Good news for small companies working on bringing advanced solar energy technologies to market!  This past Thursday, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that the stimulus bill would funnel over $37 million to the Department of Energy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) programs.   The gesture shows that the federal government is really willing to put some money behind all the talk about renewable energy.  When the financing was announced, Secretary Chu linked the importance of funding the infant industry with both job growth and a healthier environment:

Small businesses are engines of job creation and innovation, and we need their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to drive a clean energy economy.  By helping small businesses bring clean technologies to market, we can create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce carbon pollution.

The first round of grants will give an extra leg-up to small business (fewer than 500 employees) operating in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, particularly manufacturers of advanced solar energy technology.  Now that we understand the link between a growth in solar energy and the birth of a smart grid, it’s also a welcome sight to see controllers for smart grid applications included in the list of eligible industries.  But interested parties should get ready to submit paperwork immediately – applications for funding must be made within two weeks of the announcement, by September 4th.  Let the scramble begin!