple locations, that is capable of around-the-clock operation. 
Powdermet (Euclid, Ohio)
Advanced Materials for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Molten Salt Storage Heat Exchanger
This project is developing a third-generation, higher-efficiency CSP thermal energy storage system for grid-leveling applications. 
Quest Renewables (Atlanta, Georgia)
Resilient Solar Racking System to Provide Consistent Electricity to Regions Impacted by Natural Disasters
This project is developing a storm-resilient solar racking system capable of producing clean energy during severe weather conditions.
Tectonicus Constructs (Bisbee, Arizona)
Solar River, CSSP Canal Spanning Solar Power
This project is developing solar energy systems designed to cover irrigation canals, which will reduce water evaporation and irrigation costs for farmers and bring new energy jobs to rural agricultural communities.
Atonometrics Inc. (Austin, Texas)
Bifacial PV System Low-Cost High-Accuracy Irradiance Measurements
The lack of accurate power generation data from bifacial, or double-sided, modules at photovoltaic power plants increases the cost to operate such plants. This project is working to design and prototype a low-cost, accurate irradiance measurement station and determine its commercial feasibility.
Helicon Corp. (Tucson, Arizona)
Graded Surface Modification of Alloys for Containment of Chloride Molten Salts
This project is developing new graded surface compositions for the metal tanks in concentrating solar-thermal power plants. Improving the surface of these tanks will make them compatible with very-high-temperature molten salts for HP’s state-of-the-art additive manufacturing methods.
Nielson Scientific LLC (Lehi, Utah)
Fast, Low Kerf-Loss Wafering of Silicon Ingots for Low-Cost Solar Power
The high cost of silicon wafers limits cost reductions for solar modules. This project seeks to reduce wafer costs by as much as 60-70% by increasing the throughput of tools for wafer production and reducing both wafer thickness and the losses that occur during the silicon sawing process by 60-70%.
Plains Cupid, LLC (Nashua, New Hampshire)
Photovoltaic Modules with No Back Sheet
This project is working to develop a new concept for solar panels that realizes low cost and high reliability with less material consumption by removing the back sheet from the module stack and replacing it with a black coating layer.
Syndem LLC (Chicago, Illinois)
Grid-Forming, Reliable, Efficient, Affordable, and Transformerlessly Grounded Photovoltaic-Storage System (GREAT PVs)
This project is developing the design and prototype of a new grid-forming tranformerless inverter to address the technical challenges behind, and the development of, safe, reliable, affordable, resilient, and efficient photovoltaic-storage systems while supporting the grid.
TG Companies LLC (Tucson, Arizona)
A Light-Induced Aluminum Plating Tool for Substitution of Silver in Silicon Solar Cells
This project aims to develop a new tool that replaces the silver used on the front-side electrode in solar cells with aluminum, a much lower-cost material. The tool is based on a proprietary light-induced aluminum plating technology.
Tau Science Corporation (Hillsboro, Oregon)
Microwave Photoconductance Spectrometer for Thin-Film Deposited Semiconductor Materials
Researchers across the country are developing a new generation of thin-film solar cell that may soon become economically viable, complementing or even replacing older technologies such as silicon cells. This project is developing a characterization tool based on a technology patented by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to enable inline control monitoring of the quality of these next-generation materials.
Toledo Solar Inc. (Perrysburg, Ohio)
Glass Enameled Steel for Photovoltaic Module Encapsulation
Solar developers may reject potential sites for new photovoltaic (PV) installations because the land can’t handle heavy solar panels. This project is developing enameled steel-encapsulated modules for thin-film PV modules, which reduces the weight of the modules, increases the viability of weight-restricted sites, and thereby increases the marketability of PV modules.
Acme Express(Cleveland, Ohio)
Solar Array Racking System
This project team is creating an automated solar module racking system that can be produced from sheet metal on the installation site, reducing costs associated with transporting conventional multicomponent racking systems that require more labor to produce and assemble.
BEM Controls (McLean, Virginia)
An Energy Internet Platform for Transactive Energy and Demand Response Applications
This project team is developing software that uses blockchain to securely manage data, communications, and the control of devices among many elements and participants in a microgrid, including building managers, utilities, and distributed energy resource asset owners.
ecoLong(Slingerlands, New York)
Advanced Peer-to-Peer Transactive Energy Platform with Predictive Optimization
This project team will create software that allows consumers and utilities to directly communicate with each other about energy services, optimizing distributed energy resource assets, building load, and transaction costs. The software algorithm will be able to predict energy load and generation over short and medium periods.
Fend (Falls Church, Virginia)
Low-Cost, Plug-and-Play Data Diodes for Solar Equipment Cybersecurity
This project team is creating a communication device called a data diode that provides secure, one-way transfer of information, to protect power infrastructure from cyberattacks at a fraction of current costs.
Operant Solar (Santa Rosa, California)
Cybersecurity Intrusion Detection System for Large-Scale Solar Field Networks
This project team is using blockchain to connect solar energy systems in a secure network to protect the grid against cyberattack, as opposed to the current practice of isolating power plants from the internet.
QCoefficient(Chicago, Illinois)
Peer-to-Peer Transactions with Demand Flexibility for Increasing Solar Utilization
This project team will develop a platform for automated energy transactions between electric grid participants—especially commercial building owners and distributed energy resource asset owners and managers—enabling automated energy use with high penetrations of solar energy.
Sunvapor (Livermore, California)
Metrology-Assisted Robotic Mirror Alignment for Parabolic Trough Collectors
This project team is developing a robotic, automated assembly method for parabolic trough solar collectors, which collect solar energy that generates steam, to reduce labor costs and enable easy transport to installation sites.
Sunfig Corporation (Oakland, California)
Real-time Series Resistance Monitoring of Solar PV Modules by Communicating Limited Remote Measurements to Cloud-based Algorithm via API
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has patented an algorithm for remotely monitoring the health of solar photovoltaic modules. Sunfig is partnering with industry leaders to validate this algorithm on installed PV systems, not in the lab, and then commercialize it. The project involves taking data from the inverter in real time, and using the software to assess module performance.
Atonometrics (Austin, Texas)
PV Module Soiling Spectral Deposition Detector
This project will help determine the commercial feasibility of an affordable technology that can measure soiling, or dust and dirt on panels, which can limit the efficiency of solar equipment and lead to increased operation costs. The technology, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, involves shining light through dirty glass to see how much comes through the other side.
Phase3 Photovoltaics (Portland, Oregon)
Intelligently Manufactured Homes with Factory-Integrated Solar Systems Delivered to the Build Site Enabling Dramatic Soft Cost Reductions
This project will customize photovoltaic systems for premanufactured smart homes. The team will mass-produce the equipment in a centralized facility to lower the installation, permitting, and interconnection costs, instead of assembling the solar systems on-site. The proposed turnkey systems dovetail into energy-efficient appliances through an intelligent power management hub in the home.
GVD Corporation (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Reduced Environmental Controls in Perovskite Solar Cell Manufacturing Enabled by Vacuum-Deposited Gas Barrier Coatings
GVD Corporation will develop a low-cost gas barrier coating for perovskite solar cells. The coating will protect against environmental gases like water vapor that can degrade the perovskite material. The coating will reduce the cost and improve the reliability of the manufacturing process.
