The Biden administration has set an ambitious goal of decarbonizing the US grid by 2035. Achieving this target will require rapidly scaling up renewable energy sources like solar, wind and battery storage. The DOE has a little known office called the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) that “accelerates the advancement and deployment of solar technology in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy.”
Today on the Clean Power Hour, we bring you Dr. Becca Jones-Albertus, head of SETO, to give an insider’s perspective on initiatives to build the solar workforce of tomorrow, address permitting and interconnection barriers, advance solar technologies, and more.
In this episode, Jones-Albertus discusses the office's work on advancing solar panel technologies, building the next-generation solar workforce, and leading projects like SolarAPP to streamline local solar permitting.
Jones-Albertus also shares her outlook on the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act, including the growth of US manufacturing, microgrids, thermal technologies, and more. She provides an update on progress made through DOE partnerships and funding opportunities across concentrating solar power, photovoltaics, systems integration, and beyond.
Tune in to hear Jones-Albertus' insights on how her office at DOE is speeding the transition to a carbon-free power sector through both technology innovation and rapid deployment of solar energy.
Key Takeaways
1. How has the Inflation Reduction Act impacted the solar industry and the DOE's work?
2. How does the Solar Energy Technologies Office budget break down in terms of programs and focus areas?
3. What is the DOE doing to address the major backlog in solar interconnection queues?
4. What is the future potential of concentrating solar thermal technologies?
5. How is the SolarAPP permitting software platform progressing in terms of adoption?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-jones-albertus/
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-energy-technologies-office
https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy/
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0:00 - Introduction
3:00 - Becca's role at DOE Solar Office
5:03 - Solar Energy Technology Development and Deployment.
8:27 - Impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act
11: 16 - Solar Energy Interconnection Challenges
13:13 - Budget Breakdown and Key Programs
17:37 - Clean Energy Opportunities
19:09 - SolarAPP permitting software
21:20 - Thermal technologies and Energy Storage
26:30 - Microgrids and Resilience
30:42 - Building the Solar Workforce
33:11 - Perspective on Equitable Transition
36:17 - Agrivoltaics
39:40 - Connecting with DOE Solar Office
40:40 - Conclusion
