$7 Million help trim "Soft" costs of DOE's of solar systems

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DOE is $ 7 million of the SunShot incubator program to help reduce the not hardware costs of living and solar energy installations such as installation required.
IMG credit: Craig Miller Productions

DOE announced on 15 November up to $7 million as part of the initiative to reduce the not hardware costs of residential and SunShot solar energy installations. The Fund supports the development of tools and approaches, the non-hardware - or "soft" costs such as cost for installation, allows to reduce interconnection and inspection. Turnout may total less than half of the cost of a residential system. This work is supported by the SunShot incubator program, and make the process of the purchase, installation and maintenance of solar energy systems faster, easier and less costly.

The incubator focused to solve previously to hardware challenges. This new funding round applies to the soft costs for the installation of solar systems and confirmed the great potential for cost savings in this area. The balance of system soft costs through this funding opportunity all non-hardware aspects of an installed photovoltaic system, such as work, approval and control, customer acquisition, financing, and the award of contracts are fixed. Funding will be awarded in two stages. Level 1 includes prices up to $500,000 with a cost share of 20% over 12 months to speed up the development of innovative approaches non-hardware-. DOE awards in this category can deliver about 3-5. Level 2 prices includes more than 18 months transition innovative systems and solutions the demonstration stage, and finally full deployment million with a cost of 50% up to $5. DOE awards in this category can provide approximately 1-3.

The DOE SunShot initiative is a collaborative national effort to reduce the cost of solar energy by about 75% by the end of the Decade. A key objective of the program incubator SunShot is to start new start-up companies and new business units within the existing commercial entities. Concept paper applications for the financing of soft costs are by January 16 2012. finding you the DOE press release ©, the funding opportunity announcement, one energy blog post and the SunShot initiative Web site.

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