The Grow Solar Partnership began with initial funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot program. You can explore SunShot Initiative’s Tackling Challenges in Solar report here.

SunShot is based on John F. Kennedy’s MoonShot Program. In 1962, JKF challenged the country to “before the decade’s end, landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth”. He wanted the country to pursue his goals “not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills.” MoonShot successfully landed a man on the moon in July 1969.

SunShot’s goal is to reduce the cost of solar electric (also known as photovoltaic or PV) systems by roughly 75% to $1 per watt before the decade’s end. At this price, a solar electric system capable of supplying the power needs of a Wisconsin home, for 25 to 50 years, would cost under $5000. The SunShot program foresees solar electric systems meeting 15% of nation’s power needs by 2030.

The SunShot program is actively striving to reduce all system costs:

  • Hard cost, from every component and subcomponent while increasing system life
  • Installation and maintenance costs
  • Soft cost related to state, and local government’s, and utility company’s, rules, standards, processes and policies.

To find out more information on the Department of Energy SunShot Soft Costs program, check out the following links: