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Solar Prize Round 7

The Solar Prize Round 7 offers $4.2 million in prizes to competitors over three progressive contests.
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Challenge Overview

The American-Made Solar Prize Round 7 is a $4.2 million prize competition designed to energize U.S. solar innovation through a series of contests that accelerate the entrepreneurial process from years to months. Competitors leverage the American-Made Network, our innovation engine of more than 400 organizations, including world-class experts at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 national labs, clean tech accelerators, incubators, universities, facilities, and more.

JEDI Contest: Creating Space for Change

The Solar Prize Round 7 includes an optional additional challenge that focuses on advancing solar in underserved communities. Participants who choose to incorporate this initiative into their solutions have the chance to be considered for a new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest and earn part of the $200,000 bonus cash prize!

New to Round 7: Power Up Your Idea

For those who have a great idea for a solar technology that could be commercialized in 3 to 5 years, but need a boost to take their innovation to the next level, Round 7 offers the new Power Up Contest. This contest is designed to support and advance new and diverse teams that have compelling applications but aren’t selected to advance to the Set! Contest. Up to 10 teams may be selected to split a $100,000 prize pool and receive tailored business support. 

More than $3 Million in Incentives for Innovation

The Ready!, Set!, and Go! Contests fast-track efforts to identify, develop, and test disruptive solutions to solar industry needs for a total of $3 million in cash prizes and $900,000 in vouchers that can be used at national laboratories and other voucher facilities to develop, test, and validate. Each contest has a performance period when participants work to advance their solutions.

The Ready!, Set!, and Go! Contests

  • Ready! Contest
    20 winners / $50,000 cash prize each and optional JEDI Contest prize / Power Up Contest
    Winners are selected after identifying an impactful idea or solution for a solar technology that could be commercialized in 3 to 5 years, addressing a critical need in the solar industry;
  • Set! Contest
    10 winners / $100,000 cash prize each, $75,000 support voucher each, and optional JEDI Contest prize
    Competitors work to substantially advance their technology solution toward a viable and promising proof of concept.
  • Go! Contest
    2 winners / $500,000 cash prize each, $75,000 support voucher each, and optional JEDI Contest prize
    ​Competitors work to substantially advance their solution from proof of concept to a refined prototype and find a partner to perform a pilot test of the prototype.

Read the rules for full details on each contest. 

Demo Days

During the competition, competitors in the Set! and Go! Contests pitch and demonstrate proofs of concept and prototypes to a judging panel. During the Set! Contest, the Demo Day is a closed-door virtual event, while the Go! Contest is live, in-person Demo Day event. Demo Days are opportunities to meet competitors, Connectors, Power Connectors, and other members of the American-Made Network. Demo Days culminate in the announcement of Set! finalists and Go! winners.

Round 7 seeks hardware and software solutions alike. The prize invites anyone, individually or as a team, to transform a conceptual solution into an impactful product and business. 

Connecting You to the Innovation Engine 

The American-Made Network provides support to Solar Prize competitors throughout the competition and is comprised of national labs, incubators, investors, facilities, and seasoned industry mentors. The American-Made Network strengthens and scales the critical connections needed to grow new businesses, develop solutions, and sustain American innovation.

Join and connect with Network members

Who can Compete?

Competitors are entrepreneurial individuals or teams legally residing or based in the United States. Competitors can be individuals of one or multiple organizations, students, university faculty members, small business owners, researchers, or anyone with the desire and drive to transform an idea into an impactful solution.

Sign up for updates by “following” the prize at the top of this page. 

Education Modules

The Power Connectors for Solar Prize Round 7 have put together several educational videos to assist all of our teams with their submissions, business plans, and more. Please return to this page to find more learning modules, as we will add more as they are released. 

Below you will find the title and link of each of the learning modules below. We highly suggest you reach out to the Power Connector that hosted the module if you have follow up questions. Find their contacts here: https://www.herox.com/solarprizeround7/resource/1363

 

Check out the following videos as you’re preparing your submission to learn more about how to best position your innovation: 

If you have further questions, stream the informational webinar recording, view the presentation slides, or reach out to prize administrators at . And don’t forget: The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. ET. Just click “Solve This Challenge” on the HeroX page!

Guidelines

Please review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.

If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the follow feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at .

Looking for assistance with your submission? Contact one of our Power Connectors!

