PRIME Prize
The American-Made Promoting Registration of Inverters and Modules with Ecolabel (PRIME) Prize is a two-phase, $2.7 million competition aimed at increasing EPEAT registration of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and inverters. Its goal is to help manufacturers meet the high bar for EPEAT product standards and make their products more attractive to purchasers with sustainability goals.
Background
As solar PV technology deployment continues to expand over the coming decades, the environmental impacts of both the manufacture and the end-of-life management of PV equipment need to be addressed.
One tactic to address these concerns is the application of ecolabels, or marks that can help purchasers, including the U.S. government, easily identify products that meet specific environmental performance criteria and are therefore deemed “environmentally preferable.”
The PRIME Prize incentivizes the registration of solar PV module and inverter products through the EPEAT ecolabel. EPEAT is an ecolabel operated and maintained by the Global Electronics Council (GEC) for certain electronic products, including PV modules and inverters.
As the U.S. federal government increases solar adoption in construction and power purchase agreements, they’ll need to purchase solar products that are registered with certain ecolabels to meet sustainability goals. Registering PV modules and inverters with EPEAT qualifies products to meet these regulations and expands their buyer-base to include U.S. federal agencies and other environmentally conscious consumers.
Prize Structure
The PRIME Prize offers a total prize pool of $2.7 million in cash prizes across two phases.
Phase 1:
- Manufacturers submit letters of intent to register up to four PV module or inverter products with EPEAT and provide proof of participation with the GEC.
- Winners receive $50,000 in cash and move on to Phase 2.
Phase 2:
- Manufacturers validate that their products meet all required EPEAT criteria and submit proof of EPEAT product registration from the GEC.
- At the end of Phase 2, manufacturers win $100,000 in cash for each of the products identified in their Phase 1 submission that achieve EPEAT registry listing, up to $400,000 in cash total.
Who Can Participate?
The PRIME Prize is open to U.S.-based manufacturing organizations of either solar PV modules or inverters. Eligible applicants must not have any previously EPEAT-registered PV modules or inverters.
Solutions That Help Shape the Future
Are you a U.S.-based solar PV module or inverter manufacturer? You could increase sales and access new markets through the PRIME Prize.
More on the EPEAT Ecolabel
EPEAT is the only ecolabel for PV products recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—yet, as of August 2024, there are only four certified PV products (all modules) according to the EPEAT Registry.
The goal of the PRIME Prize is to expand the number of EPEAT-registered products in the solar market, enabling the federal government to meet procurement requirements and sustainability goals as it ramps up solar adoption.
Registering PV modules and inverters with EPEAT qualifies product(s) to:
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Meet sustainability regulations
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Be purchased by environmentally conscious consumers, including U.S. federal agencies
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Demonstrate the positive environmental impact of products while boosting sales.