RFI - $1/W Photovoltaic Systems: Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems Advanced Concepts

Following is a synopsis: The goal of the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP), is to make solar energy cost compatible with grid electricity and also to enable the high penetration of solar energy without subsidy in the U.S. electricity market. The DOE $1/W Workshop held in Washington, DC on August 11 and 12, 2010, identified approaches to reduce the cost of installed photovoltaic (PV) systems to $1 per watt by 2017, including several major areas where significant cost reductions in power electronics can be made including: 1) economies of scale; 2) advanced components; 3) reliability; 4) smart grid integration and 5) understanding of system implications. Through this announcement, DOE is requesting information on Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems, Advanced Concepts (SEGIS-AC) and how changes in power electronics impact the cost of the PV system as a whole.