The Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced today that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”) will invest up to $12 million in total funding ($10 million from funds allocated to NREL under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”)) in four companies – three California and one North Carolina –  to take early stage PV and CSP technologies to commercialization.

Each company will receive up to $3 million (and the benefit of NREL’s support and expertise) to take prototype and pre-commercial PV technologies and develop pilot/demo projects or full-scale manufacturing projects. Payment of the awarded $3 million will be made over time as each company completes specified project milestones.

DOE is investing more than $117 million in solar energy through ARRA.