U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable EnergySunShot InitiativePast Meetings and Workshops
Inverters, such as the two 50 kW prototypes shown here, make distributed solar energy into grid-compatible AC power. Smarter, more flexible, less expensive inverters are needed to reduce the overall cost of solar and achieve SunShot goals. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 19358 Industry workshops help the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office obtain a wide range of stakeholder feedback to guide the SunShot Initiative. DOE held the workshops below to identify barriers and opportunities associated with the SunShot goals. Workshop summaries and presentation content are available for the following events:
Overview of the DOE/CPUC High Penetration Solar Forum WebinarMay 15, 2013This webinar provided information on the results of the second High Penetration Solar Forum that convened in February, including an overview of DOE's and CPUC's grid integration awards as well as future efforts. Below are materials associated with the webinar.
State Technical Assistance Team 2013 WebinarsMay 1, 2013The popular STAT webinars provide an overview of solar technologies, resources, and the role that state and local governments play in supporting the development of those resources. The 2013 series includes webinars on virtual net metering and community solar, among other topics. Diversity in Science and Technology Advances National Clean Energy in Solar WebinarMarch 5, 2013The goal of this webinar was to provide potential applicants with detailed information about the Diversity in Science and Technology Advances National Clean Energy in Solar (DISTANCE-Solar) funding opportunity. This program seeks to contribute to a successful U.S. solar industry with science and technology research advances paired with the development of a diverse and innovative workforce. Below are materials associated with the webinar.
Residential PV Price Comparison WebinarFebruary 28, 2013The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative, in conjunction with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), discusses the installed price of residential photovoltaics (PV) being significantly lower in Germany than in the United States. In order to better characterize the nature of these differences, LBNL surveyed German PV installers using a survey on residential PV soft costs that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) previously fielded to U.S. solar installers. This webinar presents a comparative analysis of these surveys and a broader discussion of underlying drivers for soft cost differences between the United States and Germany, with a focus on customer-owned residential solar energy systems. Below are materials associated with the webinar.
Photovoltaic Module Reliability Workshop 2013February 26–27, 2013The Photovoltaic (PV) Module Reliability Workshop was held in Golden, Colorado. The objective was to share information to improve PV module reliability because such improvements reduce the cost of solar electricity and give investors confidence in the technology. Previous workshop presentations are also available. Thermochemical Energy Storage WorkshopJanuary 8, 2013The Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) program of the SunShot Initiative hosted a workshop on Thermochemical Energy Storage for CSP in Washington, D.C. A distinguishing feature of CSP compared to other renewable technologies is its ability to include thermal energy storage at the point of power generation to handle the intermittencies of solar availability. A thermochemical energy storage system captures solar energy in chemical bonds. These systems offer the potential to achieve much higher specific energy of storage compared to current sensible and latent heat storage options. Thermochemical energy storage, therefore, represents a significant potential for being a cost-effective storage option for CSP, which will help accomplish SunShot goals. The goal of the workshop was to identify scientific, economic, and engineering challenges and opportunities in developing thermochemical energy storage systems for CSP. To this end, the workshop convened experts from around the world in the areas of high temperature processes, catalyst development, reactor design, chemical and mechanical engineering, and material science; these participants came from academia, industry and national laboratories.
Best Practices in the Design of Utility Solar Programs WebinarSeptember 27, 2012This webinar brought together representatives from industry, utilities, and regulatory authorities to share lessons learned from designing and implementing solar energy incentive programs. The discussion featured topics ranging from responding to changing solar costs, implementing consumer protection measures, incentivizing optimal system performance, emerging third-party ownership models, and stimulating various market segments. Below are materials associated with the webinar.
State Technical Assistance Team 2012 WebinarsJuly 18-September 11, 2012This webinar series was developed for state policymakers and staff. SunShot Grand Challenge: Summit and Technology ForumJune 13-14, 2012Denver, ColoradoThe Summit and Technology Forum was the first event in a series of Department of Energy Grand Challenges. This event focused on SunShot Initiative goals of achieving grid-parity solar energy within the decade. BRIDGE Funding Opportunity WebinarApril 4 and 14, 2012The goal of the webinar was to provide potential applicants with detailed information about the funding opportunity and Office of Science user facilities. Photovoltaic (PV) Module Reliability Workshop 2012February 28–March 1, 2012Golden, ColoradoThe objective of the workshop was to share information to improve PV module reliability because such improvements reduce the cost of solar electricity and give investors confidence in the technology. NREL led the workshop, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Program. Ad Lucem: Modeling Market Transformation Pathways WorkshopFebruary 17, 2012Berkeley, CaliforniaThis SunShot workshop focused on the development, analysis, modeling, and implementation of pathways that could enable solar energy technologies to diffuse at an accelerated rate. A diverse set of researchers and technical experts from academia, industry, government, and national labs provided insight into market dynamics and market transformation pathways. Below are materials associated with the workshop.
