Solar Energy Technologies Office 

Did you know that transitioning to a clean energy economy protects every American’s fundamental human right to a clean, healthy environment? That is why the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) funds solutions to create a cleaner, healthier future with benefits for all, including:

• Financial Savings: SETO’s Solar Futures Study estimates that the grid transformation will yield about $300 billion of air-quality and health benefits.
• Economic Opportunities: The clean energy transition is expected to generate 3 million renewable power jobs. SETO’s workforce development initiatives and funding programs are helping prepare the country to meet its growing solar workforce demands.
• Environment: SETO is funding research to investigate the reuse and recycling of photovoltaic system components, produce clean water using solar desalination systems, and aim to better understand how solar installations, wildlife, and ecosystems interact to identify strategies that maximize benefits to the local environment.

Achieving an equitable transition to a decarbonized electricity system by 2035 and a decarbonized energy sector by 2050 advances the nationwide effort to meet the threat of climate change, which is critical to protecting humans, wildlife, and ecosystems across the country.

Find more information on the benefits of the renewable grid, SETO’s work, and solar innovation resources on the Connect the Dots on the Impact of the Renewable Grid on Health and the Environment webpage.  

Follow along with our campaign! Through June, we’ll be connecting the dots on the solar workforce. You can join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ConnectSolar and sign up for our newsletter for updates throughout the year.