Washington, DC - Today, the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has issued a request for information (RFI) to gather insights about priority research and development topics across the solar industry. SETO seeks a better understanding of the problems facing solar stakeholders. Providing this feedback helps inform the office’s planning efforts.

The goal of this RFI is to collect information in the following topic areas:

• Photovoltaics: SETO is interested in feedback on priority research areas and potential projects or collaborations that would have a lasting impact on the photovoltaics industry.
• Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power: SETO is seeking input on priority research areas that may help lower costs of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems, including: long-term thermal energy storage, autonomous solar collector fields, and manufacturing.
• Systems Integration: SETO is interested in feedback on opportunities related to the integration of solar systems onto the electric grid, including gaps in research and development in smart inverters, behind-the-meter grid services, and cyber-secure PV plants.
• Balance of Systems Soft Cost Reduction: SETO is seeking input on priority research areas associated with reducing the regulatory, financial, and administrative burdens that impose unnecessary business complexity and slows the cost reduction of solar power.

The deadline to submit responses is 12:00pm ET on January 7, 2019. Learn more about this request for information and the areas of interest within each topic.