“Bringing PV to Market? Want to Make a Federal Case of it?”

More than 30 years of R&D supported by the U.S. Department of Energy has produced a base of technology that transformed the vision of terrestrial solar power into a vibrant industry rapidly growing toward delivering a significant quantity of energy. During the past few years, the resources of the national Solar Electric Technologies Program became a small and decreasing portion of the total investment targeting the vast potential markets for photovoltaic technology. As turmoil in the financial sector has constrained or closed many funding channels, more firms are looking to the Department of Energy for assistance in advancing business. Fortunately the program is expanding and creating new financial assistance opportunities for all stages of technology development. The facilities and expertise of the National Laboratories are also engaged in a growing number of collaborations to accelerate and reduce cost of needed development. This talk will review the forms of financial and technical assistance available from the Federal program.