The U.S. Department of Energy – DOE has announced an opportunity for funding of almost $12 million for research in space-grade PV cells and manufacturing processes as well as testing systems.
It is well to be noted that the Space Photovoltaics Research and Development opportunity is an important expansion of the photovoltaic R&D portfolio of DOE to spacecraft power, which has a history of primarily terrestrial solar applications.
According to Audrey Robertson, the Assistant Secretary of Energy, “the next frontier for solar PV power generation is in space. As demand for space-grade PV skyrockets, this investment will establish American leadership in next-generation, space-based PV, bolster our national security, and enhance our economic competitiveness.”
Space-grade PV sales data is not publicly available in abundance, but the number of spacecraft deployments is one measure when it comes to the potential demand.
Interestingly, the global deployments reached 4,544 spacecraft in 2025, which was a 54% increase over 2024, based on an annual review done by BryceTech.
A DOE workshop in June 2026 found that no single space PV technology at present has high performance and long-term durability, as well as scalable low-cost manufacturing.
In general, triple-junction III-V cells can give 30 to 33% initial efficiency in space ambient conditions and are capable of functioning in 15-year geostationary missions, but their manufacturing costs are more than 100 times the nameplate power cost of terrestrial silicon panels, the technical solicitation for the recent funding opportunity announcement indicates. Radiation degradation could render lower-cost crystalline-silicon cells unviable on longer or higher-radiation missions.
DOE split the program into two topics covering both space-grade PV cells and manufacturing processes. The first is lab-scale work when it comes to high performance and lower cost along with durable space-grade cells, with individual awards of almost $1.5 million. The second is for high-volume manufacturing processes and third-party-validated module prototypes evaluated in space or near-space conditions, with awards of around $2 million.
Projects may last as long as three years.
TechWerx is a partnership intermediary managed by RTI International and oversees the opportunity on behalf of DOE. U.S. universities, nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies are deemed eligible to be lead applicants.
Applicants in the manufacturing topic must show that they can commercialize the technology that they suggest to move forward.
DOE will host an informational webinar on September 15, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET and office-hours sessions on September 29 and October 6, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET.
The applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on October 8, 2026. Award negotiations would take place during January and February of 2027, with award selections scheduled to be made in December 2026.