SunShot Incubator Program

The Department of Energy SunShot Initiative aims to reduce the installed costs of solar energy systems by 75% by the end of the decade, achieving grid parity for subsidy-free solar energy. SunShot drives American innovation through advanced research and development, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and cutting-edge technology. If successful, the SunShot Initiative will ensure solar energy is a viable and economic source for the nation's power needs and will significantly contribute to U.S. prosperity in the 21st century.

The SunShot Incubator Program facilitates American small business' transitions from a proof of concept or business plan to domestic commercialization or deployment. The emphasis on proposed activities should be focused on addressing barriers to scale-up, commercialization, and deployment by 2015. This funding opportunity seeks to create independent businesses which can fully support themselves and continue to grow after the end of the award period. This opportunity is not for creating a product, organization, service, or other entity or item which requires continued government support.

Areas of programmatic interest include but are not limited to:

Photovoltaics

Balance of systems

Power electronics

Concentrating solar power

Tools to address non-hardware costs of solar energy

Plug-and-play wiring and installation techniques

Energy storage

Other proposals that bring novel, non-incremental technologies that facilitate SunShot goals in any area of solar energy deployment to market