This is a Request for Information (RFI). DOE may issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein or DOE may issue no FOA at all.
The SunShot Initiative is investigating the development of transformational Plug and Play technologies and systems to reduce the so-called soft costs of the Balance of System, which include permitting, inspection, and grid interconnection. When installing a PV system is as simple as plugging an appliance into a wall outlet, the residential PV market will grow at an accelerated rate, both due to the simplicity of installation and the associated reduction in cost of the overall system. The potential funding opportunity will address the process-related issues and barriers by taking a fresh look at the grid and distributed PV systems as a whole and exploring new technology pathways to reduce total system costs and ease installation. The topic areas cover, but are not limited to, PV module technology, power electronics design, grid integration approaches, racking hardware design, and system installation process. Respondents are asked to comment on the questions in the RFI (see document under "FOA Documents" below). Respondents are also encouraged to comment on the value of the anticipated Plug and Play PV systems, as well as your organization’s anticipated interest in participating in such an opportunity.
All responses to this RFI must be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format as an attachment to an email sent to the following email address: PlugandPlayRFI@go.doe.gov.