Plug-and-Play WorkshopOctober 27, 2011Washington, D.C.The purpose of the DOE workshop was to identify the current barriers and possible solutions for the development of plug-and-play solar technologies in the residential sector. Over 60 people attended the conference, including representatives from utilities, code officials, inverter companies, PV module companies, and installers. Results from the workshop are available. Photovoltaic (PV) Validation and Bankability WorkshopAugust 31, 2011San Jose, Calif.DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Program hosted a workshop to discuss a planned regional test center program as part of the SunShot Initiative. During the workshop, more than 60 solar industry leaders provided input on ways for the Solar Program to support the needs of the stakeholder community and encourage private financing to fund U.S. PV industry growth. Below are the presentations given at the workshop. The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.
PV Manufacturing WorkshopMarch 25, 2011Berkeley, Calif.Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory hosted a SunShot workshop focused on ways to scale up domestic manufacturing of solar energy technologies. Industry partners attending the workshop discussed how government incentives and private investment can continue to stimulate photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing capabilities through corporate partnerships. Below are the presentations given at the workshop. The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.
Concentrating Solar Power Industry MeetingMarch 8-9, 2011Washington, D.C.The Concentrating Solar Power subprogram of the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program held an industry meeting to introduce DOE's SunShot Initiative and to elicit feedback on technology developments necessary to achieve SunShot's goals. The event was attended by representatives from the Utility-Scale Power Group at the Solar Energy Industries Association as well as invited industry participants. Presentations from the event are available on the Solar Program website. ARPA-E Energy Innovation SummitFebruary 28-March 2, 2011National Harbor, Md.The second annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit brought together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and government officials to share ideas for developing and deploying the next generation of clean energy technologies. The summit included a breakout session focused on the SunShot Initiative during the preconference workshop. Presentations from the event are available on the ARPA-E website. Hard Balance of System Costs WorkshopFebruary 9-10, 2011Washington, D.C.In support of the SunShot Initiative's cost reduction goals, the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program hosted a workshop to receive input from stakeholders about photovoltaic balance of system (BOS) costs. The objective was to develop a more concise and consistent understanding of the costs associated with installing PV systems. The workshop also helped DOE better understand how to reduce costs in power electronics and grid integration technologies. Presentations from this workshop will be available soon. Soft Balance of System Costs WorkshopFebruary 9, 2011Washington, D.C.Held simultaneously with the Hard Balance of System Cost Workshop, this gathering also worked toward developing an industry-wide approach to reducing the nonhardware costs associated with solar installations. The Soft BOS Workshop focused on making regulatory and process improvements through streamlining transactions and enabling scale. Below are presentations associated with the workshop. The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.
Power Electronics WorkshopFebruary 8-9, 2011Arlington, Va.ARPA-E and the Solar Energy Technologies Program played a leadership role in the Power Electronics Workshop attended by representatives from DOE and its national laboratories as well as invited participants from industry and academia. The agenda focused on examining innovations in modules, power electronics, and system integration. The primary objectives of the workshop were to:
Presentations from the event are available on the ARPA-E website. Solar RoundtableJanuary 13, 2011Washington, D.C.Presentations from this workshop will be available soon. Dollar a Watt WorkshopAugust 11-12, 2010Washington, D.C.DOE held the Dollar a Watt Workshop to identify approaches that would reduce the cost of installed solar PV systems to roughly $1 per watt. The workshop brought together PV technology experts from government, academia, and industry to brainstorm highly novel technology approaches that could break through techno-economic barriers. Below are presentations associated with the workshop. The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.
In addition, the $1/W Photovoltaic Systems White Paper and the $1/W Photovoltaic Systems Workshop Summary are also available. |