Page 75 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM POWER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES 45

systems. The project will also explore designs using multijunction cells to allow for
very high efficiency modules. Project partners include Spectrolab, Sandia National
Laboratories, SunEdison, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subject to
negotiations, funding for the first year of the project is expected to be roughly
$2,200,000, with approximately $4,000,000 available over 3 years if the team
meets its goals.

SunPower SunPower will be developing a grid-competitive residential solar power
generating system. This project will research lower-cost ingot and wafer fabrication
technologies, automated manufacture of back-contact cells, and new module designs to
lower costs. Project partners include Solaicx, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
NREL, and Xantrex. Subject to negotiations, first-budget period funding for this project
is expected to be approximately $7,700,000, with approximately $17,900,000 available
over 3 years if the team meets its goals.

United Solar Ovonic United Solar Ovonic is currently in the process of develop-
ing low-cost thin-film building-integrated PV systems. This project will focus on
increasing the efficiency and deposition rate of multibandgap, flexible, thin-film pho-
tovoltaic cells and reducing the cost of inverters and balance-of-system compo-
nents. Partners include SMA America, Sat Con Technology Corporation, PV Powered,
the ABB Group, Solectria Renewables, Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems,
Turtle Energy, Sun Edison, the University of Oregon, Syracuse University, the
Colorado School of Mines, and NREL. Subject to negotiations, funding for the first
year of the project is expected to be roughly $2,400,000, with approximately
$19,300,000 available over 3 years if the team meets its goals.
For more information on DOE PV development support, the reader should visit the
Solar America Initiative Web page: www.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_america/.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), signed by President Bush in August of 2005,
provides incentives for purchasing and using solar equipment. At present the act
extends through 2008, which provides incentives credit equal to 30 percent of qualify-
ing expenditures for the purchase of commercial solar installations, with no cap on the
total credit allowed. EPAct also provides a 30 percent tax credit for qualified PV prop-
erty and solar water heating property used exclusively for purposes other than heating
swimming pools and hot tubs. Under this act owners of qualified private property could
be eligible for a credit up to $2000 for either property, with a maximum of $4000
allowed, if both photovoltaic and solar hot water qualified properties are installed. More
information on available incentives for solar installations in the United States is
available at the U.S. government Web page at: http://energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=
products.pr_tax_credits.