Scott Institute Supports Second Round of National Solar Prize
- Communications Analyst
- 412-268-6741
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University is welcoming a new group of competitors in the recently announced second round of the $3 million American-Made Solar Prize. This round will run simultaneously with the first round, which began last year and is at the midway point.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the competition is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with the assistance of the Scott Institute and other organizations selected to help build a network of experts to support the competitors and to develop long-term plans for the competition.
“After having the chance to collaborate with teams, and to meet one of the competitors from Round 1 at the CMU Energy + Cleantech Investor Forum during CMU Energy Week 2019 in Pittsburgh, PA, the Scott Institute is eager to engage with Round 2’s competitors as they develop their solar technologies and innovations,” said Scott Institute Executive Director Anna J. Siefken.
The three-stage competition–dubbed Ready!, Set!, and Go!–rewards innovative thinkers who have ideas on how to advance the solar industry by transforming ideas into concepts and then early-stage prototypes ready for industry testing. It challenges competitors to make progress on a condensed timeline and seek private-sector partnerships and investments, priming these solutions for market success.
Innovators interested in Round 2 can read the rules and submit applications by July 16, 2019. The 20-40 competitors chosen to advance beyond the Ready! Contest will be announced and receive cash prizes this fall. The competition is open to businesses and entrepreneurs based in the United States.
“Round 1 of the Solar Prize has been an incredible experience with amazing ideas put forth by our competitors. We can’t wait to see what great ideas and teams come out of this second round,” said Debbie Brodt-Giles, Solar Prize Coordinator at NREL.
The American-Made Solar Prize is funded by DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.
DOE received 167 applicants last year for its first round. The first stage saw 20 teams from 15 states advance into the Set! Contest. More information about the challenge, including details about the teams competing in the Round 1 Set! Contest, can be found online.