EERE Funding Opportunity Announcements

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to assist in further defining the scope and priorities of EERE’s commercialization and entrepreneurship activities. Specifically, this RFI is intended to inform the Commercialization Team’s activities within the Office of Strategic Programs.

 Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to commercialization@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (EST) on October 20, 2013. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.doc) or (.docx) attachment to the email with no more than 3 pages in length for each category section listed in the RFI. Please use 11 point font and .75 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit feedback from utilities (investor-owned, municipal, and electric cooperative), the solar industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the net valuation of solar photovoltaics (PV) and innovative cost-effective distributed solar PV deployment models.  EERE is specifically interested in information on the net benefits and costs of the electricity and services distributed solar PV provides (both internal and external to the transaction), including the benefits and costs distributed solar PV delivers to and receives from the electric grid.  EERE is also interested in information on emerging solar deployment models (e.g., alternative regulatory designs, shared and community solar), which can help expand access to distributed solar PV generation and grow market-based opportunities for solar deployment.  This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).  EERE is not accepting applications.

All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an email message addressed to NetValueSolarRFI@go.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 05:00PM ET on 2/28/14.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed. 

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks information on mid-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research and development (R&D) needs, market challenges, supply chain challenges and shared facility needs in addressing advanced manufacturing development challenges impacting clean energy manufacturing.  

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on general issues and topics to the establishment of potential Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.  AMO seeks information through this RFI to understand cross-cutting as well as specific manufacturing challenges that if addressed could provide the underlying motivation for the formation of a manufacturing innovation institute, consistent with the mission of the Department of Energy, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE) and AMO.  This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).  EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to AMOGolden@go.doe.gov  with a subject line “Response to RFI” no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on May 20, 2014.   Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) of no more than 8 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins as an attachment to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, SunShot Initiative (SunShot) is proud to announce the Catalyst Program.  Catalyst is a series of contests designed to incentivize the public to address time-sensitive market problems in the solar industry.  For more information on the Catalyst Program and for the official rules please visit http://catalyst.energy.gov. 

Questions regarding the Catalyst competition can be answered by visiting: http://catalyst.energy.gov/ or by sending an e-mail to SunShot.Catalyst@ee.doe.gov.

NOTICE: This is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The FOA number is used for tracking purposes only.

Amendment 000001: Revised the Closing Date to June 9, 2014.  Revised the information regarding the Pre-Solicitation Workshop at the 2014 Annual Merit Review.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed.

The Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) is seeking feedback from the research community and relevant stakeholders to assist in the development of topics for a potential Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for fuel cells and fuel cell systems designed for transportation, stationary, and early market applications as well as cross-cutting stack and balance of plant (BOP) component technology.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback on R&D needs for and technical barriers to the widespread commercialization of fuel cells for transportation, stationary, and early market segments. Feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders is sought. FCTO is specifically interested in information on R&D needs and priorities concerning the development of low-cost fuel cell components and pathways leading to improved fuel cell performance and durability. Input received from this RFI will be considered prior to FCTO issuing a fuel cell FOA (subject to Congressional appropriations).

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to fuelcellresearchneeds@ee.doe.gov  no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on June 9, 2014. Each response must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) document. Institutions providing input on more than one of the above categories should provide a separate document for each category, with the file name containing the category number and the institution name (e.g. if Company X is submitting responses to categories 1 and 2, two separate documents should be submitted with filenames “Category 1 - Company X.docx” and “Category 2 - Company X.docx”). Each response document should be no more than 2 pages in length, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. Total attachment size should be less than 25MB to ensure message delivery. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed.

DESCRIPTION: The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks information on mid-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research and development (R&D) needs, market challenges, supply chain challenges and shared facility needs in addressing advanced manufacturing development challenges impacting clean energy manufacturing.  AMO is particularly interested in the challenges associated with advanced manufacturing technology which might be overcome by pre-competitive collaborations conducted via a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. AMO recently completed a broad RFI on this topic area. The intent of this RFI is to narrow the focus of a possible Clean Energy Manufacturing Institute and invite discussion on a set of the following specific focus areas. The Topical/Technical Focus Areas under consideration in this RFI are:

•              Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AMM)

•              Advanced Sensing, Control, and Platforms for Manufacturing (ASCPM)

•              High-Efficiency Modular Chemical Processes (HEMCP)

•              High Value Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing (R2R)

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on specific issues and topics related to the establishment of Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes through specific Topical/Technical Focus Areas described herein.  AMO seeks information through this RFI to understand cross-cutting as well as specific manufacturing challenges that if addressed could provide the underlying motivation for the formation of a manufacturing innovation institute, consistent with the mission of the Department of Energy (DOE), the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and AMO.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to AMOGolden@ee.doe.gov  with a subject line “Response to RFI” no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on October 3, 2014. Any late responses will not be reviewed.  Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) of no more than 8 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins as an attachment to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Submission of existing commercial documentation and product literature is NOT an acceptable response. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed. 

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to market opportunities to enhance and expand upon certain AMO system software tools and related assets. At the present time these software tool resources/assets are primarily maintained and managed by the U. S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). This RFI seeks information to assist with the transition of these resources to be primarily or solely managed by a third party (or parties). AMO is particularly interested in business strategies to ensure:

•             The resource content is maintained, improved and enhanced

•             The resources remain available to the industrial sector

•             The current and future market needs for these system assets are addressed

•             Adaptation to rapidly changing and progressing electronic and IT infrastructure is embraced and addressed

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to AMOTools@go.doe.gov  with a subject line “Response to RFI” no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on September 30, 2014.   Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) of no more than 8 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins as an attachment to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

THIS  REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) IS NOT A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA); THEREFORE, DOE IS NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. 

EERE intends to issue, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies, Fiscal Year 2015 (AFFECT 2015).”  This RFI seeks input from interested parties and stakeholders regarding the subject of the anticipated FOA and related details.  If the FOA is issued, it will likely provide grants to Federal agencies for renewable energy projects that are incorporated into a privately financed performance contract, such as an Energy Savings Performance Contract or Utility Energy Service Contract, or as part of a renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).  Applications for renewable energy projects that are financed through appropriations will also be considered.  A key merit review criterion will likely be how much private and/or agency funds are leveraged against the FEMP AFFECT grant funding. Highly leveraging outside funds through performance contracting is important, because it will lead to projects of greater impact. If the FOA is issued, it will be released at some point in Fiscal Year 2015, which began October 1, 2014 and ends September 30, 2015.

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled "Next Generation of Electric Machines" (DE-FOA-0001208).

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE eXCHANGE in February 2015.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “State Energy Program 2015 Competitive Awards”.  NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE.  Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA.  It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in 2015.  Please do not respond or submit questions in response to this Notice of Intent.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled, “SunShot Incubator Round 10, SolarMat Round 3, SunPath Round 2”.

This FOA will enable the widespread market penetration of highly impactful solar technologies and solutions through technology research, development, and demonstration to overcome technical, institutional and market challenges.  Historically, annual funding opportunities have been separated by stage of technology development (Incubator, SolarMat, and SUNPATH). In the interest of optimizing the application and selection process, these funding opportunities have been combined into a single FOA, with the goal of bringing disruptive innovation to the solar industry in the near term that will take root in the U.S.  The total federal funding will be approximately $45M with a 20% to 50% awardee cost share required depending on the project Tier.  Projects are expected to be funded with a maximum award level of $500,000 to $10M depending on project Tier. This FOA has 5 Tiers based on the type of product (hardware or non-hardware) and product maturity.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Technology-to-Market Team in the Office of Strategic Programs, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP)”, Number DE-FOA-0001271. The full Notice of Intent document is posted in the "FOA Documents" section below.

