U.S. Department of Energy to invest up to $11.8 million in solar energy grid integration systems

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Up to $11.8 million will be invested by the U.S. Department of Energy in five projects designed to advance the next stage of development of solar energy grid integration systems (SEGIS), as part of a partnership program begun by DOE in 2008. The selected projects focus on the most promising technology advances and include development of intelligent system controls.

“Solar energy will be a critical factor in achieving the President’s goal of creating new jobs as part of a clean energy economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.  “By integrating renewable energy onto the grid now, we can deliver power more reliably and effectively, lower utility bills for American families, and help rebuild our economy along the way.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The five selections include:

  • PVPowered ( Bend, OR): PVPowered will partner with Portland General Electric (Portland, OR), South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD), Northern Plains Power Technologies (Brookings, SD), Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (Pullman, WA), and Sensus (Raleigh, NC).  The project will reinforce the fundamental objectives of the SEGIS program to optimize interconnections across the full range of emerging PV module technologies through innovative systems integration. (DOE cost share: up to $3 million)
  • Petra Solar (South Plainfield, NJ):  Petra Solar will work with the University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) and fifteen electric utilities with service in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Florida, and Texas. This project complements the mission of the solar program to achieve the widespread adoption of solar energies. It supports improving reliability and resiliency so that high levels of PV integration can be adapted. (DOE cost share: up to $2.9 million)
  • Princeton Power of Princeton, NJ: Princeton Power will work with Transistor Device Inc (TDI), LaGuardia Community College (New York, NY), Idyllwild Municipal Water District (San Diego, CA), National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (Princeton, NJ), Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (Princeton, NJ), Premier Power, SPG Solar (Novato, CA), and Spire (Bedford, MA).   This project focuses on lowering manufacturing costs through integrated controls for energy storage and develops new inverter designs. (DOE cost share: up to $2.8 million)
  • Apollo Solar of Bethel, CT: Apollo Solar will work in collaboration with Saft Batteries (Valdosta, GA), the Electric Power Research Institute (Knoxville, TN), and California Independent System Operator (Folsom, CA).  This project creates innovative inverters using energy storage and two-way communications between solar electrical systems and utilities. (DOE cost share: up to $1.5 million)
  • Florida Solar Energy Center/UCF: Florida Solar Energy Center will work with Satcon Technology (Boston, MA), Sentech (Bethesda, MD), SunEdison (Beltsville, MD), Cooper Power Systems EAS (Minneapolis, MN), Northern Plains Power Technologies (Brookings, SD), and Lakeland Electric Utilities (Lakeland, FL).  This project focuses on solving technical challenges that must be overcome to include higher PV penetration levels in larger electrical systems. (DOE cost share: up to $1.3 million)

About $5 million of the allocated funds will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Read Next

July 14, 2025
ACWA Power has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) for five solar PV projects in the country.
July 14, 2025
Elements Green has secured €80 million (US$93.5 million) in financing from Danish investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
July 14, 2025
Solar and storage developer MN8 Energy has raised US$575 million to refinance three PV projects in North Carolina, Kentucky and Illinois.
July 14, 2025
OpenSolar has launched a new model to help US rooftop solar installers reduce costs and thrive despite the loss of the 30% IRA tax credit.
July 14, 2025
Analyst Wood Mackenzie has forecast that solar PV and wind installations in the US will be 100GW lower than expected between 2025 and 2030 with the removal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK