The US Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative has awarded $30 million in funding to 13 new projects. All these projects will work towards developing next-generation grid planning and operation tools to facilitate solar power grid connection.
The winning projects were selected as part of the Grid Modernization Initiative (GMI), which strives to modernize the grid of the future. The 13 selected projects will research and develop tools to enable grid operators to access up-to-the-minute measurement and forecasting data from distributed energy sources. The funding is aimed at helping them arrive at dynamic, cost-effective and automated management of solar and other distributed energy sources.
In November 2016, the US Department of Energy (DoE) had launched a tender for grants worth $65 million under SunShot Initiative (see New SunShot Funding Opportunities). In the same month, it had also announced a competition for a $5 million prize challenge for Solar In Your Community Challenge (see New SunShot Challenge).
SunShot is one of the most successful programs of the US government as it achieved 90% of its 2020 goals already in 2016 (see SunShot Progress). With the new administration under President Donald Trump having made it clear that it does not wish to continue with the renewable energy policy of its predecessor, the fate of SunShot lies in the dark as of now.
Nonetheless, SunShot Director Charlie Gay said, "SunShot is working to lower the cost and complexity of integrating solar with the electric grid. These projects give grid operators the tools to manage a modern electric grid."
The list of awardees includes:
Details about the winning projects can be accessed on the US DOE website.