BREK Electronics Corporation (Englewood, Colorado)
250 Kilowatt Solar String Inverter Using Silicon Carbide Modular Architecture and Grid Support Functionality      
BREK Electronics Corporation will develop a new power converter technology for string inverters. The technology has higher power ratings and higher power density, allowing its use in utility-scale solar installations and reducing capital costs.           
NanoSonic (Pembroke, Virginia)
Electrospray Deposition of Perovskite Solar Cells               
Perovskite is a material that increases the efficiency of solar cells, but it is difficult to apply evenly on the cell’s base, which is often glass. NanoSonic will partner with Pennsylvania State University to create a cost-effective perovskite spray that evenly deposits the material on the base of the solar cells while maintaining its solar conversion performance.
Direct Solar LLC (Fort Collins, Colorado)
New Crystalline Silicon Module Architecture to Reduce Costs with Improved Manufacturability and  Durability
This project team will develop a new module that uses silicone to seal the edges and contain the glass in solar cell. The materials will reduce the cost of encapsulation materials and manufacturing, and improve reliability of solar modules.
Helical Solar Solutions (Austin, Texas)
Low-Cost Dual-Axis Solar Positioning System with Novel Monopole and Integral Lateral Support
This project will address several critical barriers to installing small- and medium-size rural solar installations by developing an easy-to-install bifacial, dual-axis solar energy system that allows the solar panels to move in two directions. This allows the system to better track the sun and increase the amount of solar energy generated.
Quest Renewables (Atlanta, Georgia)
Stand-alone Solar Racking System to Resist Extreme Weather Events
This project team is developing a stand-alone solar racking system that can provide electricity without interruption during and after extreme weather events without the support of the grid. This technology will be designed for installation in areas with high risk of natural disaster and maximize operability and energy availability. The system will also minimize restoration time and costs.            
Soliculture (Scotts Valley, California)
Luminescent Enhancement for Combined Solar and Commercial Agriculture
This project team will develop a new solar racking/mounting system for greenhouses. The system will feature a new backsheet material on the solar panels in different colors that are tailored to the crops growing in the greenhouse underneath it. Crop trials performed under this system can be extended to open-field agriculture with utility-scale racking systems.              
NEXTC CORPORATION (Corvallis, Oregon)
Solar Modules: Low Cost Manufacturing
This project team is developing a liquid solution of transparent conductive oxides to coat very large thin-film modules. This solution will be able to conduct electricity while also preventing environmental moisture, gases, and dirt from seeping into the equipment.
FarmAfield Labs (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Pole-based Solar Mounting and Tracking System for Use in Cattle Production    
This project is developing a solar mounting and tracking system that integrates solar photovoltaic systems into animal feeders. This will let farmers generate solar energy while managing their livestock. The system will provide shade for cattle in places where trees are not available while allowing producers to consolidate the costs of materials and installation for two separate structures into a single setup.
Starfire Energy (Aurora, Colorado)
Low CapEx Clean Ammonia Synthesis for Seasonal Energy Storage and Hydrogen Fuel  
This project team is developing a clean-fuel synthesis system that uses solar energy to generate ammonia to use as fuel for chemical storage of electricity. This storage system can provide an affordable and scalable long-term energy storage technology to help ease solar integration in the grid.
Ceramic Tubular Products (Lynchburg, Virginia)
High-Temperature (750° to 800°C) Silicon Carbide Receiver Assembly for High Efficiency Gen3 Molten Salt Concentrating Solar Power         
This project aims to develop multilayer silicon carbide receiver tubes for use in molten salt concentrating solar power plants, leading to the development and deployment of plants that are cost-competitive with conventional power generation. This would result in increased renewable energy power production, new job creation, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.           
L’Garde (Tustin, California)
Novel Lightweight, Low-Cost Heliostat for Concentrating Solar Power
This project team will fabricate low-cost, lightweight heliostat mirrors for concentrating solar-thermal power plants. The team will use affordable materials like foam and stainless steel to build the heliostats, which will reduce their weight and improve performance.
NanoFlex Power Corporation (Scottsdale, Arizona)
Advanced Manufacturing of Low-Cost Building Integrated Organic Photovoltaic Modules           
This project team will develop flexible solar sheets in a variety of sizes and colors to mount on commercial building facades, enabling low-cost renewable energy to help meet energy demand on site.
Jolt Energy Storage Technologies (Holland, Michigan)
Low-Cost, Durable Organic Batteries for Dispatchable Solar Applications              
This project team will develop a low-cost, reliable, and sustainable solution using batteries and a control system that optimizes the changing power flow of solar PV, reducing the impact of the variability of solar power on grid stability.
Norwich Technologies (White River Junction, Vermont)
Behind-the-Meter, Distributed-Scale CSP System Enabled by Very Low-cost Working Fluid and Thermal Storage
This project team will develop a small-scale concentrating solar power system incorporating a long-duration, low-cost storage system that will create a solar system capable of round-the-clock operation.
Tectonicus Constructs (Bisbee, Arizona)
Solar River – Canal Spanning Solar Power
This project will enable landowners to obtain more revenue from cropland by covering and powering their irrigation canals with solar. This team will build solar structures that reduce evaporation and lower irrigation costs without impeding crop production or requiring the move of farm equipment.
Powdermet (Euclid, Ohio)
Advanced Materials for Concentrating Solar Power Molten Salt Storage               
This project will demonstrate suitable construction materials that enable the cost-effective, reliable building of high-efficiency concentrating solar power thermal energy storage systems, which are among the most scalable and efficient methods to store renewable energy.
Norwich Technologies (White River Junction, Vermont)
Device to Promote Snow Shedding from Photovoltaic Panels to Improve Energy Yield and Critical Infrastructure Resilience
Heavy snow can block sunlight from photovoltaic arrays, reducing their annual production by up to 16%. This project team will develop a device that gets snow to slide off panels, reducing the time to recover to full functionality and power production by at least 50%.          
Skysun LLC (Bay Village, Ohio)
Tensile-based Ganged Heliostat Tracking System
Skysun will construct a PV array prototype using heliostats, typically used in concentrating solar-thermal power plants, and test it at Sandia National Laboratories. This technology aims to reduce solar tracking installation equipment costs by using just two poles for support and two cables for mounting.
Heila Technologies Inc. (Somerville, Massachusetts)
Solar Asset Control System Based on Advanced Decentralized Architectures        
Electric grids are vulnerable to extreme events because of their centralized architecture and single point of failure. This project will develop to reduce vulnerability by developing a decentralized control system for power equipment that will enable solar and storage to quickly restore power and reduce the impact of outages.
Tau Science Corporation (Hillsboro, Oregon)
Mobile In-Situ Imaging of Photovoltaic Modules
As photovoltaic solar modules are added to the electric grid in greater numbers, new inspection and qualification techniques are required to maintain reliable electricity generation. This project will develop a non-contact scanner that can operate in solar fields at night and detect various failure and degradation modes of solar modules.
LM Group Holdings (Lake Forest, California)
Novel Corrosion and Erosion Protective Amorphous Alloy Coatings
This project will evaluate and apply amorphous alloy coatings to molten salt system components, such as impellers, sealants, pipes, and tanks, to enable operation at temperatures above 700° Celsius. Amorphous metals combine ultra-high strength, high hardness, and ductility—the ability to stretch—into a single material. In addition, they are more resistant to corrosion compared to conventional metals. The amorphous alloy coatings will be applied to molten salt system components using a high-velocity oxygen fuel coating technique. This novel approach will improve the overall properties of the manufactured components, helping to increase throughput in concentrating solar-thermal power systems.
