RFI To Gather Insights About US Solar Industry

• The US Department of Energy has launched a request for information (RFI) to understand the challenges and opportunities for the American solar industry
• It focuses on 4 high priority research areas under the RFI that are: PV, systems integration, balance of systems soft cost reduction and CSP
• Responses are sought from all solar stakeholders, including researchers, analysts, and manufacturers supporting the technological advancement and wide-scale adoption of solar technology
• Interested respondents have time till January 7, 2019 to submit their answers

The US Department of Energy's (DoE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) has launched a request for information (RFI) to understand the challenges and opportunities for the American solar industry. The stakeholders whose problems DoE attempts to understand include researchers, analysts and manufacturers supporting the technological advancement and wide-scale adoption of solar technology.

This understanding will help the agency better plan its efforts, it said. The 4 high priority research areas under the RFI are:

1. Photovoltaics: Feedback on issues related to high-priority areas with PV research, as advanced PV manufacturing science, high efficiency tandem cell and module development, and reliability of module-level power electronics. DoE's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) says it is interested in any new major research areas and potential projects or collaborations that would have a lasting impact for the US PV industry.
2. Systems Integration: Stakeholders will be expected to address cost-effective, performance-enhancing integration of solar systems onto the electric grid at high penetration level, including utilization of PV inverters as grid sensors, cyber-secure PV plants, behind-the-meter grid services.
3. Balance of Systems Soft Cost Reduction: Industry, academia, research labs, government agencies and other stakeholders are encouraged to highlight research gaps associated with permitting, inspection, interconnection and financing for solar.
4. Concentrated Solar-Thermal Power (CSP): Industrial and research communities are invited to give inputs to enable CSP systems to achieve high operating temperatures and lower costs.

EERE has launched the RFI through its Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) that expects to receive online responses to this RFI by January 7, 2019. Further details are available on the website of EERE.