The American-Made Solar Prize is a multimillion-dollar prize competition designed to energize U.S. solar innovation through a series of contests that accelerate the entrepreneurial process from years to months. The American-Made Solar Prize is directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. Learn more.

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Challenge Updates

Winner Spotlight: Fram Energy

Dec. 20, 2024, 11:10 a.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

At the conclusion of Go! Demo Day in September 2024, Fram Energy was named a grand prize winner of the American-Made Solar Prize Round 7. Read on to learn more about their Solar Prize journey and where they’re headed next! 

Fram Energy received a $500,000 cash prize and a $75,000 national lab voucher as a grand prize winner for their innovative billing software that gives renters the ability to access and benefit from solar energy. This brought the team’s total winnings throughout Round 7 of the Solar Prize to more than $650,000 in cash prizes and $150,000 in technical vouchers.

The team’s winning technology incentivizes solar deployment on rental units by enabling both renters and landlords to capture energy savings. The software helps the landlord select the most suitable solar installation for their property and distributes the cost savings to both the tenant and the property owner. This innovation and its win-win model will help unlock the more than 400TW/year in clean energy generation that currently goes unrealized through rental homes.

Since founding their company just over a year before Go! Demo Day, the Solar Prize has helped set Fram Energy on an accelerated growth trajectory. They launched their first project in May 2024, earned their first revenue in July 2024, attracted 25 partners, and have more than 90 customers in the pipeline. Fram Energy has been particularly focused on gaining traction in underserved communities where their technology can help tenants save money on energy bills. 

The team was also named a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest winner in the second stage of the prize for their attention to bringing solar to the underserved rental market. 

With their Solar Prize winnings, Fram Energy is planning to grow their business by hiring new team members and accelerating product development. The technical vouchers will also enable Fram Energy to continue collaborating with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to expand their work.

See Fram Energy’s winning Solar Prize submission and learn more about their startup!

Congratulations to the Solar Prize Round 7 Grand Prize Winners!

Sept. 12, 2024, 10:38 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Moderator

Congratulations to the two Solar Prize Round 7 grand prize winners, Fram Energy and Gritt Robotics! Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Solar Energy Technologies Office announced the two winning teams live at the RE+ Conference following the finalist teams’ pitches. The two winning teams took home a $500,000 cash prize and a $75,000 national lab voucher to continue advancing their work. 

During this final contest of the prize, teams worked on developing and testing their product or prototype, building their network, and making a long-term plan for the success of their concept. The two winning teams are building solutions that make solar more accessible, affordable, and efficient. Learn more about their winning solutions: 

  • Fram Energy (Newburgh, NY): This team is developing a platform to incentivize landlords to install solar by enabling both the renter and landlord to capture savings from a solar installation. This software helps the landlord select the best solar system for their property and distributes the benefits of solar to both the tenant and property owner, expanding renters’ access to solar energy. 
  • Gritt Robotics (Belmont, CA): This team is developing a solution combining robotics and artificial intelligence for automated construction of utility-scale solar. By converting off-the-shelf construction equipment into intelligent robots, this innovation will accelerate solar construction and improve worker health and safety. 

In addition to the grand prize winners, Solar Prize Round 7 reviewers selected EmpowerSun Solutions and Illumination Solar Training Labs as the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest winners for their solutions that enable underserved communities to overcome systemic barriers to solar deployment.

  • EmpowerSun Solutions (Aurora, CO):  This team is developing a platform for underserved communities that provides customized solar planning resources and connects landowners with pre-certified project partners. This innovation will help underserved communities, farmers, and tribal entities to effectively leverage their land for the development of solar energy.
  • Illumination Solar Training (Jefferson, WI): This team is developing portable, interactive solar training carts that provide affordable, hands-on solar training for communities and colleges. This solution offers relevant equipment, comprehensive concepts, and easy transport for real-world solar training to bridge the solar skills gap. 

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Solar Prize Round 7 and contributed their innovative ideas for energizing solar innovation! Don’t forget, Round 8 is open and accepting submissions now through Sept. 26. We highly encourage Solar Prize newcomers and alumni to apply! 

Watch the Round 7 Go! Demo Day Livestream

Sept. 10, 2024, 2:57 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Moderator

Want to watch the Solar Prize Round 7 finalists pitch their innovations live? Tune in to the event livestream and catch the entire Go! Demo Day event at RE+! Even if you’re not attending RE+, you can still watch all of the exciting presentations and learn more about finalists’ unique ideas for advancing solar adoption. 

