The University will coordinate the efforts of four state-wide programmes, which includes the Solar Energy Collaborative.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is to award the University of California, Davis, $3 million to accelerate the transfer of renewable energy advances from research laboratories.

The new California Renewable Energy Collaborative will become the administrative centre of four state-wide programmes, which includes one focused on solar energy. The centre will help energy researchers and specialists from different sectors work more effectively with the end users of their products.

Specifically, the California Solar Energy Collaborative is intended to help California achieve a target of installing 3,000 megawatts of solar in California by 2017. It will analyse existing solar research; facilitate research in gap areas where existing data is insufficient; and develop consensus among key solar stakeholders based on this research by tracking the evolving landscape of solar technology development and use in California.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory believes there is potential for nearly 7,000 GW of solar thermal power generation in the southwestern United States.

Related links: California Energy Commission