American-Made Challenges

Solar Prize Round 4

The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to energize U.S. solar manufacturing through a series of contests and the development of a diverse and powerful support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources across the country.

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Round 4 Ready! Contest Semifinalists


Congratulations to all of the semifinalists from the Ready! Contest! Twenty teams across 12 states have been identified as eligible to compete in the next two rounds of the Prize competition. These teams will be awarded a cash prize and are now eligible to advance in the Set! and Go! Contests!



entry title (listed alphabetically) team location subject area
Aerogel Insulated Solar Collector for Process Heat Boston, MA CSP
Artificial Intelligence Enabled Battery-Less Solar Hybrid Inverter San Jose, CA Systems Integration
Boosting Energy Yield from Dusty Solar Panel Stony Brook, NY Photovoltaics
Harnessing the Sun Using MV SiC Power Devices Newtonville, NY Systems Integration
Integrated Solar Power and Insulated Wall System Easthampton, MA Photovoltaics
Lightfoot - Solar Powered Vehicles San Francisco, CA Photovoltaics
MORE POWER LESS DIRT Corvallis, OR Photovoltaics
NanoSpray: Low Cost solutions for Back Contacts Brooklyn, NY Photovoltaics
Next-Gen Solar Roofing Product Collaboration Highland, NY Photovoltaics
PV Cost-Effective Eco-Friendly Recycling SPWR Austin, TX Photovoltaics
Rocking Solar Tracker Mason, OH Photovoltaics
Roofing for the Sol Petaluma, CA Photovoltaics
Room Temperature Metal Coating for CSP Mirror Honolulu, HI CSP
Saving Solar Power Columbia, MD Photovoltaics
Self Cleaning Solar Power Boston, MA Photovoltaics
Solar Air Wall Merritt Island, FL CSP
Solar Panel with Heatsink North Oaks, MN Photovoltaics
Stable and Scalable Perovskite Solar Cells West Lafayette, IN Photovoltaics
The Mighty Power System™ Monmouth County, NJ Photovoltaics
Urban Energy Solar Canopy Brooklyn, NY Photovoltaics

View the full semifinalist submissions on HeroX

Important dates for Round 4

  • Submission opens: July 10, 2020
  • Ready! Contest submission deadline: October 8, 2020 2:00 PM ET
  • Ready! winners announced and Set! Contest begins: December 4, 2020
  • Set! Contest winners announced and Go! Contest begins: anticipated March 2021
  • Go! Contest winners announced: anticipated September 2021

All dates are subject to change including contest openings, deadlines, and announcements.

Sign up for updates on our HeroX challenge page

Solutions that help shape the future of solar

Are you a thinker, entrepreneur, facility or potential partner? Anyone with an innovative idea can help transform the solar industry through the American-Made Solar Prize.


Ready for the Challenge?