The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide $22.7 million in funding to research projects aimed at improving the capture, conversion and use of solar energy to increase the amount of solar power in the country's energy supply.
DOE's Office of Science selected 27 projects that will focus on fundamental science to support enhanced use of solar energy, and universities and national laboratories in 18 states will conduct the research. These projects, along with the commercialization projects funded through the Solar America Initiative, are part of President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative.
According to the DOE, the government entity will provide $9.9 million over three years to 14 projects that will focus on reducing the cost per watt while converting sunlight to electricity. In addition, 13 projects will receive $12.8 million over a three-year period to help overcome the challenges associated with converting sunlight into chemical fuels.
