Title: Solar Energy Research and Development Act of 2019
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Solar Energy Research and Development Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Energy to carry out a grant program to research, develop, and evaluate solar energy technologies and systems.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3597 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






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 demonstration of solar energy technologies, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 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 generation.
            (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, installation, 
        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.
            (2) Concentrated solar power, including solar thermal and 
        concentrating solar photovoltaic technologies.
            (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, agricultural and 
        aquatic environments, and other infrastructure.
            (6) Solar technology that is resilient to extreme weather 
        events.
            (7) Solar technology products integrated into 
        transportation applications in coordination with vehicle 
        technologies research and development activities supported by 
        the Department of Energy.
            (8) Storage technologies to address the transience and 
        intermittency of solar energy resources, including batteries, 
        supercapacitors, and thermal storage.
            (9) Micro-grids using solar technology.
            (10) Solar technologies enabling safe grid operating 
        conditions, such as fast-disconnect during an emergency.
            (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 capabilities for 
        better modeling and simulations of solar energy systems.
            (15) Electrical grid integration, including--
                    (A) integration of solar technologies into smart 
                grid, transmission, and distribution;
                    (B) coordination of solar with other distributed 
                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 options, including 
                direct current and superconducting 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 advances in solar 
        energy system design, installation, and operation.
            (17) Solar energy technology as a part of strategies 
        commonly referred to as ``behind-the-meter strategies'', 
        including with respect to electricity generation, load, energy 
        efficiency, controls, storage, and electric vehicles.
            (18) Next generation demonstration facilities.
            (19) Other subject areas determined by the Secretary.
    (c) Technical Assistance and Workforce Development.--In carrying 
out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary may 
also conduct, for purposes of supporting technical, non-hardware, and 
information-based advances in solar energy systems development and 
operations--
            (1) technical assistance and analysis activities with 
        eligible entities, including activities that support expanding 
        access to solar energy for low-income individuals and 
        communities; and
            (2) workforce development and training activities, 
        including to support the dissemination of standards and best 
        practices for enabling solar power production.
    (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 established under subsection 
(a) shall support wildlife impact mitigation technologies and 
strategies, including the use of distributed solar technologies, to 
reduce the potential negative impacts of solar energy systems on 
wildlife, including bird species and local flora and fauna.
    (f) Stewardship of National Laboratory Resources.--In awarding 
grants under this Act, the Secretary shall steward relevant 
capabilities and programs of the National Laboratories.
    (g) Conforming Repeals.--The following provisions 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 Technology 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 Independence 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.
                    (C)  A Federal research agency.
                    (D) A State research agency.
                    (E) A nonprofit research organization.
                    (F) An industrial entity or a multi-institutional 
                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 Energy 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 established under 
section 2(a), the Secretary shall award grants on a competitive, merit-
reviewed basis to eligible entities for demonstration projects to 
advance the development of solar energy technologies and systems 
production.
    (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 distributed 
        and large-scale energy resources;
            (5) facilitate identification of optimum approaches among 
        competing solar energy technologies;
            (6) include business commercialization plans that have the 
        potential for production of solar energy equipment at high 
        volumes;
            (7) support the development of advanced manufacturing 
        technologies that have the potential to improve United States 
        competitiveness in the international solar energy manufacturing 
        sector;
            (8) provide the greatest potential to reduce energy costs, 
        as well as promote accessibility and community implementation 
        of demonstrated technologies, for consumers;
            (9) increase disclosure and transparency of information to 
        all market participants to help in making optimal decisions;
            (10) promote overall electric infrastructure reliability 
        and resilience should grid functions be disrupted or damaged; 
        and
            (11) satisfy any other criteria that the Secretary 
        determines appropriate.
    (c) Use of Funds.--Grants under this section may be used, to the 
extent that funding is not otherwise available through other Federal 
programs or power purchase agreements, for--
            (1) any necessary site engineering study;
            (2) an economic assessment of site-specific conditions;
            (3) appropriate feasibility studies to determine whether 
        the demonstration can be replicated;
            (4) installation of equipment, service, and support;
            (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
            (6) validation of technical, economic, and environmental 
        assumptions and documentation of lessons learned.
    (d) Solicitation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
conduct a national solicitation for applications for grants under this 
section.
    (e) Organic Photovoltaic Cell Technologies.--At least 1 grant 
awarded under this section during fiscal year 2020 shall be for a 
project to demonstrate organic photovoltaic cell technologies.