The Cleantech UP program seeks to catalyze clean energy start-up formation on college campuses, support novel training and educational opportunities that equip the next generation of energy entrepreneurs and innovators across the country, establish a national-level training program and competition for America’s top clean energy student entrepreneurs, and create a sustained and diverse community to support student entrepreneurs.The mission of EERE’s Technology-to-Market Team is to aid EERE technology offices and American energy innovation stakeholders in addressing the technological and financial barriers to bring new intellectual property to market.  To advance this mission, the Technology-to-Market Sub-Program supports a variety of commercialization and entrepreneurship activities in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations around the country.  Existing activities include the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition (DOE NCEBPC), National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy, Lab-Corps, and Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR); past activities include the Innovation Ecosystem Development Initiative, i6 Green Challenge, Technology Commercialization Fund, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and other initiatives. 

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. DOE plans to issue the FOA around mid-February 2015. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

In order to reduce solar transaction costs (soft costs) and increase transparency and efficient pricing, the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative is exploring best strategies to support, expand, and streamline competitive and non-competitive efforts in the solar industry related to collecting, securing, managing, exchanging, and monetizing solar datasets, across the value chain in the U.S. from project origination to grid integration, operations, and decommissioning. Improved data availability reduces informational asymmetries, accelerates the maturity of solar related products and services, and increases solar deployment. Areas of key interest center on technical, economic, administrative, and legal barriers and opportunities to reduce costs of capital, lower operational risks, protect consumers, and increase efficient market activities.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather feedback from stakeholders prior to DOE potentially issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment to an email message addressed to solardata@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00 PM EDT on April 10, 2015. The full content of this RFI can be found on the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) seeks to understand how local governments obtain and use information about energy consumption in their communities and within their government operations.

Consistent with existing DOE and Administration initiatives to work with local governments such as the Better Buildings Challenge, Clean Cities Coalition, and Climate Action Champions, EERE seeks to continue to help cities make important progress in meeting their climate and energy goals. The Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP) project is investigating complementary ways to support cities (or other local governments) in their efforts to include energy analysis and data into their strategic decision-making.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather feedback from stakeholders prior to DOE potentially issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an e-mail message addressed to Cities.LEAP@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00 PM EDT on May 29, 2015. 

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled Industrial Assessment Centers Technical Field Manager (DE-FOA-0001679).

This FOA supports EERE AMO technical assistance activities.

As background, the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is a resource conservation and workforce development initiative of AMO based in the engineering departments of universities nationwide. IACs conduct assessments and provide site-specific recommendations to small manufacturers on opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and save energy. The program also provides engineering students with invaluable hands-on experience in energy engineering and energy management.

Through the FOA referenced above, EERE intends to fund the activities for an IAC Technical Field Manager. The IAC Technical Field Manager plays a critical role in the IAC program. The Technical Field Manager is a liaison between the AMO Technology Manager and the individual IACs, provides technical assistance and outreach to individual centers, and is the principle mechanism for ensuring the 28 individual IACs and their associated satellite centers perform at the highest possible level and that their activities support the achievement of AMO goals. The Technical Field Manager’s core responsibilities include the following:

• Providing technical assistance for quality control of Center operations, assessments, and outreach activities;
• Providing technical reviews and feedback on all of the IAC assessment reports;
• Integrating DOE priorities around practices and technologies into IAC operations;
• Providing training and technical assistance to the IAC staff and students and external stakeholders;
• Maintaining and upgrading the IAC websites and databases;
• Developing technical and informational resources for IAC clients and small and medium-sized manufacturers nationwide;
• Advancing the deployment of an accredited energy efficiency engineering degree; and
• Extending IAC program impacts beyond manufacturers and students immediately engaged by the Centers.

Through this announcement, DOE is seeking detailed applications for a Technical Field Manager who will provide these core activities, as well as respond to new program innovations and priorities from DOE. Examples of the Technical Field Manager’s potential new or expanded activities include:

• Training IACs on cybersecurity improvements, water sector assessments, energy management systems and smart manufacturing;
• Coordinating IAC student and alumni activities, including social media, to highlight career achievements;
• Moving to online reporting for assessments;
• Developing readily accessible resources around critical energy areas relevant to small and medium manufacturers, especially those not receiving IAC assessments; and
• Developing online best practice resources for industrial sector-specific energy saving and productivity improvements.

EERE envisions awarding one financial assistance award in the form of a cooperative agreement. The estimated period of performance for the award will be five years.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in December 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gauge the issues and opportunities that the research and industrial communities find most important in reducing the levelized cost of energy associated with photovoltaic power generation.

Manufacturing costs associated with photovoltaic module production have decreased dramatically over the past decade, but further improvements are still needed. Cell and module developments that maximize efficiency, service lifetime, and total energy output while minimizing installation material and labor costs are critical to the future of commercial photovoltaic technologies. Continued innovation in these areas will play a vital role in achieving a levelized cost of energy that is low enough to drive widespread deployment for decades to come. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to PVRD@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on July 15th, 2015. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Photovoltaics Research and Development (PVRD)." EERE plans to issue the FOA on or about September 8th, 2015 via the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all.

The U.S. Department of Energy is proposing a new initiative to significantly accelerate adoption of sustainable clean and energy efficiency strategies in remote rural Alaskan communities. For the purposes of this initiative, ”remote or rural areas” include communities with a population of 5,500 or less that are not connected by an all-weather road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks, or with a population of 1,500 or less that are connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks. Through the proposed competitive process, the Remote Alaskan Communities Energy Efficiency Competition is being designed to empower Alaskan communities to develop solutions for effectively advancing the use of reliable, affordable, and energy efficient solutions that are applicable throughout rural communities in Alaska and potentially in other Arctic regions. It is anticipated that DOE may have up to $4 million in technical assistance and other support through this initiative. The RFI will gather input from Alaskan stakeholders as well as others to help shape the design of the competition and ensure the goals and activities of the initiative are relevant to remote rural Alaskan communities.

The purpose of this RFI is to gather feedback from stakeholders prior to DOE potentially issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) electronically to: AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm ET on October 30, 2015.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Strategic Programs Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP)”. As part of the Cities-LEAP project, EERE’s Office of Strategic Programs, through its Policy and Analysis and Technology-to-Market Teams, intends to solicit applications to advance data-driven decision-making by local governments in support of their climate and energy goals. This anticipated funding opportunity is intended for local and tribal governments as prime applicants and strongly encourages partnerships between local and tribal governments and entities such as academic institutions, technology companies, utilities, regional planning bodies, and non-governmental organizations to develop and pilot data-driven decision frameworks that strengthen the analytical underpinning of energy-impacting actions by local governments across the United States.

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Office of Strategic Programs, on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled, “Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP)”. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in March 2016.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels”.

This FOA supports BETO’s goal of meeting its 2022 cost target of $3/gallon gasoline equivalent (gge) for the production of hydrocarbon fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. One approach BETO has taken previously to achieve this goal is to focus on conversion pathways that produce biofuels, with little or no emphasis on coproducing bioproducts. As BETO increasingly focuses on hydrocarbon fuels, it is examining strategies that capitalize on revenue from bioproducts as part of cost-competitive biofuel production.

A variety of technology pathways can be used to produce hydrocarbon biofuels, but many of them require the production of value-added chemicals and products in the near-term to achieve an attractive rate of return on cost-competitive fuels. Value-added chemicals and products can also incentivize the de-risking of “front end” processes (from feedstock logistics through to deconstruction) which are also necessary for fuel production. It is important to note that while bioproducts are seen as a valuable strategy for enabling fuels, the BETO is not interested in pursuing R&D solely on bioproducts, without a fuels component.

The intent of this FOA, therefore, is to identify R&D projects that develop biomass to hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and products based on external factors, such as market demand. These pathways could consist of a route to a platform chemical that could be converted to products or fuels or a route that coproduces chemicals and fuels. Successful applications will include a clear justification for producing the target molecule(s) from biomass, a compelling narrative explaining how the target product(s) will enable biofuels, and supporting technoeconomic analysis and life cycle analysis.