The livestream begins at 7 p.m. ET tonight, Sept. 10. Watch to see competitors’ pitches, hear from U.S. Department of Energy leadership, then stay tuned for the live winner announcement. The event is expected to end by 9 p.m. ET. 

Good luck to all Round 7 finalists! 

Solar Prize Spotlight! Round 7 Finalists Electra & Illumination Solar Training

Sept. 4, 2024, 9:08 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Moderator

Since May, Solar Prize finalists have been working on advancing their award-winning solar solutions in the hopes of winning $500,000 at Go! Demo Day next week. Today, we’re spotlighting finalists Electra and Illumination Solar Training.

Team Electra, a Round 7 finalist from Bellingham, Washington, is giving retired solar panels new life and saving them from landfills with their digital network for solar panel recycling. Electra’s platform establishes a panel registry and stewardship network to optimize the recycling process and reduce waste. 

The registry and network connect a system of recyclers, haulers, collectors, and other entities to route retired solar panels to reuse locations or recycling facilities instead of the landfill. By solving for collection and logistics challenges, Electra’s technology will help build a comprehensive, cost-efficient system for solar recycling in the U.S. Learn more about Team Electra’s Solar Prize submission.

Illumination Solar Training, a Round 7 finalist and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest winner, is bridging the solar skills gap with their Solar Prize innovation. Their team is developing portable, interactive solar training labs that provide affordable, hands-on solar training for communities and colleges. 

The growing demand for solar requires a well-trained workforce, and Illumination Solar Training’s mobile labs enable training organizations to deliver in-depth, experiential solar training to students to build the next generation of solar workers. The labs include the relevant equipment and training concepts for both grid-tied and off-grid systems, and their portability makes it possible to bring this real-world learning directly to communities who wouldn’t otherwise have access to solar training and equipment. Learn more about Illumination Solar Training’s innovation.

Watch Illumination Solar Training's Set! submission video.

Stay tuned to find out if either of these teams become grand prize winners at Go! Demo Day in September!

Solar Prize Spotlight! Round 7 Finalists EmpowerSun Solutions & Pavilion Solar

Aug. 29, 2024, 6:15 a.m. PDT by NREL Prize Moderator

Since May, Solar Prize finalists have been working on advancing their award-winning solar solutions in the hopes of winning $500,000 at Go! Demo Day next month. Today, we’re spotlighting finalists EmpowerSun Solutions and Pavilion Solar.

Through the Solar Prize, EmpowerSun Solutions is developing a platform to help farmers, tribal entities, and other disadvantaged landowners effectively leverage their land for solar development. In addition to being a Round 7 finalist, EmpowerSun Solutions was named a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest winner for their focus on advancing solar in underserved communities. 

High costs and a complex project development process are key barriers for many landowners to pursue solar development. To address these issues, EmpowerSun Solutions created a user-friendly web application that provides customized solar planning resources and connects landowners with pre-certified partners who can provide comprehensive project support. Learn more about EmpowerSun Solutions’ innovation.

Have you ever wondered how to increase resident solar adoption in hurricane-prone areas? Round 7 finalist Pavilion Solar is tackling this problem through the Solar Prize by developing hurricane-ready solar carports. Their product, called EnPods, is designed for homes that are unable to install rooftop solar panels.

Currently in the U.S., half of all homes are ineligible for rooftop solar, and 32 million homes are at risk of hurricane damage. Many of these communities lack feasible, affordable solar alternatives, such as solar carports, that also comply with hurricane building codes. Pavilion Solar’s hurricane-rated, modular EnPods address this challenge by providing a structurally stable product that can endure storms while remaining accessible and cost-effective. Learn more about Pavilion Solar's solution.

Stay tuned to find out if either of these teams become grand prize winners at Go! Demo Day in September!

Forum9
Teams719
Entries
Resources
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, but it’s quick and easy. Just click the “Solve this Challenge” button on this page and follow the instructions to complete your registration. All you need to provide is your name and email address.

If you have a question not answered in the FAQ, we recommend that you post it in the Forum where someone will respond to you. This way, others who may have the same question will be able to see it.

Yes!

Yes, however, the intent of the voucher funding is to encourage the development of new and productive relationships. If you win a Set! or a Go! Prize then you will not be able to use your voucher funding at your current organization. i.e. National lab researchers would need to utilize their voucher at a Lab that is not where they are, or recently  (4 months or less) were, employed.

