DOE opens $12M funding opportunity for space-grade PV cells and manufacturing

The U.S. Department of Energy has opened a funding opportunity of up to $12 million for research on space-grade photovoltaic cells, manufacturing processes and testing systems.

The Space Photovoltaics Research and Development opportunity is a notable expansion of DOE’s photovoltaic R&D portfolio into spacecraft power after a history centered largely on terrestrial solar applications. “The next frontier for solar PV power generation is in space,” Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said in a statement. “As demand for space-grade PV skyrockets, this investment will establish American leadership in next-generation, space-based PV, bolster our national security, and enhance our economic competitiveness,” Robertson continued.

Public data on space-grade PV sales are scarce, although spacecraft deployments offer one measure of the potential demand. Global deployments reached 4,544 spacecraft in 2025, up 54% from 2024, according to an annual review from BryceTech.

A DOE workshop held in June 2026 concluded that no single space PV technology currently combines high performance, long-term durability and scalable low-cost manufacturing.

In terms of the recent funding opportunity announcement, the technical solicitation for it notes that triple-junction III-V cells can reach 30% to 33% initial efficiency under space conditions and operate across 15-year geostationary missions, although their manufacturing costs exceed 100 times the nameplate power cost of terrestrial silicon panels. Lower-cost crystalline-silicon cells face radiation degradation that can limit their use on longer or higher-radiation missions.

DOE divided the program into two topics. The first covers lab-scale work on high-performance, lower-cost and durable space-grade cells, with individual awards of up to $1.5 million. The second covers high-volume manufacturing processes and third party-validated module prototypes tested in space or near-space environments, with awards of up to $2 million. Projects may run for up to three years.

DOE is administering the opportunity with TechWerx, a partnership intermediary operated by RTI International. Eligible lead applicants include U.S. universities, nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies.

Applicants for the manufacturing topic must demonstrate the ability to commercialize the technology they propose to advance.

DOE will hold an informational webinar Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. ET, followed by office-hours sessions Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. ET. Applications are due Oct. 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Selection notifications are expected in December, with award negotiations scheduled for January and February 2027.