DOE’s Audacious Goal: “SunShot”

Earlier this month, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced details of the Department of Energy’s “SunShot” initiative to bring the total costs of utility-scale solar energy systems down about 75 percent—to roughly $1 a watt—by 2020.

RMI is helping bring focus to the goal, facilitating a DOE workshop in Washington, D.C., last week focused on tackling the solar “Balance of Systems” challenge.

A progression from our June 2010 charrette and resulting report, the DOE workshops are evidence the agency has placed BOS barriers “firmly in the crosshairs” to try and drive down the high cost of photovoltaic solar installations.

“It is exciting to see that participants at our charrette heard our message and carried it to the DOE,” said Ned Harvey, RMI’s chief operating officer. “This is a great example of how an innovative idea, incubated by donor support, can lead to meaningful, measurable impact.” More