The U.S. Department of Energy today announced $21 million in new funding to lower solar energy deployment barriers and expand access to solar energy to all Americans. The Department is making $13 million available to help states take advantage of falling solar prices and maximize the benefits of solar electricity through energy and economic strategic planning. This new program will offer technical and analytical support in the development and implementation of solar energy deployment plans. An additional $8 million under this funding opportunity will support research on solar energy innovation and technology adoption patterns in order to increase understanding of solar deployment barriers and other “soft costs.”
As more communities across the country look to solar energy as a source of clean, renewable electricity to meet their economic goals, the funding announced today will help lower barriers to solar energy deployment for states and regions across United States. It will also increase understanding of how and why solar innovations are adopted throughout communities to enable expedited development moving forward.
“As the cost of solar technology continues to fall, it’s more important than ever that we lower the other barriers to solar deployment—soft costs,” said David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. “The funding announced today will provide technical and analytical assistance to states in setting and meeting their renewable energy goals. This initiative will leverage decision science and solar datasets to build our understanding of how and why solar technologies are adopted to make it faster, easier, and more affordable for families and businesses to choose solar to power their daily lives.”