Fracsun (Atascadero, California)
Automatic Reference for Empirical Soiling
The accumulation of dirt on photovoltaic (PV) solar panels can negatively impact the overall performance of solar arrays. To address this issue, this project will develop and test prototypes of a device that can measure dirt accumulation and calculate the best schedule for cleaning the solar array. This project will enable system owners to balance the cost of module cleaning against the loss of solar generation due to soiling and determine the best time to clean the modules, minimizing financial losses, and optimize the frequency of cleaning. As a result, this can lower a PV system’s levelized cost of electricity and improve the system’s profitability.
Sporian Microsystems (Lafayette, Colorado)
High-Temperature, Raman-Spectroscopy-Based, Inline, Molten Salt Composition Monitoring System for Concentrating Solar Power Systems
In-situ, real-time, and online monitoring of molten salt composition and chemistry could enable the next generation of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants to achieve maximum thermal performance and reduce material damage due to corrosion. This project will develop and test a lab-scale molten salt heat transfer fluid composition and contaminant monitoring system. This project will develop and test fluid that will be developed based on Raman spectroscopy, a precise method used to identify contaminants in the molten salt, and able to withstand high temperatures. Altogether, the proposed system will have the potential to improve the efficiency, reliability, and economic viability of CSP systems.
Acme Express (Cleveland, Ohio)
Racking System for Commercial Solar Arrays
Current solar panel racking systems have several components and require pre-ordering, transporting, inventorying, and labor-intensive deployment. This team will develop an automated racking system that produces the rack from raw material on-demand and on-site during an automated installation process. It is expected to reduce the cost of commercial, flat-roof solar installations by approximately nine percent.
BEM Controls (Falls Church, Virginia)
A Blockchain-Enabled Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platform for Managing Complex Exchange of Kilowatt-Hours and Negawatts
This project will develop a blockchain-enabled open architecture platform that will allow commercial and industrial buildings to buy and sell excess rooftop photovoltaic energy generation and energy consumption reduction known as “negative watts,” or “negawatts,” in a secure and reliable way.
Blake-Philips (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Smart-Meter-Based Peer-to-Peer Transactions for Solar Energy Prosumers
This project aims to develop a peer-to-peer transaction network built on a smart-meter-based peer-to-peer transaction network that uses existing, patented hardware. This new device will provide information to the utility about power usage and handle transactions between prosumers and consumers. It will also verify the identity of individuals entering these transactions, while maintaining the privacy of those identities from other network members.
ecoLong (Slingerlands, New York)
Advanced Peer-to-Peer Transactive Energy Platform with Predictive Optimization
The rise in distributed energy resources requires the development of new technologies that enable prosumers—consumers that produce their own energy—to transact directly with other energy users to help meet their energy needs. This project will use new technology to allow consumers, solar owners, and utilities to directly transact with each other in order to maximize economic and technological benefits. 
Fend (Falls Church, Virginia)
Low-Cost, Plug-and-Play Data Diodes for Solar Equipment Cybersecurity
Solar energy equipment is made by a small number of manufacturers, increasing the risk of economic disruption from a widespread, distributed cyberattack on industrial photovoltaic control systems. This project will develop the “Data Valve,” a low-cost, plug-and-play information transfer device that provides unhackable, physically enforced security with real-time equipment monitoring. This could prevent the large economic disruption a distributed cyberattack on industrial control systems would potentially cause.
Idaho Scientific (Boise, Idaho)
Secure Processor for Solar Generation and Distribution Equipment
The equipment used in the generation and distribution of the electric grid, especially since the increase of distributed solar generation, is vulnerable to cyberattacks. This project aims to prototype and test a processor design capable of mitigating the vast majority of cyber vulnerabilities in critical U.S. infrastructure.
Indiana Tool and Manufacturing Co. (Plymouth, Indiana)
SolarChain Peer-to-Peer: A Blockchain-based Transaction Platform for Distributed Solar Energy Trading
This project will build a pseudo real-time blockchain-based distributed energy resource trading platform for decentralized participants, such as distributed solar generation, in the electricity market. The team will monitor market potential and analyze the feasibility of the proposed block-chain system.
InnoSys (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Devices and Methods for De-Energizing a Photovoltaic System
Higher levels of safety are needed when there are physical disturbances to renewable energy sources like photovoltaics (PV). This project will explore the solutions and products needed to meet this demand, including a high-speed method to de-energize a PV system in the event of a fire or other disaster.
Intelli-Products (Asheville, North Carolina)
Fully-Automated PV Array Assembly System
This project will develop a collection of three separate but interwoven photovoltaic (PV) automation and augmentation innovations aimed at reducing PV installation costs. These innovations include automated installation systems, automatic modeling of PV system wiring schemes, and combined structural and electrical connectors.
Intertie (Sausalito, California)
Peer-to-Peer Transaction Software Platform that Maximizes Distributed Solar Value by Optimizing Power Flow between Storage, Electric Vehicles, Site, and Grid
The project will address problems related to the over-generation of solar and the grid constraints caused by fast charging electric vehicles. It will simultaneously integrate local solar photovoltaic systems and provide electric vehicle charging that is cost-effective, low-impact, and fast-charging.
Introspective Systems (Portland, Maine)
A Fractal Graph Approach to Peer-to-Peer Energy Transactions
This project will develop a more reliable, secure, and resilient control system for the electric grid. This structure can maintain system flexibility at multiple grid scales, and allows consumers to both consume and produce solar electricity, while being compensated for the value they provide to others.
Operant Solar (Santa Rosa, California)
Field Gateway Distributed Transaction Ledger for Utility-Scale Solar
Utility-scale solar photovoltaic plants are attractive targets for hackers from both private-sector actors and foreign governments. This project will use a next-generation blockchain solution to protect the U.S. electric grid from those potential situations.
Physical Optics Corporation (Torrance, California)
Intelligent Solar Energy Devices Cybersecurity System
This project will develop a risk-based, intelligent intrusion detection solution capable of identifying and mitigating known and unknown cyberattacks on the smart grid for distributed solar resources and industrial control systems. It will help secure solar energy plants and future smart grid infrastructure to ensure access-control system integrity and non-repudiation.
QCoefficient (Chicago, Illinois)
Peer-to-Peer Transactions with Demand Flexibility for Increasing Solar Utilization
As more renewable energy is added to the electric grid, ensuring a reliable and efficient grid becomes more challenging. This project will automate smart energy transactions and improve grid operations when more solar energy is connected to the grid.
Smart Information Flow Technologies (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
SolarGuard
The electrical power grid is vulnerable to cyber-attack by means of malicious data injection (MDI), and its vulnerability is growing as more smart devices like solar energy systems are connected to the grid.  This project will research MDI detection strategies to prevent cyberattacks on solar energy systems through power grid models and machine learning.
Sunvapor (Livermore, California)
Metrology-Assisted Robotic Mirror Alignment for Parabolic Trough Collectors
Parabolic trough solar collectors are well-suited to generating industrial steam, but their assembly has significant labor costs. This mobile, automated assembly method is derived from advanced aerospace techniques and will lower labor costs, improve safety and quality, and enable the assemblies to be easily transported to new project sites.
