National Laboratory Research and Funding

For decades, the Energy Department’s 17 national laboratories have served as leading institutions for scientific innovation, tackling the world’s biggest scientific challenges. The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) partners with the national labs and researchers to develop innovations that lower the costs of solar energy. Using world-class facilities, researchers address complex questions about the performance and cost of solar energy technologies, translating basic science to innovation. 

Today, 40-50 percent of SETO’s funding is awarded to national labs through funding opportunity announcements, multi-year funding programs specially designed for national labs, and collaborative research projects with industry stakeholders and other offices and initiatives in the Energy Department. All projects must meet agreed-upon objectives, deliver on milestones, and yield results relevant to the office’s current research priorities.

Lab Calls

The office periodically issues competitive solicitations only for national laboratories seeking multi-year funding on a particular topic or theme. Similar to the funding opportunity announcements open to the public, national laboratories submit proposals that are then evaluated and selected by technical staff in the Energy Department to make sure projects align with the office’s research priorities.

Current Awards

Past Awards

Programs and Initiatives

SETO funds programs, collaborative initiatives, and prize competitions at the national labs, enabling the labs to bring together diverse partners and connect them with the resources of the national labs. Selected for their expertise and for their ability to provide core support for research programs and testing facilities, national labs bolster the Energy Department’s technical capabilities while also providing impartial foundational analysis. SETO’s funding enables the labs to provide expert information to a broad set of stakeholders, helping to explore the potential commercial relevance of solar technologies and address the non-hardware costs and deployment barriers of going solar. 

Current Awards

Past Awards

Research Projects at the National Laboratories

SETO funding also enables the national labs to conduct informative analysis on solar energy technologies and the solar industry, using bottom-up, techno-economic cost modeling to provide important industry benchmarks. National lab researchers and industry partners also work together to conduct feasibility tests that mimic the real-world performance of solar technologies in the field, helping to de-risk solar technologies.