Are there any significant solar projects in development in the U.S.? Where? What is the timeline?

Photovoltaic (PV)

In August 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced plans to invest up to $24 million to significantly accelerate the penetration of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States. The goal is to provide critical R&D funding for Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) projects to develop less expensive, higher performing products to enhance the value of solar Photovoltaic systems to home and business owners.

Twelve industry teams have been selected to participate in cost-shared cooperative agreements with $2.9 million total in DOE funding and leveraging $1.7 million in industry cost-share. Subject to the availability of funds, additional contracts will be awarded in FY2009 and in the out years for projects demonstrating the most promising technology advancements with a high likelihood of commercial success. Project management support is to be provided by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM.[1]

The 12 winning Industry Teams are listed below. Details about the individual projects can be accessed via the following link: http://www.energy.gov/news/archives/6477.htm

1. Apollo Solar (Bethel, Conn.)
2. EMTEC (Dayton, Ohio) with Emerson Network Power, Liebert Corporation, Hull and Associates, and Ohio State University
3. Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, Calif.)
4. General Electric (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and Sentech, Inc. in collaboration with candidate utilities including American Electric Power, Duke, and Hawaii Electric Company
5. Nextek Power Systems (Detroit, Mich. and Hauppauge, N.Y.) with Houston Advanced Research Center
6. Petra Solar (Somerset, N.J.) with Florida Power Electronics Center, and Florida Solar Energy Center
7. Premium Power (North Reading, Mass.)
8. Princeton Power Systems (Princeton, N.J.) with TDI Power, World Water, and Solar Technologies Corp.
9. PV Powered (Bend, Ore.) with Portland General Electric Team, South Dakota State University, and Northern Plains Power Technologies
10. SmartSpark Energy Systems, Inc. (Champaign, Ill.) with Evergreen Solar and Innovolt, Inc.
11. The Florida Solar Energy Center of the University of Central Florida (Orlando, Fla.) with SatCon, Sentech, Inc., EnFlex, SunEdison, Northern Plains Power Technologies, Lakeland Electric Utilities and additional utilities
12. VPT Inc. (Blacksburg, Va.) with Center for Power Electronics, Plug-in Conversions, Moonlight Solar, Breakell Inc., and Delta Electronics

Additionally, in September 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced plans to invest up to $17.6 million for six early stage photovoltaic (PV) module incubator projects, subject to annual appropriations, which focus on the initial manufacturing of advanced solar PV technologies. The total research investment is expected to reach up to $35.4 million including the minimal cost share of 20 percent from industry.[2]

The following six companies and their award amounts are listed below and will begin their year and a half long projects upon negotiation of their subcontracts through DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL):

1. 1366 Technologies (Lexington, Mass.) (Up to $3 million)
2. Innovalight (Sunnyvale, Calif.) (Up to $3 million)
3. Skyline Solar (Mountain View, Calif.) (Up to $3 million)
4. Solasta (Newton, Mass.) (Up to $2.6 million)
5. Solexel (Milpitas, Calif.) (Up to $3 million)
6. Spire Semiconductor (Hudson, N.H.) (Up to $2.97 million)

Details about the individual projects can be accessed via the following link: .http://www.energy.gov/news/archives/6607.htm

A notable project known as the Robert O. Schulz Solar Farm is taking place at California’s South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) where a single-axis solar tracking system featuring thin-film photovoltaic cells has been installed. Believed to be the first of its kind, the 419-kilowatt system, the second phase of a 1.4 MW solar energy solution by Conergy and SSJID, went live in late March of this year. In the midst of a statewide water crisis, this project is expected to save SSJID nearly $400,000 a year in utility costs, and allow SSJID to stabilize customer costs as well as to qualify for millions of dollars in state cash incentives. Additionally, this project will provide a unique cost-benefit analysis opportunity for comparing the performance of crystalline panels versus thin-film under a range of climatic conditions including perennially dusty or overcast areas like that which is found in the San Joaquin County. The Robert O. Schulz Solar Farm is to provide nearly all the power needs of the nearby Nick C. DeGroot Water Treatment Plant, which processes 40 million gallons of water per day.[3]

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

In September 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced plans to fund up to $67.6 million for 15 new projects to develop lower-cost solar power energy storage and heat transfer technologies for Concentrating Solar Power (CSP). These awards were offered under the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids and Novel Thermal Storage Concepts for Concentrating Solar Power Generation. Selected projects were chosen to help further the DOE’s continuing efforts to reduce the current cost of CSP electricity from 13-16 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) with no storage, to 8-11 cents/kWh with six hours of storage by 2015, and by 2020 to less than seven cents/kWh with 12-17 hours of storage.[4]

The 15 projects and their award amounts are listed below by category. Details about the individual projects can be accessed via the following link: http://www.energy.gov/news/archives/6562.htm

Advanced Heat Transfer Fluids Research and Development:

• Symyx (Sunnyvale, Calif.) (Up to $2.3 million)

Thermal Energy Storage Research and Development:

• Abengoa (Lakewood, CO) (Up to $1.9 million)
• Acciona (Henderson, NV) (Up to $690,000)
• City University of New York (New York, NY) (Up to $1.9 million)
• General Atomics (San Diego, CA) (Up to $2.4 million)
• Infinia Corporation (Kennewick, WA) (Up to $9.4 million)
• Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) (Up to $1.5 million)
• Terrafore (Riverside, CA) (Up to $1.8 million)
• Texas Engineering Experiment Station (College Station, TX) (Up to $1.9 million)
• University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL) (Up to $1.9 million)
• University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR) (Up to $770,000)
• University of Connecticut (UConn) (Storrs, CT) (Up to $1.8 million)

Thermal Energy Storage Near-Term Demonstration:

• Abengoa (Lakewood, Colo.) (Up to $12.5 million)
• Acciona (Henderson, Nev.) (Up to $22.5 million)
• US Solar Holdings (Boise, Idaho) (Up to $4.35 million)

Research by Diane Meade