ProjectEconomics (Brooklyn, New York)
Middleware Oriented Community Solar Platform
Shared solar is the key to unlocking access to solar for households and businesses that can’t go solar because they are renters or don’t have adequate rooftops. ProjectEconomics is developing software to help utilities and other energy companies deliver shared solar programs efficiently at scale.
Extensible Energy (Lafayette, California)
Solar Load Balancing Software
This project is developing modern software tools to assist electricity customers in commercial buildings by maximizing the use of distributed solar within the facility where the solar array is installed. The software will save customers money on their energy bills and will allow the electric grid to support a higher percentage of solar generation.
Nhu Energy (Tallahassee, Florida)
Developing Optimal Control Technology for Distributed Energy Resources (DOCTdER)
Maximizing the value proposition for solar energy and other distributed energy resources to consumers requires a more integrated and coordinated approach to utilizing these resources on-site. This project builds on Nhu Energy’s Phase I project by adding an optimal control solution, including enhanced and industrial utility-grade features, to the DOCTdER tool and test it under a range of real use cases in preparation for commercialization.
LM Group Holdings (Lake Forest, California)
Novel Corrosion and Erosion Protective Amorphous Alloys Coatings
This project is developing unique amorphous alloy coatings with high corrosion and erosion properties using HVOF techniques. This novel approach will increase concentrating solar power throughput and improve the overall properties of manufactured parts.
Sporian Microsystems (Lafayette, Colorado)
High Temperature, Raman Spectroscopy Based, Inline, Molten Salt Composition Monitoring System for Concentrating Solar Power Systems
This project is developing a novel, high temperature, in-line monitoring system to help next generation concentrating solar power plants to efficiently provide low-cost, clean, renewable energy.
Powdermet (Euclid, Ohio)
High Toughness Cermets for Molten Salt Pumps
Concentrated solar power electricity generation is able to achieve cost competitiveness when operating at temperatures higher than 700⁰C. However, this requires new materials to handle the high temperature and corrosive properties of the heat transfer fluid and thermal energy storage media. This project is developing metal matrix ceramic nanocomposites that allow for longer system life and lower cost pump components.
HiFunda (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Development of Novel Alloys Identified by High-Throughput Computational Methods for Use in Concentrated Solar Power Components
This project is developing new alloy materials based on high-throughput computational analysis for use in high temperature corrosive applications such as concentrating solar power, nuclear reactors, turbines and aircraft components.
Applied Thermal Coatings (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
Advanced Low Cost Intermetallic Coatings for Molten Salt Pump Impeller
This project is developing advanced low-cost intermetallic coatings to protect the molten salt pump impeller against corrosion and blade tip erosion in concentrating solar power systems.
Tau Science Corporation (Hillsboro, Oregon)
Mobile In-situ Imaging of Photovoltaic Modules
The nation’s electric grid depends upon the reliable generation of electricity, and as solar modules are added in greater numbers, they require unique inspection and qualification techniques. This project is developing a non-contact scanner that can operate at night in solar fields to detect various failure and degradation modes.
Advanced Power Electronics Corporation (Orlando, Florida)
Predictive Module Degradation and Failure Identification Solution
This project is developing photovoltaic module diagnostics technology that can be integrated into existing solar power system components. The diagnostics system will greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of long-term solar system operation and maintenance.
Fracsun (Atascadero, California)
Automatic Reference for Empirical Soiling
The accumulation of dirt on solar panels has drastic and measurable effects on the performance of solar arrays. This project is focused on developing and manufacturing a device that addresses soiling by measuring the dirt accumulation and calculating the best day to wash the solar array.
Battery Informatics (Poulsbo, Washington)
Integration of Battery Modeling with Solar Building Energy Storage
This project is developing software that will improve the economics of using lithium ion batteries for energy storage in the context of energy management of buildings. The solution will allow customers to offer battery installations that will provide 10-20% more value than current solutions.
Leaptran (San Antonio, Texas)
An Open Source Proactive Energy Management System (PEMS) for Integrated Control of Energy Storage and Solar Powered Buildings
This project is developing a control and communication software platform that enables the integrated control of battery energy storage on solar-powered buildings. The solution will be integrated into building energy management systems.
BlazeTech Corp. (Woburn, Massachusetts)
Solar Building Energy Storage Management
The adoption of electrical energy storage technologies in power systems can play a vital role in improving grid stability and resiliency. Thus, developing a robust energy management software is crucial for a widespread deployment of energy storage systems along with distributed energy resources.
Nhu Energy (Tallahassee, Florida)
Developing Optimal Control Technology for Distributed Energy Resources (DOCTdER)
The Nhu Energy team will develop breakthrough control technology to drastically improve the value proposition for distributed energy resources such as solar PV, storage, electric vehicles, and price-responsive load, to enable significant improvements to electric power system resiliency, economics, and environmental impact.
ProjectEconomics Inc. (Brooklyn, New York)
Middleware Oriented Community Solar Platform
This project will develop a community solar software platform that will make it possible for more Americans who don’t have a suitable roof to join the solar revolution.
Extensible Energy, LLC (Lafayette, California)
Solar Load Balancing Simulator 
This project will develop modern software tools to assist designers of building controls and energy storage systems to maximize the use of distributed solar within the facility where the solar is installed.
Brayton Energy, LLC (Hampton, New Hampshire)
Flexible All-metal Pipes and Pipe Couplings for High-Temperature Fluid Transport
Rotational pipe couplers for high-temperature molten salt are required to reduce the cost of renewable electricity generated by solar plants. This project will develop a flexible coupler made entirely out of metal. The coupler has a smooth internal shape, which prevents fluid from being trapped in convolutions such as those present in existing rotational couplers. It is optimized to be highly flexible while still able to withstand the pumping pressures required in typical molten salt plants. It will be able to move through 180 degrees of motion daily for the entire lifetime of a solar plant. Future applications may include additional fluids, such as supercritical carbon dioxide.
eIQ Energy Inc. (San Jose, California)
Solar Balance of System Cost Reduction
The eIQ Energy patented vBoost® technology takes the voltage off of the solar module and provides a 300-900 Vdc output. Since the technology can be integrated into the solar module, it will allow the customer to have a direct DC output from the module that will not require any additional power maximization, or Maximum Power Point Tracking (“MPPT”). This will allow a single product to drive either a central inverter or a DC load directly with no additional hardware. eIQ’s technology will offer an integrated solution to the market that will lower costs and installation times for PV systems.
Tau Science Corporation (Beaverton, Oregon)
Apparatus for Optimizing PV Solar Manufacturing Efficiency through Real-Time Process Feedback and Spectral Binning of Cells
Tau Science Corporation is developing light engine and detection electronics to extract spectral response metrics from a PV cell without the need to make electrical contact to the material stack. The technology revolutionizes PV characterization by bringing the most fundamental measure of a solar cell performance–spectral response– to application areas that are impractical or unobtainable using existing techniques. Applications include inline monitoring of cells prior to metallization, accessing information from individual cells once they are assembled into PV solar modules without the need for light or electrical biasing, and monitoring of metallized cells without the breakage loss inherent to techniques requiring electrical contact.
