I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3597 
To guide and authorize basic research programs in the United States for 
research, development, and demonstration of solar energy technologies, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 28, 2019 
Mr. MCADAMS (for himself and Mr. FORTENBERRY) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To guide and authorize basic research programs in the 
United States for research, development, and demonstra-
tion of solar energy technologies, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Solar Energy Research 
and Development Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
solar energy program to conduct research, development, 
testing, and evaluation of solar energy technologies. In 
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carrying out such program, the Secretary shall award 
grants under this section and sections 3, 4, and 5 on a 
competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities for 
each of the following purposes: 
(1) To improve the energy efficiency, reliability, 
resilience, security, and capacity of solar energy gen-
eration. 
(2) To optimize the design and adaptability of 
solar energy systems to the broadest practical range 
of geographic and atmospheric conditions. 
(3) To reduce the cost of manufacturing, instal-
lation, operation, and maintenance of solar energy 
systems. 
(4) To create and improve conversion of solar 
energy to useful forms. 
(b) SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH SUBJECT AREAS.— 
The program established under subsection (a) shall focus 
on the research, development, testing, and evaluation of 
each of the following subject areas: 
(1) Photovoltaic devices and related electronic 
components including converters, sensors, energy 
monitors, communication and control equipment, 
and protocols. 
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(2) Concentrated solar power, including solar 
thermal and concentrating solar photovoltaic tech-
nologies. 
(3) Low cost, high-quality solar energy systems. 
(4) Solar heating and cooling systems, including 
distributed solar-powered air conditioning. 
(5) Solar technology products that can be easily 
integrated into new buildings, existing buildings, ag-
ricultural and aquatic environments, and other infra-
structure. 
(6) Solar technology that is resilient to extreme 
weather events. 
(7) Solar technology products integrated into 
transportation applications in coordination with vehi-
cle technologies research and development activities 
supported by the Department of Energy. 
(8) Storage technologies to address the tran-
sience and intermittency of solar energy resources, 
including batteries, supercapacitors, and thermal 
storage. 
(9) Micro-grids using solar technology. 
(10) Solar technologies enabling safe grid oper-
ating conditions, such as fast-disconnect during an 
emergency. 
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(11) Distributed solar energy technologies, such 
as rooftop solar panels. 
(12) Technologies and designs that enable a 
broad range of scales for solar power production. 
(13) Advanced solar manufacturing technologies 
and best practices, including— 
(A) materials and processes; 
(B) development of industry standards; 
(C) design and integration practices; and 
(D) optimized packaging methods and new 
device designs. 
(14) Advanced analytic and computing capabili-
ties for better modeling and simulations of solar en-
ergy systems. 
(15) Electrical grid integration, including— 
(A) integration of solar technologies into 
smart grid, transmission, and distribution; 
(B) coordination of solar with other dis-
tributed and large-scale energy resources; 
(C) electrical power smoothing; 
(D) microgrid integration; 
(E) community solar; 
(F) solar resource forecasting; 
(G) regional and national electric system 
balancing and long distance transmission op-
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tions, including direct current and super-
conducting transmission and long-term storage 
options; 
(H) ways to address system operations 
over minutes, hours, days, weeks, and seasons 
with respect to the full range of project scales; 
and 
(I) electric grid security, including cyber 
and physical security. 
(16) Non-hardware and information-based ad-
vances in solar energy system design, installation, 
and operation. 
(17) Solar energy technology as a part of strat-
egies commonly referred to as ‘‘behind-the-meter 
strategies’’, including with respect to electricity gen-
eration, load, energy efficiency, controls, storage, 
and electric vehicles. 
(18) Next generation demonstration facilities. 
(19) Other subject areas determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND WORKFORCE DE-
VELOPMENT.—In carrying out the program established 
under subsection (a), the Secretary may also conduct, for 
purposes of supporting technical, non-hardware, and infor-
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mation-based advances in solar energy systems develop-
ment and operations— 
(1) technical assistance and analysis activities 
with eligible entities, including activities that sup-
port expanding access to solar energy for low-income 
individuals and communities; and 
(2) workforce development and training activi-
ties, including to support the dissemination of stand-
ards and best practices for enabling solar power pro-
duction. 
