Apply for the American-Made Solar Prize Round 8

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The American-Made Solar Prize Round 8 is a multimillion-dollar prize program designed to spur improvements in U.S. photo voltaic {hardware} and software program applied sciences and deal with challenges to fast, equitable photo voltaic power deployment. The U.S. Division of Power (DOE) Photo voltaic Power Applied sciences Workplace (SETO) opened purposes on June 14, 2024.

Anybody based mostly in america with a probably marketable photo voltaic expertise answer are eligible to compete and might sign up on the HeroX prize platform. Potential candidates embrace college students, professors, small enterprise house owners, and researchers.

This problem requires opponents to make progress shortly, kind private-sector partnerships, and interact clients to deliver their concepts to life. Rivals could have entry to the American-Made Network to search out companions and testing amenities to speed up their progress.

DOE is enthusiastic about photo voltaic {hardware} and software program applied sciences. {Hardware} improvements ought to be capable to be manufactured in america. Software program improvements ought to assist deal with the non-hardware prices of photo voltaic, like buyer acquisition, financing, and grid integration.

Rivals will take part in three escalating challenges—the Prepared!, Set!, and Go! Contests—as they develop their ideas from concepts to merchandise. Individually, every competitor can win as much as $700,000 in money and $150,000 in technical help vouchers over the course of the three contests.

Rivals have the chance in every contest to additionally compete within the Justice, Fairness, Range, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest. Ought to they choose in, at every stage, the opponents will describe how their options deal with photo voltaic market boundaries confronted by underserved communities and work to considerably advance their strategy towards JEDI objectives.

For many who have a terrific concept however want a lift to take their innovation to the following degree, the Photo voltaic Prize Spherical 8 presents the Energy Up Contest. This contest is designed to help and advance new and various groups which have compelling purposes however aren’t chosen to advance to the Set! Contest. SETO expects to pick as much as 10 groups for the Energy Up Contest based mostly on their Prepared! Contest submission packet. These groups will break up a $100,000 prize pool and take part within the Energy Up Program, the place they may obtain tailor-made enterprise help.

Phases of Competitors

• Prepared! Contest: 20 winners, $50,000 every. Every competitor will pitch an revolutionary answer that addresses a important want within the photo voltaic business and establish market demand for it.
• Set! Contest: 10 winners, $100,000 in money prizes and $75,000 in vouchers every. Every workforce advancing to the Set! Contest will design a {hardware} proof of idea or a minimal viable software program product.
• Go! Contest: Two winners, $500,000 in money prizes and $75,000 in vouchers every. Chosen opponents will develop early-stage {hardware} prototypes for business testing or customer-validated software program merchandise.
• JEDI Contest (Elective): $200,000 in complete money prizes distributed to as much as 10 Prepared! finalists, as much as 5 Set! semifinalists, and as much as 2 Go! Rivals.
• Energy Up Contest: $100,000 in complete money prizes distributed to as much as 10 new and various groups with promising concepts who weren’t chosen as Prepared! Contest winners.

Rivals who choose into the JEDI Contest will describe how their options deal with photo voltaic market boundaries confronted by underserved communities and work to considerably advance their strategy towards JEDI objectives as they progress via the Prepared!, Set!, and Go! Contests.

Extra Assets

The American-Made Photo voltaic Prize is part of the American-Made Challenges and is run by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy.