SALEM - AmberWave Inc., a developer of advanced semiconductor materials, has received a $1 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to speed solar energy innovation.

Through the department's SunShot Initiative, the award is part of a $10 million program aimed at reducing the total installed cost of solar energy systems.

AmberWave is helping to develop more efficient solar cells that use less silicon than traditional photovoltaic technologies.

The grant to AmberWave was one of several announced on Friday as part of the SunShot initiative.

"The projects announced today are helping to drive innovative solutions across the solar energy industry - from more efficient hardware to quicker, easier installation processes," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "These small businesses are poised to make rapid strides toward achieving cost-competitive solar energy by the end of the decade, creating new American jobs in a rapidly-growing global market."

The projects selected tackle a range of solutions, including advances in photovoltaics, energy storage, balance of system hardware and power electronics as well as streamlined interconnection.