Energy Materials Network's aim is to lower the cost of electricity generated by solar power, while increasing lifetime in the field. The initiative is crafted to give American entrepreneurs and manufacturers a competitive edge in the global race for clean energy.
The EMN collaborative, named Durable Module Materials (DuraMat) National Lab Consortium, will be led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Leveraging these funds, DuraMat will utilize the expertise and capabilities of the national laboratories to develop innovative new materials for module components.
The consortium will support materials-improvement projects in partnership with industry and academia to further optimize reliability and energy harvest of low-cost PV modules.
Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory will join NREL as collaborators in the consortium.
EMN is focusing on tackling one of the major barriers to widespread commercialization of clean energy technologies— the design, testing, and production of advanced materials.
By strengthening and facilitating industry access to the unique scientific and technical advanced materials innovation resources available at DOE’s national labs, the network will help industry bring these materials to market more quickly, according to DOE.