SEC. 4. NEXT GENERATION SOLAR ENERGY MANUFACTURING INITIATIVE.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the program established under 
section 2(a), the Secretary shall provide multi-year grants on a 
competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities for research, 
development, and demonstration projects to advance new solar energy 
manufacturing technologies and techniques, including those that 
manufacture solar cells, hardware, and enabling devices.
    (b) Strategic Vision Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than September 1, 2020, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
        Technology of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
        Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, and any other 
        committees of Congress deemed appropriate by the Secretary a 
        report on the results of a study that examines the viable 
        market opportunities available for solar energy technology 
        manufacturing in the United States, including solar cells, 
        hardware, and enabling technologies.
            (2) Report requirements.--The report under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    (A) a description of--
                            (i) the ability to competitively 
                        manufacture solar technology in the United 
                        States, including the manufacture of--
                                    (I) new and advanced materials, 
                                such as cells made with new, cost-
                                effective, high efficiency materials;
                                    (II) solar module equipment and 
                                enabling technologies, including smart 
                                inverters, sensors, and tracking 
                                equipment;
                                    (III) innovative solar module 
                                designs and applications, including 
                                those that can directly integrate with 
                                new and existing buildings and other 
                                infrastructure; and
                                    (IV) other research areas as 
                                determined by the Secretary; and
                            (ii) opportunities and barriers within the 
                        United States and international solar energy 
                        technology supply chains;
                    (B) policy recommendations for enhancing solar 
                energy technology manufacturing in the United States; 
                and
                    (C) an aggressive 10-year target and plan, 
                beginning in 2021, to enhance the competitiveness of 
                solar energy technology manufacturing in the United 
                States.
    (c) Program Implementation.--In carrying out the research, 
development, and demonstration program under this section, to the 
extent practicable, the Secretary shall follow the recommendations 
included in the report under subsection (b) and make grants for solar 
energy manufacturing projects that--
            (1) reduce capital expenditures or provide lower-cost 
        manufacturing option;
            (2) eliminate manufacturing process steps;
            (3) reduce energy, water, and material inputs;
            (4) establish alternative supply chains for materials and 
        components; and
            (5) take advantage of rapid prototyping, small batch 
        manufacturing, and roll-to-roll processing.
    (d) Program Evaluation.--Beginning not later than 3 years after the 
completion of the report under subsection (b), and every 4 years 
thereafter, the Secretary shall provide, and make available to the 
public and the relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of 
Congress, an independent review of the program authorized under this 
section to evaluate its progress toward meeting the policy 
recommendations and targets determined in the report.

SEC. 5. PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE RECYCLING RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND 
              DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall 
award, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, multiyear grants to 
eligible entities for research, development, and demonstration projects 
to create innovative and practical approaches to increase reuse and 
recycling of photovoltaic devices.
    (b) Purpose.--The Secretary shall award grants under subsection (a) 
for projects that address--
            (1) technology to increase the efficiency of photovoltaic 
        device recycling and maximize the recovery of valuable raw 
        materials for use in new products while minimizing the life-
        cycle environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions 
        and water usage;
            (2) expanded uses for materials from recycled photovoltaic 
        devices;
            (3) development and demonstration of environmentally 
        responsible alternatives to the use of hazardous materials in 
        photovoltaic devices and the production of such devices;
            (4) development of methods to separate and remove hazardous 
        materials from photovoltaic devices and to recycle or dispose 
        of those materials in a safe manner;
            (5) product design and construction to facilitate 
        disassembly and recycling of photovoltaic devices;
            (6) tools and methods to aid in assessing the environmental 
        impacts of the production of photovoltaic devices and 
        photovoltaic device recycling and disposal;
            (7) product design and construction and other tools and 
        techniques to extend the life cycle of photovoltaic devices, 
        including methods to promote their safe reuse;
            (8) strategies to increase consumer acceptance and practice 
        of recycling of photovoltaic devices; and
            (9) processes to reduce the costs and environmental impact 
        of disposal of toxic materials used in photovoltaic devices.
    (c) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary an application that includes a 
description of--
            (1) the project that will be undertaken and the 
        contributions of each participating entity;
            (2) the applicability of the project to increasing reuse 
        and recycling of photovoltaic devices with the least 
        environmental impacts as measured by life-cycle analyses, and 
        the potential for incorporating the research results into 
        industry practice; and
            (3) how the project will promote collaboration among 
        scientists and engineers from different disciplines, such as 
        electrical engineering, materials science, and social science.
    (d) Dissemination of Results.--The Secretary shall publish the 
results of projects supported under this section through--
            (1) development of best practices or training materials for 
        use in the photovoltaics manufacturing, design, installation, 
        refurbishing, or recycling industries;
            (2) dissemination at industry conferences;
            (3) coordination with information dissemination programs 
        relating to recycling of electronic devices in general;
            (4) demonstration projects; and
            (5) educational materials for the public produced in 
        conjunction with State and local governments or nonprofit 
        organizations on the problems and solutions related to reuse 
        and recycling of photovoltaic devices.
    (e) Photovoltaic Materials Physical Property Database.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than September 1, 2021, the 
        Secretary shall establish a comprehensive physical property 
        database of materials for use in photovoltaic devices. Such 
        database shall include--
                    (A) identification of materials used in 
                photovoltaic devices;
                    (B) a list of commercially available amounts of 
                these materials and their country of origin;
                    (C) amounts of these materials projected to be 
                available through mining or recycling of photovoltaic 
                and other electronic devices; and
                    (D) a list of other significant uses for each of 
                these materials.
            (2) Priorities.--Not later than September 1, 2020, the 
        Secretary, working with private industry, shall develop a plan 
        to establish priorities and requirements for the database under 
        this subsection, including the protection of proprietary 
        information, trade secrets, and other confidential business 
        information.
            (3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate with the 
        Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
        the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
        the Administrator of the Department of Interior to facilitate 
        the incorporation of the database under this subsection with 
        any existing database for materials involved in electronic 
        manufacturing and recycling.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this Act--
            (1) $270,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
            (2) $283,500,000 for fiscal year 2021;
            (3) $297,675,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            (4) $312,558,750 for fiscal year 2023; and
            (5) $328,186,688 for fiscal year 2024.
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