The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is accepting applications for up to $12 million in research and development funding for space photovoltaics, a specialized branch of solar technology used to power satellites, spacecraft, space stations, lunar missions and other systems operating beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
The Space Photovoltaics Research and Development Partnership Intermediary Agreement is being run through DOE’s Integrated Energy Systems Office. The program is intended to lower the cost of space solar technology, improve performance and durability, and expand domestic manufacturing capacity for solar panels used in space applications.
Space solar remains a relatively small but growing corner of the aerospace and clean-energy supply chain. Market estimates vary, but Fortune Business Insights valued the global space-based solar power market at about $700 million in 2025 and projected it could reach $1.48 billion by 2034. A separate estimate from Global Market Insights put the market at $710 million in 2025 and projected growth to about $3.3 billion by 2035, underscoring both the long-term interest and the uncertainty around a sector that is still moving from research and demonstration toward broader commercial use.
The funding could be relevant to university and industry research laboratories, solar manufacturers, advanced materials companies, semiconductor researchers, photovoltaic testing firms and industry teams developing near-commercial space solar products. DOE says applicants may include labs working on advanced space-applicable PV technologies, groups specializing in PV characterization and stress testing, and teams with pilot-scale solutions, testing partnerships and the capability to fly prototypes or panels in space.
Space PV operates on the same basic principle as solar panels on Earth: sunlight strikes a semiconductor material, exciting electrons and creating an electric current. In space, however, solar cells must keep working under far more difficult conditions, including intense radiation, extreme temperature swings, high vacuum and limited room and weight aboard launch vehicles.
DOE says those conditions create demand for solar technologies that are durable, lightweight and able to maintain performance over the planned life of a mission. Satellites in low Earth orbit may move rapidly between sunlight and darkness, creating frequent temperature changes, while spacecraft in geostationary orbit may face higher radiation exposure. Future lunar, planetary and deep-space missions will require solar systems suited to still different operating environments.
The funding opportunity is divided into two topic areas. Topic 1 will support projects focused on improving lab-scale photovoltaic cells, including low-cost fabrication methods and better performance and durability. Individual awards under that topic are expected to reach up to $1.5 million.
Topic 2 is aimed at projects that can move closer to production. Those awards will focus on innovative manufacturing processes that can scale to high-volume production, along with third-party validation of module prototypes in space or near-space environments. Individual Topic 2 awards are expected to reach up to $2 million.
DOE’s space PV overview identifies several technologies that could be part of the broader research landscape. Multijunction III-V solar cells are described as the current space industry standard because of their efficiency, reliability and radiation resistance, though DOE notes that their specialized materials and fabrication processes can make them expensive. Silicon photovoltaics, long used in both space and Earth-based solar power, may offer lower-cost options for certain missions because they benefit from the existing terrestrial solar manufacturing base.
DOE also points to perovskite photovoltaics as an emerging technology with potential for lightweight devices and lower-cost manufacturing. The agency says researchers are still working to improve perovskites’ full-panel efficiency in space, durability and manufacturability at scale before broader deployment.
The opportunity is being managed by TECHWERX in partnership with DOE through a Partnership Intermediary Agreement. DOE says that structure is intended to broaden engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners and support faster development, scaling and deployment of energy technologies.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Oct. 8. DOE expects to notify selected applicants in December, with award negotiations anticipated in January and February 2027. An informational office-hours session is scheduled for Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. ET.
Photo by Adrinil Dennis from Pexels
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