Biden-Harris Administration Announces $40 Million to Boost Solar Energy Supply Chain

The U.S. DOE announces $40 million in solar investments to extend the lifecycle of PV systems, improve sustainability, and incentivize innovation through the American-Made Solar Prize.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $40 million investment to strengthen the solar energy supply chain as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda. This investment includes support for innovative projects aimed at enhancing the lifespan of photovoltaic (PV) systems and improving solar sustainability through material recovery and recycling initiatives. The DOE is also launching new prize programs to open markets for solar system equipment and further incentivize solar innovation.

$40 Million Solar Investment: A Path Toward Sustainability and Innovation

As part of this significant investment, the DOE has selected four research and development projects to receive $16 million, including $8 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These projects will focus on maximizing the environmental benefits of solar technologies by extending the life of PV systems and facilitating recycling after decommissioning.

"The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in a clean energy future that’s built to last," said Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy. "The U.S. has doubled annual solar installations over the past four years, and today's announcement further supports manufacturers as they create more resilient solar energy technologies and maximize the life of their products."

Improving PV Sustainability with Research and Recycling Initiatives

The selected projects are part of the Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV) funding program, which aims to halve the cost of recycling PV systems by 2030 and reduce their environmental footprint. A key initiative of the program is the Solar Partnership to Advance Recycling and Circularity (Solar PARC), a collaboration of 30 organizations, including the Electric Power Research Institute. Solar PARC focuses on improving the recovery of solar materials and developing safer end-of-life practices for PV components.

The four selected projects receiving funding are:

• Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH): $4 million

• kWh Analytics (Sacramento, CA): $2.4 million

• University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, NC): $1.3 million

• Electric Power Research Institute (Palo Alto, CA): $8 million

Incentivizing Innovation Through the American-Made Solar Prize

As part of the DOE's commitment to solar innovation, the agency also launched the American-Made Promoting Registration of Inverters and Modules with Ecolabel (PRIME) Prize, a $3 million initiative to encourage PV manufacturers to register their products with the EPEAT ecolabel standard. The ecolabel identifies products that meet specific environmental performance criteria, helping to reduce the environmental impact of PV products and improve end-of-life management.

Additionally, Round 7 of the American-Made Solar Prize awarded $500,000 each to two innovative teams—Fram Energy (Newburgh, NY) and Gritt Robotics (Belmont, CA)—for their contributions to solving challenges in solar energy deployment. Round 8 of the competition is now open, with competitors invited to submit their entries by September 26.

Looking ahead, the DOE has issued a notice of intent for up to $20 million in new funding to advance solar module technologies and de-risk solar hardware. This funding will support research, development, and demonstration projects that push the boundaries of solar innovation and sustainability.