US announces $15.5m for solar energy deployment in underserved communities
It is expected to help families and businesses ‘that have been left behind’ in the clean energy transition to reap the benefits of cheaper, renewable power and access to highly-skilled jobs
Image: Shutterstock
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $15.5 million (£11m) in new funding to support the deployment of solar energy in underserved communities.
It is expected to help families and businesses “that have been left behind” in the clean energy transition to reap the benefits of cheaper, renewable power and access to highly-skilled jobs.
Around $10 million (£7m) of funding will be provided for a SolSmart administrator for the next five years, who will update and manage the programme to encourage more equitable solar deployment and the adoption of emerging technologies such as solar and storage.
Dive Brief:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday announced plans to encourage deployment of more solar and storage in low- and moderate-income communities, including a more than $15 million commitment for technical assistance and to help underserved areas attract investment.
The new initiatives and funding will help advance DOE s justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) goals, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement, including by expanding access to clean energy and fostering a more diverse solar workforce.
Equity in the clean energy transition was also on the agenda Tuesday at the EE Global Forum. Jigar Shah, head of DOE s Loan Programs Office, said it is obvious that equity issues were not a priority for the office under previous administrations.
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Three tethered balloons were deployed both upwind and downwind of Sandia National Laboratories’ National Solar Thermal Test Facility during a falling-particle receiver test . The team, led by Cliff Ho, found that the concentration of tiny particles, finer than talcum powder, that escape from the receiver were much lower than Environmental Protection Agency limits. (Randy Montoya/Sandia National Laboratories)
What do tiny dust particles, 22-foot-wide red balloons and “concentrated” sunlight have in common?
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories recently used 22-foot-wide tethered balloons to collect samples of airborne dust particles to ensure the safety of an emerging solar-power technology. The study determined that the dust created by the new technology is far below hazardous levels, said Cliff Ho, the lead researcher on the project. Ho’s team just received $25 million from t