DOE announces $30 million in funding to ARPA-E projects

Feb. 6

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced Monday the U.S. Department of Energy will provide $30 million in funding to 12 Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) projects. The funding is intended to help develop hybrid solar energy technologies that deliver cost effective power when the sun is not shining.

“These projects will help advance solar energy beyond current photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) to drive lower-cost, reliable solar energy deployment,” stated a release from the Energy Department.

The 12 projects are receiving funding through ARPA-E’s Full-Spectrum Optimized Conversion and Utilization of Sunlight (FOCUS) program. Under the program, projects will develop advanced solar converters that turn sunlight into electricity for immediate use while also producing heat that can be stored at low cost for later use as well as storage systems that accept both hat and electricity from variable solar sources.

Source: http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2014/02/doe-announces-30-million-in-funding-to-arpa-e-projects.html?