Project Grant DESC0021848

The Soliculture, Inc. project will develop a flexible solar panel for integrated use in hoop houses to simultaneously generate electricity and increase crop yields on agricultural lands. The $161,172 Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture award under the Small Business Innovation Research Program will support Soliculture's innovation of an inexpensive, lightweight solar panel using light-shifting pigments. The panel is designed for direct installation in hoop houses...

This Project Grant award, provided by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310), aims to investigate the potential of utilizing climate-smart retractable photovoltaic screens (RPVs) to enhance the functionality of greenhouses. The primary goal is to explore how optimized RPVs with automated control systems can synergistically reduce energy and water demands while maximizing power...

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation will support the development of flexible, semitransparent organic solar cell modules tailored for greenhouse glazing integration by Polypv LLC. Funded under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084), the $256,000 award issued on May 15, 2023 aims to optimize the active layer, electrodes, and encapsulation processes to produce high-performance flexible organic solar cells. The primary objectives are to develop...

This $225,000 federal Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) program aims to evaluate agriphotovoltaic (APV) systems for integrating solar energy generation and vegetable production in the arid and semi-arid regions of the American Southwest. The primary objectives are to 1) assess fruit and vegetable production in APV systems in Western Colorado, 2) evaluate the impact of solar...

This $5,197,852 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Renewable Energy Research and Development program (CFDA 81.087) is directed at identifying, testing, and implementing within 2 years ultraviolet light (UV) and temperature tolerant materials and cell stack designs for 27% mechanically-stacked perovskite+silicon hybrid tandem photovoltaic (PV) modules with aperture areas of at least 300 cm2. The funded project...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) provides $274,525 to Leaficient Inc., a for-profit organization, to develop and evaluate a novel light production system for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) that dynamically shapes light to optimize power efficiency and biomass growth. The project aims to improve the energy efficiency of indoor agriculture by using advanced optics, machine...

This $5,197,154 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (CFDA 81.087 Renewable Energy Research and Development) aims to demonstrate a high-performing 4-terminal perovskite/CIGS tandem solar module with at least 27% efficiency. The project will be carried out by First Solar, Inc. at three internal R&D sites and in collaboration with two leading academic partners in perovskite development and characterization. Key...

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy awarded a $1,573,817 Cooperative Agreement under the Renewable Energy Research and Development program (CFDA 81.087) to Appalachian Renewable Power Systems LTD. (dba APR Solar) to evaluate the performance of soils, forages, cattle, and energy production from the colocation of photovoltaic (PV) systems in pastures grazed by beef cattle in Appalachia. The primary goal of this project is to quantify the integration...

Candidus Inc. was awarded a $683,562 project grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service under the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (CFDA 10.913) to develop an advanced lighting control system to improve greenhouse energy use efficiency and increase operation profitability. The grant will fund Candidus' work from March 2021 through March 2024 to design and deploy a lighting automation technology for controlled environment agriculture that...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (CFDA 47.084 - NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program) provides $305,000 to Luminova Biotech LLC to develop a technology that enhances plant mitochondrial function using light. The aim is to accelerate plant growth and increase stress tolerance, leading to improved crop yields and reduced crop losses. The project will first demonstrate proof-of-concept in a model plant system, evaluating the technology's impact on...