U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

SunShot Initiative

Extreme Balance of System Hardware Cost Reduction

On September 1, 2011, DOE announced $42.4 million in funding over three years for the Extreme Balance of System Hardware Cost Reduction (BOS-X) funding opportunity. Part of the SunShot Systems Integration efforts, the following projects are actively working under this effort:

• Cascade Engineering: Innovative Ballasted Flat Roof Solar Photovoltaic Racking System
• Dow Chemical Company: Transformational Approach to Reducing the Total System Costs of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics
• GE Global Research: Deployable Commercial Rooftop Solar Electric System
• Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation: Solar, Install, Mount, Production, Labor, Equipment (SIMPLE BOS)
• Solexel and Owens Corning: Development and Productization of High-Efficiency, Low-Cost Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Shingles Using Monocrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells.

Approach

BOS-X projects are focused on research and development to reduce the cost of balance of system (BOS) hardware, making it inexpensive, safe, and highly reliable. BOS hardware includes all components used in solar power installation other than the module and power electronics, and represents a major opportunity to achieve significant cost reductions.

Innovation

Under BOS-X, DOE is funding new components and system designs to overcome scientific, technological, and engineering barriers to achieving safe, very low-cost, high-reliability BOS hardware.