Funding Notice: Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV)

— DOE announced selected projects for the MORE PV funding program on Sept. 12, 2024. —

Office: Solar Energy Technologies Office 
FOA Number: DE-FOA-0002985 
Link to Apply: Apply on EERE Exchange
FOA Amount: $20 million 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced the FY23 Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV) funding opportunity, which will provide up to $20 million over three years for research and development projects to create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of solar energy technologies. These research activities will strengthen a circular economy for solar energy systems in the United States, aligning with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals to build a clean and equitable energy economy. 

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is designed to address challenges associated with the rapid deployment of PV systems in the United States, including the increasing demands on PV materials, system operation and maintenance, and recycling. The focus of this FOA is to support technology improvements to reduce these challenges with a holistic view of all stages of the PV lifecycle—from the material needs and installation to operation and end of life (EOL). This opportunity also supports DOE’s Photovoltaics End-of-Life Action Plan which aims to halve the cost of recycling by 2030 and reduce the environmental impact of solar energy modules at end-of-life.

DOE anticipates making approximately four to seven awards under this FOA ranging from $2 million to $8 million. Teams from institutions of higher education, for-profit entities, non-profit entities, state and local government, and Tribal entities are encouraged to apply.  

Prior to submitting a full application for this opportunity, applicants must submit a letter of intent by September 6 at 5 p.m. ET and a concept paper by September 13 at 5 p.m. ET. 

Topic Areas 

Topic Area 1: MORE Connection: Connecting PV Materials, Design, Installation, Performance, and End of Life – 3-6 projects, $2-4 million each 

Projects in this topic area will support collaborations of stakeholders who can bring expertise from all four stages of the PV system lifecycle to reduce cost and improve performance of a PV system and its components, including co-located storage. Projects will develop technology and design solutions to optimize the interconnected energy, economic, and environmental impact metrics in pursuit of rapid and sustainable scale up of PV technologies. 

Topic Area 2: Solar Partnership to Advance Recycling and Circularity (Solar PARC) – 1 project, $8 million 

This topic area will support one partnership to improve materials recovery efficiency and develop safe end-of-life practices for PV system components, including modules, inverters, and other components. This project will focus on technologies and methods to enable low-cost reuse, refurbishing, repair, and recycling of PV materials, and best practices for safe disposal of these materials, including data collection, analysis, and working groups to enable effective collaborations and technology transfer. 

Teaming Partner List

DOE is compiling a "Teaming Partner List" to facilitate the formation of project teams for this FOA. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships.

The Teaming Partner List will be available on the EERE eXCHANGE website and will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: View the Teaming Partner List by visiting the EERE eXCHANGE homepage and clicking on “Teaming Partners” within the left-hand navigation pane. This page allows users to view published Teaming Partner Lists. To join the Teaming Partner List, submit a request within eXCHANGE. Select the appropriate Teaming Partner List from the drop-down menu, and fill in the following information: Investigator Name, Organization Name, Organization Type, Topic Area, Background and Capabilities, Website, Contact Address, Contact Email, and Contact Phone.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, the requesting organization consents to the publication of the above-referenced information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that are identifying themselves for placement on this Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for the development of such information.

Webinar 

SETO hosted an informational webinar on July 26 to discuss the funding opportunity and the areas of focus. Watch a recording of the webinar.

Key Dates 

Additional Information 

• Download the full funding opportunity on the EERE Exchange website. 
• Questions regarding this FOA must be submitted to [email protected] no later than three business days prior to the application due date and time.  
• Sign up for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) email list to get notified of new EERE funding opportunities. Also sign up for our newsletter to stay current with the latest SETO news.