No, if you are a contest winner you are receiving the prize for meeting or exceeding the contest goals. 

Yes, the intent of voucher funding is to encourage the development of new and productive relationships.

It is up to the Competitor to identify a suitable partner to pilot test for their proposed solution. Expert Reviewers and Judges will then assess the quality and feasibility of what is submitted.

No, connectors are an optional resource. 

The Ready! Contest Submission Template is under the resources tab.

Innovation is about making ideas happen. The American-Made Network will accelerate and sustain solar innovation through a diverse and powerful network that includes national laboratories, energy incubators, facilities, and other valuable industry partners from across the U.S. who will engage, connect, mentor, and boost the efforts of Solar Prize competitors.

See who is in the network.

Connectors are the core component of the American-Made Network and are organizations that seek to support the efforts of competitors in the Solar Prize. Use this link to explore the Network to find potential partners and develop relationships.

https://americanmadechallenges.org/network

Power Connector organizations are a core group of Connectors that will work alongside NREL to implement parts of the program and secure additional resources and partners. Discover who they are and how they will help innovators succeed. https://americanmadechallenges.org/power_connectors

Looking for assistance? Contact the Power Connectors for Solar Prize Round 7: 

If you encounter an issue when attempting to submit an entry to the challenge, you may need to contact HeroX or the Prize Administrator.

You may try to connect with HeroX using the online form which appears in the bottom right corner of your browser window, it says Leave a Message.

You may also send a message to the Prize Administrator inbox at  .

Please allow at least 1 business day for a response.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the Prize Administrator for the American-Made Challenges. In this capacity NREL works closely with the U.S. Department of Energy to administer the challenges, maintain the website platform, assist in building the network, and pay prize money to the winning teams.

Tags and labels are a requirement in the submission form.  A series of checkbox options will present options for properly tagging or labeling your entry.

There are 3 primary keyword tags: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), Grid Integration & Modeling, and Photovoltaics (PV).

Each of the primary keyword tags have a subset of tags related to that topic.  These options will be presented during the submission process in the submission form.  

All of your files are uploaded as part of the submission form, access this by clicking the Begin Entry button.  The submission form contains an upload option for each of the required file entries.  Only PDF files will be accepted for upload.

Make your own public-facing one-slide submission summary that contains technically specific details but can be understood by most people. There is no template so feel free to present the information as you see fit. Please make any text readable in a standard printout and conference room projection.

The summary slide must be uploaded as a PDF document.  Please be sure that you export or save your slide as a PDF prior to uploading.

Yes!  There are no restrictions for competitors who submitted in Round 1 thru 6,  your great idea is still eligible for Round 7, but please refer to the Official Rules, specifically the Universal Contest Requirements and Program Policy Factors in the Appendix.

Round 6 requires you to create an account in our new Network Matchmaking Tool. Make sure you are signing up as an “Innovator” and provide information about what your needs are related to your innovation. You can also connect directly with our American-Made Network (our connectors) who are willing and able to help you with your submission! Once you sign-in, you will be able to complete your Technical Assistance Request (TAR) form. This is a necessary step for your submission and separate from the HeroX platform. Please make sure that you log-in early and get connected here:  Network Matchmaking Tool.

Here is the eligibility guidance from the Solar Prize Round 7 Official Rules, Section I.6: 
“Individuals, teams of individuals, private entities (for-profits and nonprofits), and nonfederal government entities (such as states, counties, tribes, municipalities, and academic institutions) are eligible to compete in the Ready! Contest.” 

“Individuals, private entities (for-profits and nonprofits), and nonfederal government entities (such as states, counties, tribes, municipalities, and academic institutions) are subject to the following requirements: 
• An individual prize competitor (who is not competing as a member of a group) must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. 
o A group of individuals competing as one team may win, provided that the online account holder of the submission is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. Individuals competing as part of a team may participate if they are legally authorized to work in the United States.” 

For in the Ready! submission, please see the Solar Prize Round 6 Official Rules, Section II.6, under “Plan” of the Narrative:
“Provide a high-level budget and plan to meet your goals between the conclusion of the Ready! Contest and the Go! Demo Day, including how you will leverage program resources, members of the American-Made Network, or other entities (include references to letters of support/commitment if applicable).”