Energy Sense Finance, LLC (Tampa, Florida)
Developing Aggregated Data Sets to Standardize the Collateral Valuation Process Utilizing an Economic Pricing Model
Energy Sense Finance is developing solar valuation data sets to assist real estate appraisers, along with other professionals involved in the solar transaction process, in determining the asset value of both existing and proposed solar PV systems. The new approach recognizes that the lack of verifiable data is a current barrier to developing credible opinions of value for solar as an asset class. The solution utilizes data sets to better align current solar valuation methodologies with those used in traditional, low cost of capital lending markets. By removing barriers to credible valuation of solar systems, the “Ei Value™” web application can establish a verifiable solar asset value even before financing is issued and a system is installed.  This will benefit homeowners, real estate appraisers, realtors, lenders, insurance companies, green raters, credit rating agencies and third party owners among others by streamlining the solar valuation process and effectively opening up access to a lower cost of capital.
ClearGrid Innovations Inc. (White Plains, New York)
Innovative Approaches to Lead Generation Using Novel Data-Sets
Generating leads for new business (“lead generation”) is one of the most important costs for residential solar marketers. It is currently poorly targeted and inefficient, due to suboptimal information about the probability that target households will adopt solar. ClearGrid Innovations and project partner Duke University are leveraging two complex data-sets – (1) the presence and visibility of nearby existing solar panels and (2) moves in electricity rates – to reduce the costs and increase the efficiency of lead generation.
Solar Retina, LLC (Boulder, Colorado)
Solar Retina: Crown-Sourcing “Behind-the-meter” Solar PV Data
The SolarRetina is a software platform that provides real-time intelligence of “behind-the-meter” solar PV generation on the distribution system.  Using crowd-sourced solar generation data from actual PV systems on the distribution grid, the SolarRetina provides superior distributed solar generation analysis.
Trevi Systems Inc. (Petaluma, California)
Desalination Driven by Steam-Generating Concentrating Solar Collector
Trevi Systems, Inc will help expand the country’s water resources by providing an extremely efficient desalination process, which can produce water that is priced competitively with conventional sources. The process will be driven by solar thermal energy and will reduce electricity use so that the water production does not rely on non-renewable energy.
Vertum Partners LP (Los Angeles, California)
Integrated Predictive Systems for Solar Energy with Modeling, Post Processing and Machine Learning
With increased ability to cost-effectively tap solar resources at a community level, the energy market is changing from a one-way centralized network into a dynamic decentralized system where the energy consumers are now also energy producers. This means that predictive services are necessary to ensure optimum grid performance and to keep integration costs low. Vertum is developing advanced solar predictive tools that will allow utilities to project solar production in the face of fast-changing weather conditions. Project research is focused on building market-based designs that make solar energy resources in the United States more affordable and accessible for Americans. Within Phase 1 of this project, the company is creating distributed solar power analytics and predictive services for utilities.
Sinton Instruments (Boulder, Colorado)
Device-Physics-Accurate Cost-Effective Cell and Module Test Instruments 
Sinton Instruments is developing detailed characterization tools to improve next-generation PV cells and modules. The tools will characterize the electronic properties of cells and modules after manufacturing, enabling better process control and reliability testing by tracking fundamental semiconductor parameters within the module. By integrating detailed device physics into the test sequence, cell characteristics can be related back to incoming material, substrate doping, and carrier recombination measurements performed during manufacturing. Cell measurements can also be related forward to the module characterization and reliability testing. The project will help to lower the cost of PV by enabling detailed process control and optimization throughout the entire cell and module manufacturing process.
Brittmore Group, LLC (San Jose, California)
Utility-Scale PV Cost Reduction by Automated Panel Installation System
Brittmore Group is applying industrial automation to large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plant construction. Brittmore Group’s automated panel installation system will remove panel assemblies from the shipping pallets and transfer them to the shuttles that deliver them to their mounting positions. The system will reduce costs by handling large, frameless modules safely, simplifying and centralizing material handling, reducing labor and materials, and decreasing construction time. The system will operate with the in-house developed ground mount rack.
Next Energy Technologies Inc. (Santa Barbara, California)
Reliability Improvement in Solution Processable Roll to Roll Photovoltaic Modules
Next Energy Technologies (NEXTs) soluble small molecule (SSM) organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells promises to lower the cost per watt of modules and also the balance of system costs below the goals of SunShot. NEXT’s SSM-OPVs can be coated as inks onto conventional plastic rolls in high yields using roll-to-roll technology and allowing for the production of lightweight, flexible, and extremely inexpensive solar cells. This project focuses on enhancing inherent device stability in order to increase product lifetime and reduce the cost of vapor barrier and packaging materials required for modules.
Sporian Microsystems Inc. (Broomfield, Colorado)
Advanced Ceramic Materials and Packaging Technologies for Realizing Sensors for Concentrating Solar Power Systems 
Sporian is developing novel temperature, pressure, flow and level sensors to enhance the safety and efficiency of concentrated solar power (CSP) heat transfer and thermal energy storage. The sensors will improve the reliability, optimize the performance, and reduce the cost of existing and future CSP plants. Leveraging its existing high-temperature sensors and packaging technologies for fossil fuel applications, Sporian will work with CSP industry experts to develop small-sized, reliable, high-temperature,  and corrosion-resistant sensors. This effort includes materials experimental evaluation, design development, and prototype demonstration.
Brayton Energy, LLC (Hampton, New Hampshire)
Flexible All-metal Pipes and Pipe Couplings for High-Temperature Fluid Transport
High-temperature molten salt used in concentrated solar power plants require rotational pipe couplers to reduce the cost of renewable electricity generated by solar plants. This project will develop a flexible coupler made entirely out of metal. The coupler has a smooth internal shape, which prevents fluid from being trapped in convolutions such as those present in existing rotational couplers. It is optimized to be highly flexible while still able to withstand the pumping pressures required in typical molten salt plants and will be able to move through 180 degrees of motion daily for the entire lifetime of a solar plant. Future applications may include additional fluids, such as supercritical carbon dioxide.
eIQ Energy, LLC (San Jose, California)
Labor Efficiencies through Hardware Innovation
The eIQ Energy patented vBoost® technology takes the voltage off of the solar module and provides a 300-900 Vdc output. Since the technology can be integrated into the solar module, it will allow the customer to have a direct DC output from the module that will not require any additional power maximization, or Maximum Power Point Tracking (“MPPT”). This will allow a single product to drive either a central inverter or a DC load directly with no additional hardware. eIQ’s technology will offer an integrated solution to the market that will lower costs and installation times for PV systems.
Energy Sense Finance, LLC (Punta Gorda, Florida)
Developing Aggregated Data Sets to Standardize the Collateral Valuation Process Utilizing an Economic Pricing Model
Energy Sense Finance is developing solar valuation data sets to assist real estate appraisers, along with other professionals involved in the solar transaction process, in determining the asset value of both existing and proposed solar PV systems. The new approach recognizes that the lack of verifiable data is a current barrier to developing credible opinions of value for solar as an asset class. The solution utilizes data sets to better align current solar valuation methodologies with those used in traditional, low cost of capital lending markets. By removing barriers to credible valuation of solar systems, the “Ei Value™” web application can establish a verifiable solar asset value even before financing is issued and a system is installed.  This will benefit homeowners, real estate appraisers, realtors, lenders, insurance companies, green raters, credit rating agencies and third party owners among others by streamlining the solar valuation process and effectively opening up access to a lower cost of capital.
