The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has awarded $24 million in innovation funding for 11 new solar technologies.
The grants, part of ARPA-E's Micro-Scale Optimized Solar-Cell Arrays With Integrated Concentration (MOSAIC) program, are intended to spur the development of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technologies at a cost comparable to conventional PV.
The overall research efforts are focused on micro-scale CPV systems that can be integrated into flat-plate solar panels. These micro-CPV technologies will use thousands of small lenses to concentrate sunlight onto an array of micro-PV cells in order to achieve a higher solar-to-electricity conversion.
"By bringing together cutting-edge advances in micro-fabrication, materials science and mechanical actuation, MOSAIC will create new options for solar generation and help make clean energy technologies even more affordable," says Ellen D. Williams, director of ARPA-E.
Information on the 11 selected MOSAIC projects can be found here.