{"id":44871,"date":"2016-02-14T15:58:11","date_gmt":"2016-02-14T20:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=44871"},"modified":"2016-02-14T15:58:11","modified_gmt":"2016-02-14T20:58:11","slug":"doe-funds-18-million-in-six-after-sunset-cloudy-solar-energy-storage-solutions-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/doe-funds-18-million-in-six-after-sunset-cloudy-solar-energy-storage-solutions-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"DOE Funds $18 Million In Six \u2018After-Sunset & Cloudy\u2019 Solar Energy Storage Solutions Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published on CleanTechnica<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In January, the US Department of Energy announced $18 million in funding for six ‘after-sunset & cloudy’ solar energy projects<\/a>. The goal? Enabling\u00a0the development of integrated, scalable, and cost-effective solar technologies that incorporate energy storage to power American homes after the sun sets or when clouds are overhead.<\/p>\n

\"Sunshot<\/a><\/p>\n

The funding is part of the DOE\u2019s Grid Modernization Initiative, which\u00a0is targeting improvements to\u00a0\u201cthe resiliency, reliability and security of the nation\u2019s electrical power grid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar PV (SHINES<\/a>) program develops and demonstrates integrated photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage solutions that are scalable, secure, reliable, and cost-effective.<\/p>\n

The projects will work to dramatically increase solar-generated electricity that can be dispatched at any time \u2013 day or night \u2013 to meet consumer electricity needs while ensuring the reliability of the nation\u2019s electricity grid. Achieving the SHINES goals is a critical step in the pathway towards enabling hundreds of gigawatts of solar to be integrated reliably and cost-effectively onto the electric grid. SHINES is part of the Energy Department\u2019s Grid Modernization Initiative<\/a>, which aims to accelerate the strategic modernization of the U.S. electric power grid and solve the challenges of integrating conventional and renewable sources, while ensuring a resilient energy system combining energy storage with central and distributed generation.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEnergy storage, solar PV and smart grid technologies experienced incredible growth in 2015, and we expect they will play an increasingly important role in reaching the nation\u2019s climate and clean energy goals in the coming years,\u201d said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson.<\/p>\n

Danielson added\u00a0these projects can lead the way in deploying \u201caffordable, reliable grid integration technologies, including energy storage, intelligent inverters, load management and innovative PV solutions, that can boost the resiliency of our nation\u2019s electric grid while allowing us to deploy greater amounts of solar and other renewables.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Six \u2018After-Sunset & Cloudy\u2019 Solar Energy Storage Solutions Projects<\/h3>\n

The six integrated PV and energy storage projects<\/a> will utilize internet-capable inverters and work in conjunction with smart buildings, smart appliances, and utility communication and control systems. These projects will either be led by a utility company or include a utility company as a key partner. Project teams will conduct at least a one-year field demonstration of their technologies.<\/p>\n