MicroXact Inc. (Blacksburg, Virginia)
— This project is inactive —
Real-Time Photovoltaic Manufacturing Diagnostic System
MicroXact is developing a high-throughput, inline photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing diagnostic system that provides data on the spatial uniformity of thickness, refractive indices, and film stress of the thin films comprising the solar cell as it is processed reel-to-reel. This information has the potential to detect a wide variety of processing errors, including but not limited to thickness and composition inhomogeneity in any layer-comprising PV device, non-uniform scribing, thin-film stress, cracking, and layer separation.
Tau Science Corporation (Beaverton, Oregon)
— This project is inactive —
Apparatus for Optimizing PV Solar Manufacturing Efficiency through Real-Time Process Feedback and Spectral Binning of Cells
Tau Science Corporation is developing light engine and detection electronics to extract spectral response metrics from a PV cell without the need to make electrical contact to the material stack. The technology revolutionizes PV characterization by bringing the most fundamental measure of a solar cell performance — spectral response — to application areas that are impractical or unobtainable using existing techniques. Applications include inline monitoring of cells prior to metallization, accessing information from individual cells once they are assembled into PV solar modules without the need for light or electrical biasing, and monitoring of metallized cells without the breakage loss inherent to techniques requiring electrical contact.
Central Technological Corporation (Altamonte Springs, Florida)
Real-Time POD-CFD Wind-Load Calculator for PV Systems
Central Technological Corporation is developing a real-time wind load calculator to improve the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Currently, wind loading calculations for structures are performed according to the American Society of Civil Engineers 7 Standard, which does not have provisions to handle characteristics relevant to most rooftop PV systems. The new approach, based on the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method, will use a grid-converged 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and determine the loads resulting from wind-induced drag and lift forces on PV mounting systems. By enabling accurate, preliminary assessments of wind loads, the tool will help to identify optimal mounting solutions, thereby reducing the installation costs of PV systems.
Direct Solar, LLC (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Novel Module Architecture Development for Increased Reliability and Reduced Costs
Direct Solar has developed a new solar PV module design and technology to increase the reliability of PV modules. The patent-pending architecture uses a specialized, two-part edge seal incorporating high strength, UV-tolerant silicone, and low-moisture vapor transmission polymers in conjunction with a separate desiccant material. The modules are fabricated without lamination, vacuum pressing, or module heating and the encapsulation sealants are dispensed through hot melt injection. By streamlining the manufacturing process, the technology will reduce the costs of solar by increasing thin-film PV reliability.
Janoch Engineering, LLC (Westford, Massachusetts)
In-Line LBIC
Janoch Engineering is applying a light- or laser-beam induced current (LBIC) technology to measure problematic defects and performance variations in solar PV cells and modules. By obtaining detailed images of the optoelectronic performance of PV devices, the technique locates defects and measures diffusion length, shunt resistance, surface recombination, and other properties. By analyzing multiple measures of process variability in real time, the tool will increase reduce manufacturing costs and increase module efficiency.
Sinton Instruments (Boulder, Colorado)
Device-Physics-Accurate Cost-Effective Cell and Module Test Instruments
Sinton Instruments is developing detailed characterization tools to improve next-generation PV cell and module testers. The tools will characterize the electronic properties of cells and modules after manufacturing, enabling better process control and reliability testing by tracking fundamental semiconductor parameters within the module. By integrating detailed device physics into the test sequence, the tested cell characteristics can be related back to incoming material, substrate doping, and carrier recombination measurements performed during manufacturing, and also related forward to the module characterization and reliability testing. The project will help to lower the cost of PV by enabling detailed process control and optimization throughout the entire cell and module manufacturing process.
Terrajoule Corporation (Redwood City, California)
— This project is inactive —
Terrajoule Modular Distributed CSP with Storage System Using Water/Steam Phase Change for Energy Storage and Generation
Terrajoule is designing and analyzing three closely related system improvements for a modular distributed concentrating solar power (CSP) system with storage. The system will be demonstrated at the 100-kW scale with 6 to 14 hours of thermal electric storage using water/steam phase change for energy storage and generation. The distributed CSP with storage system will integrate next-generation heliostats, tower, receiver, and engine modules such that the overall thermal efficiency of the Distributed CSP with Storage system exceeds 38%, including a full 24-hour energy storage charge/discharge cycle. The project aims to exceed the SunShot Initiative’s 2020 cost and performance goals by 2017 by providing a low-cost, long life, abundant, and nontoxic material design, and rapid response to changing demands, high efficiency under variable loads, and components all manufactured in the United States.
TIAX, LLC (Lexington, Massachusetts)
Software Tool for Code-Compliant Assessment of Wind Loads on Solar Photovoltaic Panels
Currently, the proper installation of PV panels requires laborious design calculations to determine a system’s ability to withstand wind loads. Because these calculations require expertise in the applicable codes and are subject to judgment, they are prone to human errors. TIAX is developing an application to automate the calculation of wind loads and provide recommendations for the appropriate PV mounting systems. The application will feature an accessible GUI-enabled software platform that helps installers easily investigate panel configuration options, the required number of panels, and optimal mounting schemes, thereby increasing the safety of PV arrays, and reducing the costs of installing PV systems.
 Xunlight 26 Solar, LLC (Toledo, Ohio)
— This project is inactive —
Transparent, Flexible CdTe Modules for High-Efficiency Tandem PV
This project implemented new approaches developed in Phase I for transparent back contacts for flexible, thin-film CdTe cells. The goal was to develop a top-cell structure for tandem modules to match a low-bandgap bottom cell such as CIGS or Si, and to optimize a stand-alone, transparent top cell with less than 500 nm of CdTe for use in window PV applications. Back-contact structures based on single-wall carbon nanotubes and on multilayer metals were optimized in collaboration with the University of Toledo.
— These projects are inactive —
Black Hills Nanosystems Corporation (Rapid City, South Dakota)
Optimal Multijunction Solar Cells for CPV under Realistic Conditions
This project aims to provide a pathway for terrestrial concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) (500 to 700 Suns) multijunction solar cells that would maintain extremely high efficiencies at realistic operating temperatures. The project adapted an integration approach from microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to III-V materials grown lattice-matched to gallium arsenide substrates. The efficiency advantages were found to be substantially due to the 37% smaller temperature coefficient of efficiency for the proposed CPV cell.
Cool Earth Solar Inc. (Livermore, California)
Research and Development of an Innovative Inflated Medium Concentrating PV Module for Achieving an Installed PV Module Cost of $0.50/W before 2020
Cool Earth Solar (CES) is developing a Medium Concentrating Photovoltaic (MCPV) system that can achieve a levelized cost of energy of less than 6 cents per kilowatt-hour. This effort focuses on the development, integration, and performance testing of a sub-scale MCPV module capable of concentrating the sun 15 to 25 times. The module uses high-efficiency solar cells that cost far less than multijunction solar cells. The goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of 22.5% or greater module efficiency using CES’ unique concentrating inflated film optic.
