DOE Announces $30 Million in New Small Business Funding to Help Commercialize Clean Energy Technologies

Washington, DC- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that $30 million in funding from the Recovery Act and FY 2010 budget appropriations will be made available to qualified small businesses to support the commercialization of promising new technologies.   Today's funding announcement builds on the Department's existing efforts under the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) to develop near-term clean energy technologies and support American small businesses that will play an important role in building the clean energy economy of the future.  This is the first time DOE has offered Phase III awards under these small business programs.

 

"Small businesses are engines of job creation and innovation, and we need their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to drive a clean energy economy," said Secretary Chu. "By helping America's small businesses bring these innovative technologies to market, we will spur economic growth and help reduce the country's energy use."

 

Small companies previously awarded Phase II grants through DOE's Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) or the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) are eligible.  Projects that include developed technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and impact on U.S. manufacturing and job creation are encouraged to apply.  Successful applicants may receive up to $3 million over 3 years to research, develop and deploy new technologies. 

Applications are currently being accepted for the following technology areas of interest:

Biomass Technologies

1. Harvesting/Dewatering Technology for Algal Biofuels Production.

Buildings Technologies

1. Transitional Technology for Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
2. SSL Products made from Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
3. "Core" Technology for Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)  

Fuel Cell Technologies

1. Advanced Materials for Fuel Cell Technologies
2. Bio-Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Geothermal Technologies -  High Temperature Tools and Sensors 

1. High Temperature Downhole Tools 
2. High-Temperature-High-Volume Lifting  
3. High Temperature Downhole MWD Tools for Directional Drilling

Industrial Technologies

1. Sensors and Controls  
2. Industrial Membrane Process Systems   
3. Advanced Materials 
4. Integrated Reaction-Separation using non-thermal processes
5. Mitigation of Heat Losses, Fouling, and Scaling in key Manufacturing Unit Operations. 

Solar Technologies - Lowering the Cost of Photovoltaics through Innovative Augmentation

1. Lightweight, Flexible and Low Cost Multi-junction Solar Cells:
2. Static Module PV Concentrators:
3. New Methods of Crystallizing Silicon: 

Vehicle Technologies

1. Technologies to Address Internal Heating in DC Bus Capacitors 
2. Improved Magnetic Materials for Motors
3. Advanced Materials for Lightweight Vehicles 

Wind Technologies

1. Advanced Wind Power Technologies and Systems:  

Fossil Energy

1. Pollution control
2. Advanced power systems
3. Stationary power fuel cells
4. Clean fuels
5. Carbon sequestration
6. Recovery of oil, natural gas, and methane hydrates
7. Advances in materials, sensors, monitors, controls, biotechnology, and computational processes

Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability

1. Smart Grid Technologies and Systems
2. Electric Transmission Technologies
3. Superconducting Technology for Power Equipment 
4. Advanced Materials for Power Electronics and Energy Storage

Nuclear Energy

1. Advanced Instrumentation and Control, Radiation Resistant Sensors, and Wireless On-Line Monitoring Systems for Nuclear Power Plant Applications

The deadline for submission of applications is August 4, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. EST.

 

For more information about the DOE FY 2010 Phase III Xlerator Program please visit the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

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