DOE Undersecretary for Science Raymond Orbach said the projects are part of an "aggressive basic research in the physical sciences—what I call transformational science" intended to push the cost-effectiveness of renewable energy.

These projects, along with the commercialization projects funded through the Solar America Initiative, are part of President George W. Bush"s Advanced Energy Initiative. DOE plans to fund additional projects in fiscal year 2008.

The projects will address two priority technical areas: conversion of solar energy to electricity and conversion of solar energy to chemical fuels.

About $9.9 million and 14 projects involve research into converting sunlight to electricity. The goal is to greatly reduce costs while improving the conversion efficiency.

About $12.8 million for 13 projects involve research into direct conversion of sunlight into chemical fuels. This project overcomes a problem of the day vs. night variation of the solar resource and provides solar-derived energy in forms useful for transportation, residential, and industrial applications.

PIN/OGJ.COM