The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) will award $12.3 million to 11 small solar companies from 9 states as part of DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program.
These new projects are part of the second phase of the programs, which help companies commercialize their innovations. The awardees are:
- Atonometrics (Austin, TX): Photovoltaic Module Soiling Spectral Deposition Detector
- BREK Electronics Corporation (Englewood, CO): 250-Kilowatt Solar String Inverter Using Silicon Carbide Modular Architecture and Grid Support Functionality
- FarmAfield Labs (Lincoln, NE): Livestock and Solar—Synergistic Opportunities for Rural America
- GVD Corp. (Cambridge, MA): Reduced Environmental Controls in Perovskite Solar Cell Manufacturing Enabled by Vacuum-Deposited Gas Barrier Coatings
- Helical Solar Solutions (Austin, TX): Low-Cost Dual-Axis Solar Positioning System with Novel Monopole and Integral Lateral Support
- NanoFlex Power Corporation (Scottsdale, AZ): Advanced Manufacturing of Low-Cost Building-Integrated Organic Photovoltaic Modules
- NanoSonic (Pembroke, VA): Electrospray Deposition of Perovskite Solar Cells
- Norwich Technologies (White River Junction, VT): Behind-the-Meter, Distributed Scale Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power System Enabled by Very Low-Cost Working Fluid and Thermal Storage
- Powdermet (Euclid, OH): Advanced Materials for Concentrating Solar Power Molten Salt Storage-Heat Exchanger
- Quest Renewables (Atlanta, GA): Resilient Solar Racking System to Provide Consistent Electricity to Regions Impacted by Natural Disasters
- Tectonicus Constructs (Bisbee, AZ): Solar River, Canal Spanning Solar Power
Learn more about these selections and see a full list of SETO’s SBIR and STTR projects.
The SBIR/STTR program consists of 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 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.
