The US Department of Energy (DOE) is providing up to $45 million (£33m) for research into advanced solar hardware and systems integration.
The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking new solutions that can reliably bring large quantities of solar onto the grid and ensure US-made hardware is used in those installations.
It is also supporting the creation of a consortium dedicated to developing control technologies for a modernised electric grid.
Solar currently makes up 3% of US electricity and is expected to rise to 18% by 2050.
Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said: The nation’s solar energy use is on the rise. Investing in innovative research and development projects will help ensure that the technologies we’re using benefit the US economy while securely delivering reliable power to all Americans.