Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to launch the SOlutions for Lasting, Viable Energy Infrastructure Technologies (SOLVE IT) Prize.
Office of Technology Transitions
December 12, 2023
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Golden, CO – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to launch the SOlutions for Lasting, Viable Energy Infrastructure Technologies (SOLVE IT) Prize. The prize will award nearly $5 million to help communities find solutions to their energy challenges. The prize aims to grow the number of communities interested in promising future clean energy projects and promote wider, more equitable technology uptake.
Through the prize, competitors will work collaboratively with stakeholders interested in community-scale clean energy strategic planning to carry out one or more projects that address their energy challenges.
“There are so many benefits to deploying promising new clean energy technologies, especially in communities that have historically experienced detrimental energy challenges like pollution and high energy costs,” said DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions Dr. Vanessa Z. Chan. “The SOLVE IT Prize offers key support to organizations who can help make clean energy a reality in those communities while spurring uptake of novel solutions.”
The prize was developed by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) in partnership with the Offices of Clean Energy Demonstrations and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as part of the Technology Commercialization Fund.
SOLVE IT competitors can win cash prizes across three phases: Embark, Engage, and Establish. Teams will first demonstrate that they have what it takes to identify energy challenges in their communities, then engage with community members and craft concrete solutions. To wrap up their efforts, the teams will finalize their action plans to ultimately implement clean energy projects.
The prize will be open for submissions beginning in January 2024. Subsequent updates and announcements for the SOLVE IT Prize will be posted on HeroX.
The SOLVE IT Prize is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the American-Made program. The American-Made program fast-tracks innovation through prizes, training, teaming, and mentoring and by connecting the nation's entrepreneurs and innovators to America's national labs and the private sector.
Additional Information
- For more information, visit the SOLVE IT Prize HeroX page.
- For questions about this prize, contact [email protected].
- Learn more about OTT’s Technology Commercialization Fund.
- Sign up for the OTT newsletter to stay current with the latest news and funding programs.