Hyper-Therm High-Temperature Composites Inc. (Huntington Beach, California)
Ceramic Matrix Composites for Concentrating Solar Power Solar Receivers
Continuous fiber-reinforced ceramics are an emerging class of materials that offer considerable potential for increasing the operating temperatures of central receiver concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. The incorporation of high strength, relatively high modulus ceramic fiber reinforcement within a ceramic matrix produces a material with significantly greater toughness, flaw insensitivity, and strain capability than a monolith, while maintaining high-temperature refractory capabilities. Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) offers the necessary high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance, and has been identified as a suitable candidate material for the high-flux portion of the solar receiver. This effort encompassed the design of a pressurized ceramic matrix composite (CMC) tubular solar receiver; the demonstrated fabrication of receiver prototypes and material for coupon-level materials testing; and the evaluation of thermal and mechanical materials properties, as well as the structural and thermal performance of the solar receiver prototypes.
Next Energy Technologies Inc. (Santa Barbara, California)
Reliability Improvement in Solution Processable Roll to Roll Photovoltaic Modules
Next Energy Technologies (NEXTs) soluble small molecule (SSM) organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells promises to lower the cost per watt of modules and also the balance of system costs below the goals of SunShot. NEXT’s SSM-OPVs can be coated as inks onto conventional plastic rolls in high yields using roll-to-roll technology and allowing for the production of lightweight, flexible, and extremely inexpensive solar cells. This project focuses on enhancing inherent device stability in order to increase product lifetime and reduce the cost of vapor barrier and packaging materials required for modules.
United Silicon Carbide Inc. (Middlesex, New Jersey)
15 kV GTO Thyristor Module for Use in Small, Highly Efficient Current Source Inverters Utilizing AC-Link™ Technology
United Silicon Carbide and Princeton Power Systems fabricated a switch module that is rated at 15 kV, thus usable for switching voltages up to ~11 kV. Adopting a bipolar p-type SiC-GTO approach, coupled with the AC-link™ topology, allows the device to switch in the medium voltage range while maintaining low losses and a high switching speed (~10 KHz). Switching at medium voltages allows the current to be reduced drastically by a factor of ~10, thus impacting every other component in the inverter. The module provides a significantly smaller, more efficient and lower cost solution for converters/inverters for utility scale smart grid and energy management applications.
— These projects are inactive —
Brittmore Group, LLC (San Jose, California)
Utility-Scale PV Cost Reduction through an Automated Panel Installation System
Brittmore Group is applying industrial automation to large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plant construction. Brittmore’s automated panel installation system will remove panel assemblies from the shipping pallets and transfer them to the shuttles that deliver them to their mounting positions. The system will reduce costs by handling large, frameless modules safely, simplifying and centralizing material handling, reducing labor and materials, and decreasing construction time. The system will operate with the in-house developed ground mount rack.
Cool Earth Solar Inc. (Livermore, California)
Research and Development of an Innovative Inflated High Concentrating PV Module for Achieving an Installed PV Module Cost of $0.50/W Before 2020
Cool Earth Solar (CES) is developing a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system that uses inflated polymer film primary optics to achieve the SunShot Initiative’s cost reduction and performance improvement goals. This project will demonstrate a module efficiency of 30% on integrated systems, including 2-D concentrating (point focus) inflated primary optic films, coupled with high-efficiency multi-junction cells. The results will demonstrate the feasibility of a high-efficiency, low-cost solar power system that uses minimal materials and increases lifetime reliability.
Glint Photonics Inc. (Menlo Park, California)
Wide Angle Self-Tracking Concentrator Photovoltaics
Glint Photonics is developing a novel high-concentration PV module that eliminates the need for costly precision mechanical trackers by enabling automatic solar tracking within the concentrator itself. Novel optical designs embed optical materials that respond to sunlight within the concentrator, allowing the proposed concentrator to track the sun over a wide range of incidence angles. This could reduce cost by enabling the concentrating PV modules to be mounted on rooftops, other stationary configurations, or on low-cost single-axis trackers.
Ideal Power Converters Inc. (Spicewood, Texas)
3-Port PV and Battery Converter Improves Cost and Efficiency of Combined PV/Battery Systems
Integrating low-cost battery storage with intermittent solar PV generation plants is the goal of high-penetration PV, but when PV and battery systems are used together, the converter-related balance-of-system (BOS) costs and efficiency losses can be doubled. This is because multiple power converters and multiple power converter steps are required. Ideal Power Converters is developing and demonstrating a three-Port PV & battery converter concept to reduce converter losses, thereby improving system efficiency and reducing installation and converter costs for hybrid systems that integrate Solar PV with battery storage.
Inspired Light, LLC (Corvallis, Oregon)
Self-Configuring Solar Tracking System
Inspired Light will develop and demonstrate a self-configuring solar tracking mechanism and controller that will enable low-profile, self-contained tracking assemblies to be deployed quickly. The tracker will be controlled by a unique motion controller, borrowed from consumer electronics design, to enable reductions in size, weight, hardware cost, and installation time. When Inspired Light’s technology is integrated with high-efficiency, low-cost PV modules developed in-house, the result will be a comprehensive low-cost and self-contained system that can be rapidly deployed in ground-mount or rooftop applications.
SkyFuel Inc. (Arvada, Colorado)
Development of a Low-Cost Ultra Specular Advanced Polymer Film Solar Reflector
Skyfuel is developing a high-performance polymer film reflector with a solar-weighted hemispherical reflectance (SWHR) > 95%, improved reflector specularity with a beam spread ≤ 1 mrad, a service lifetime of 30+ years, and a cost ≤ $5.50/m2. Skyfuel will determine the feasibility of the proposed reflector by demonstrating a polymer-based front surface reflector that has the required mechanical stability and layer-to-layer adhesion, ~1% increase in SWHR, compared with existing state-of-the-art polymer film reflector products, and long-term outdoor weatherability.
Sporian Microsystems Inc. (Lafayette, Colorado)
Advanced Ceramic Materials and Packaging Technologies for Realizing Sensors for Concentrating Solar Power Systems
Sporian is developing novel temperature, pressure, flow and level sensors to enhance the safety and efficiency of CSP heat transfer and thermal energy storage. The sensors will improve the reliability, optimize the performance, and reduce the cost of existing and future CSP plants. Leveraging its existing high-temperature sensors and packaging technologies for fossil fuel applications, Sporian will work with CSP industry experts to develop small size, highly reliable, high-temperature, operable, and corrosion-resistant sensors. This effort includes materials experimental evaluation, design development, and prototype demonstration.
— These projects are inactive —
MicroXact Inc. (Christiansburg, Virginia)
Real-Time Photovoltaic Manufacturing Diagnostic System
MicroXact is developing a high-throughput, inline photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing diagnostic system that provides data on the spatial uniformity of thickness, refractive indices, and film stress of the thin films comprising the solar cell as it is processed reel-to-reel. This information has the potential to detect a wide variety of processing errors, including but not limited to thickness/composition inhomogeneity in any layer-comprising PV device, non-uniform scribing, thin-film stress, cracking, and layer separation.
Tau Science Corporation (Beaverton, Oregon)
Optimizing PV Solar Manufacturing Efficiency through Real-Time Process Feedback and Spectral Binning of Cells
Tau Science is investigating advanced metrology concepts for solar cell manufacturing. At present, manufacturers lack immediate feedback on key process steps such as junction formation and film deposition. This gap is particularly evident when an offline sampling plan cannot be easily implemented for continuous roll processing. In response, non-contact, electro-optic techniques are being developed to extract semiconductor bandgap and full spectrum photoresponse. These techniques, if successful, may be implemented inline for improved process feedback and control.
