Solar initiative to fund R and D

SunPower Corp and its subsidiary PowerLight Corp have been selected for an award under the US Department of Energy's Solar America Initiative.

SunPower Corp and its subsidiary PowerLight Corp have been selected for an award, pending finalisation of the grant agreement, under the US Department of Energy's Solar America Initiative (SAI).

Once negotiations of the grant agreement are complete, SunPower and PowerLight may be awarded up to US $10.5 million in funding for 2007.

"We are honoured to be selected by the Department of Energy for this award, which will accelerate our drive to lower solar costs to compete with retail electric rates", said Dr Richard Swanson, SunPower Chief Technology Officer, founder and President.

"Public policy incentives make solar power affordable today for many homes and businesses across the country".

"With SAI funding support, we will expand our R and D investments in product design and manufacturing processes, as well as supply chain and customer delivery efficiencies".

SunPower and PowerLight will use the funding to implement cost improvements across the value chain, including innovations in producing ingots, wafers, high-efficiency solar cells and panels, system design, as well as improved delivery and installation efficiency.

In addition, the two companies will work to reduce solar system costs through improvements in the design and manufacture of integrated photovoltaic systems.

This work will be conducted with a team of technology and institutional partners.

"Solar technology will be advanced most effectively by teams that cross the value chain, from solar cell manufacturing to turnkey project implementation", said Tom Dinwoodie, PowerLight CEO and founder.

"With this award, the Department of Energy endorses our teams' integrated approach to radically improve the cost and delivery of solar systems to customers".

"We support DOE's catalysing role in launching solar power as a near-term, meaningful solution to our peak electricity demand challenges".

The Solar America Initiative is focused on accelerating widespread commercialisation of clean solar energy technologies by 2015 and to provide the USA with additional electricity supply options while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and improving the environment.

It aims to achieve market competitiveness for solar electric power through government partnerships with industry, universities, national laboratories, states, and other public entities by funding new research and development activities.

"Solar technology can play a crucial role in moving toward affordable net zero energy homes and businesses - which combine energy efficiency and renewable energy produced on-site", said Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.

"Efficient buildings with solar power generation can help reduce peak demand and ease the need for expensive new generating capacity, transmission, and distributions lines as our economy grows".

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