(d) PROGRAM TARGETS.—The program established 
under subsection (a) shall address near-term (up to 2 
years), mid-term (up to 7 years), and long-term (up to 
15 years) challenges to the advancement of solar energy 
systems. 
(e) WILDLIFE IMPACT MITIGATION.—In carrying out 
the activities described in subsection (b), the program es-
tablished under subsection (a) shall support wildlife im-
pact mitigation technologies and strategies, including the 
use of distributed solar technologies, to reduce the poten-
tial negative impacts of solar energy systems on wildlife, 
including bird species and local flora and fauna. 
(f) STEWARDSHIP OF NATIONAL LABORATORY RE-
SOURCES.—In awarding grants under this Act, the Sec-
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retary shall steward relevant capabilities and programs of 
the National Laboratories. 
(g) CONFORMING REPEALS.—The following provi-
sions of law are hereby repealed: 
(1) The Solar Energy Research, Development, 
and Demonstration Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5551 et 
seq.), except for section 10. 
(2) The Solar Photovoltaic Energy Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1978 (42 
U.S.C. 5581 et seq.). 
(3) Paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 4(a) of 
the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Tech-
nology Competitiveness Act of 1989 (42 U.S.C. 
12003(a)). 
(4) Subparagraph (A) of section 931(a)(2) of 
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
16231(a)(2)). 
(5) Sections 606 and 607 of the Energy Inde-
pendence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
17174 and 17175). 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any of the 
following entities: 
(A) An institution of higher education. 
(B) A National laboratory. 
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(C) A Federal research agency. 
(D) A State research agency. 
(E) A nonprofit research organization. 
(F) An industrial entity or a multi-institu-
tional consortium thereof. 
(2) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 101 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001). 
(3) The term ‘‘National Laboratory’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2(3) of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801(3)). 
(4) The term ‘‘photovoltaic device’’ includes 
photovoltaic cells and the electronic and electrical 
components of such devices. 
(5) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Energy. 
SEC. 3. SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION 
PROJECTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program es-
tablished under section 2(a), the Secretary shall award 
grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible 
entities for demonstration projects to advance the develop-
ment of solar energy technologies and systems production. 
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(b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to projects that— 
(1) are located in geographically diverse regions 
of the United States; 
(2) can be replicated in a variety of regions and 
climates; 
(3) demonstrate technologies that address 
intermittency, variability, storage challenges, behind- 
the-meter operations, and independent operational 
capability; 
(4) coordinate solar technologies with other dis-
tributed and large-scale energy resources; 
(5) facilitate identification of optimum ap-
proaches among competing solar energy tech-
nologies; 
(6) include business commercialization plans 
that have the potential for production of solar en-
ergy equipment at high volumes; 
(7) support the development of advanced manu-
facturing technologies that have the potential to im-
prove United States competitiveness in the inter-
national solar energy manufacturing sector; 
(8) provide the greatest potential to reduce en-
ergy costs, as well as promote accessibility and com-
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munity 
implementation 
of 
demonstrated 
tech-
nologies, for consumers; 
(9) increase disclosure and transparency of in-
formation to all market participants to help in mak-
ing optimal decisions; 
(10) promote overall electric infrastructure reli-
ability and resilience should grid functions be dis-
rupted or damaged; and 
(11) satisfy any other criteria that the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants under this section may 
be used, to the extent that funding is not otherwise avail-
able through other Federal programs or power purchase 
agreements, for— 
(1) any necessary site engineering study; 
(2) an economic assessment of site-specific con-
ditions; 
(3) appropriate feasibility studies to determine 
whether the demonstration can be replicated; 
(4) installation of equipment, service, and sup-
port; 
(5) operation for at least the minimum amount 
of time required to fully assess the project’s results 
and objectives, as determined by a peer-reviewed 
process; and 
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