Lehighton Electronics Inc. (Lehighton, Pennsylvania)
Using Microwaves, Coupled Eddy Current, and Open-Circuit Voltage Technology to Improve PV Manufacturing Processes
Lehighton Electronics is looking to combine sheet resistance and OCV dopant density and carrier lifetime to enable nondestructive measurements of PV wafers and cells for process control during manufacturing. The data, combined with photoluminescence and electroluminescence measurements by Wilkes University, will provide feedback for troubleshooting problems, with the final goal of developing a combined instrumentation system.
— These projects are inactive —
Colnatec LLC (Gilbert, Arizona)
Self-Cleaning Process Control Sensor for Thin-Film Solar Cell Manufacturing
Colnatec is developing a thin-film deposition process control and measurement sensor for the fabrication of CIGS and related thin-film solar cells. The unique capability of this sensor is the ability to operate at temperatures up to 1000°C. This opens the door to monitoring CIGS furnace processes, solar cell surface chemistry, and crystalline phase formation, which can ultimately lead to the highest efficiency PV cells possible. A side benefit is this same sensor operates better than current technologies in organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD), the leading process for making flexible (OLED) lighting, flexible electronics circuits, and low-cost organic PV panels.
Spire Corporation (Bedford, Massachusetts)
Next-Generation, LED-based, Adjustable Spectrum, Pulsed Solar Simulator
Spire’s next-generation solar simulators incorporate arrays of high-reliability, low-voltage, solid-state light emitting diodes that emit across the entire solar spectrum to generate light whose spectrum can be electronically programmed. This makes it possible to use one simulator to rapidly test silicon, thin film, concentrator, or other solar modules as they emerge from the manufacturing assembly line. The electronically tunable spectrum feature is useful for diagnosing the performance of multi-junction tandem cells, where each junction of the tandem cell can be independently evaluated for current generation and efficiency. Designed to operate in a “flasher” mode, light flashes of arbitrary duration can be keyboard controlled. Because the system is based on a modular design, simulators of arbitrary size can be assembled.
Spire Corporation (Bedford, Massachusetts)
Photoluminescence for Solar Cell Crack Detection
Spire Corporation is developing an automated system using photoluminescence (PL) imaging for detecting microcracks in mono- and multi-crystalline silicon solar cells. Unlike electroluminescence, which requires probing of a cell that is complete with electrical contacts, PL is a non-contact technique that can be used to monitor cell quality at any step in the cell fabrication process. High-quality, 1-megapixel PL images of 156-mm-square cells are being obtained with a laser illuminator and an infrared line scan camera in 2.3 seconds or less. Image processing software is being developed to automatically identify cells with microcracks. A prototype high throughput (1,200 cells/hour) system is being built and tested.
— These projects are inactive —
Nano EnerTex Inc. (Houston, Texas)
Ultra-Thin III-V Films for Tandem Photovoltaic Application
Nano EnerTex partnered with the University of Houston to demonstrate that ultra-thin (< 1 micron) dual-junction solar cells with practical efficiencies in excess of 25% may be achieved through careful design optimization. The team evaluated the design parameters as a function of dislocation densities for devices that comprise a 1.7 electron volt (eV) top AlGaAs solar cell and a 1.25 eV bottom GaAs(N)Sb cell. The experimental validation of modeling data on thin-film subcells grown on intentionally dislocated buffers indicated that even for defect densities in excess of 108cm-2, top and bottom cells with open-circuit voltages of in excess of 1 and 0.75 volts (V) respectively were obtained. These findings stress the potential for fabricating high-efficiency, defect-tolerant, thin-film III-V devices.
Plant PV (Mountain View, California)
Highly Efficient, Thin-Film Tandem Solar Cells
Plant PV studied solution-processed, wide-bandgap chalcogenides for tandem applications. The goal of this project was to develop efficient devices with open-circuit voltage exceeding 1V.
Xunlight 26 Solar, LLC (Toledo, Ohio)
Transparent Back Contacts for Thin CdTe-Based Tandem Cells
Xunlight 26 Solar is building on its Phase I effort with a Phase II 2012 project.
Luminit, LLC (Torrance, California)
Holographic Building Integrated Photovoltaic (HBIPV) Technology
Luminit developed a holographic building integrated photovoltaic (HBIPV) technology using highly efficient multiplexed holograms with expanded bandwidth and PV cells. The development of the HBIPV technology is intended to replace the old building materials or structures, giving a push to new aesthetics in the building industry while adding PV generation for increased solar energy yield.
Creative Light Source Inc. (Boulder, Colorado)
Holographic Passively Tracking Planar Solar Concentrator
Creative Light Source developed a holographic solar concentrator based on the concept of an inexpensive holographic film applied to a 2-mm-thick panel of glass or plastic. Photons are captured by the hologram, trapped within the panel and funneled via internal reflection to thin PV strips at the panel edge. One of the advantages of using this technology in a solar panel is that the holograms provide the ability to track the sun without any moving parts. The panels are fixed in space and multiple hologram layers are used to trap the sun’s light from different angles.
— These projects are inactive —
TDA Research Inc. (Wheat Ridge, Colorado)
A New Three-Part Architecture for Efficient and Stable Bulk Heterojunction OPV Devices
The project extended the range of operation of bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (BHJ OPV) that are based on poly(3-hexyl)thiophene:fullerene blends further into the red (from ~630 nm to ~850 nm and beyond), while retaining the inexpensive solution processing characteristics of the binary blend. The ternary component of the new architectures was selected from a range of soluble yet relatively easy-to-synthesize organic dye molecules. Issues related to device stability were addressed by eliminating chemically unstable materials, which are unnecessary in the new architecture.
SVV Technology Innovations Inc. (Sacramento, California)
Concentrator PV Receiver Based on Crystalline Si Cells
The project aimed to solve the problem of inherent complexity in concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) by developing an innovative module. The CPV module employs a novel slat-array solar concentrator and a linear receiver based on off-the-shelf crystalline silicon cells. The open web frame concentrator structure offers a low-cost alternative to parabolic trough collectors. It also reduces the wind drag, thereby reducing the weight of the support frame as well as providing a highly uniform concentrated flux on the cells without losses associated with secondary optics.
MicroLink Devices (Niles, IL)
Backside Contact Multijunction Solar Cells for High Concentration Applications
This project developed a method for fabricating multijunction solar cells with backside contacts to improve cell efficiency under high concentration. Backside contacts have been applied to crystalline solar cells to achieve record efficiencies by reducing grid shadowing and resistive losses. Under high optical concentrations used in CPV systems, the losses associated with the topside grid metal increases significantly. The fabrication process developed etches via holes in the epitaxial structures to move the electrical grid to the backside of the device.
GT Crystal Systems, LLC (Salem, Massachusetts)
Material Utilization and Waste Reduction through Kerf Recycling
Silicon bars were sliced into wafers using diamond-plated wire to avoid contaminating the silicon kerf (sawdust). The kerf was processed into feedstock by melting and directional solidification. The recycling reduced the need for virgin silicon and minimized environmental disposal challenges.
 
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