It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Areas of Interest:

Area of Interest 1: R&D to optimize one unit operation of the proposed conversion pathway

Area of Interest 2: R&D to optimize and integrate multiple unit operations of the proposed conversion pathway
EERE envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements. The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately three years.

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.

EERE plans to issue the FOA in or about January, 2016 via the EERE Exchange website https://eereexchange.energy.gov/. If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding this FOA, they should register in EERE Exchange. When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange.

**The deadline for submissions to this RFI has been extended to November 30, 2015.**

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on what is being called the PV Lifetime Project. EERE seeks to expand the data set available to the public, with measurements taken over shorter intervals and using repeatable test methods. The data is expected to enable an increase in the accuracy and precision of degradation profiles calculated for representative PV modules and systems. 

The objectives of the PV Lifetime Project are:
1. Determine and communicate module differentiation with respect to service lifetime.
2. Determine and communicate degradation profiles; and their uncertainty.

EERE is specifically interested in information on results that better inform calculations of the return on investment of existing and future PV installations. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to PVReliability@EE.Doe.Gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 30, 2015. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) are seeking stakeholder input on its Optima initiative, a DOE sponsored program focused on the development of new fuels and engine architectures that are co-optimized—designed in tandem to maximize performance and carbon efficiency. DOE is specifically interested in stakeholder input on 1) perspectives and interest in co-optimization of fuels and engines, 2) technical aspects of fuel and advanced compression ignition (ACI) engine interactions and 3) barriers to market acceptance and deployment of co-optimized fuels and engines.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the Optima initiative. EERE is specifically interested in information regarding additional areas of research that universities and others are interested in contributing to and collaborating on. This RFI will help BETO and VTO understand the additional areas of research, capabilities, and yet to be addressed barriers and opportunities for stakeholder engagement relative to the co-optimization of engines and fuels. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time. EERE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE may also elect not to issue a FOA. There is no guarantee that a FOA will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue a FOA regarding the subject matter. Final details, including the anticipated award size, quantity, and timing of EERE funded awards, will be subject to Congressional appropriations and direction.

Any information obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Government on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy development; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated as information only. EERE will review and consider all responses in its formulation of program strategies for the identified materials of interest that are the subject of this request. EERE will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that EERE is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind EERE to any further actions related to this topic.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to OptimaRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on January 8, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. EERE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives. EERE may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), number DE-FOA-0001384 entitled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement."

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the January 2016 timeframe.
 

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Industrial Assessment Centers" (DE-FOA-0001513).

This FOA supports EERE AMO technical assistance activities. The goal of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is twofold: first, to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), currently defined as having gross annual sales below $100 million, fewer than 500 employees, and annual energy bills between $100,000 and $2.5 million, to increase their energy efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness; and second, to help address a growing shortage of engineering professionals with applied energy-related skills.

Prospective IACs can demonstrate their capabilities and describe their approach to serve small and medium-sized manufacturers by analyzing the operating characteristics, productivity, and energy, water and waste usage of manufacturing facilities; identifying, quantifying, and recommending specific opportunities to improve energy and water efficiency, reduce waste, and improve productivity; including potential enhancements to cyber security and related information technologies; and reporting the findings to the facility, together with estimates of the energy savings opportunities, implementation costs, and payback periods.

Each IAC will provide extensive training for undergraduate and graduate engineering students in industrial processes, energy assessment procedures, and energy management systems. IAC Applicants should define how they will maximize the student experience; increase student technical knowledge and business sense; and develop their understanding of key industrial concepts, including industrial supply chains, sustainability issues, and management systems.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in March 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The purpose of this announcement is to initiate a Notice of Intent to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number DE-FOA-0001415 entitled State Energy Program 2016 Competitive Awards. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in 2016.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement, number DE-FOA-0001447 entitled Advanced Systems Level Technology Development, Integration and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTruck II).

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the March 2016 timeframe.

The purpose of Modification 000002 is to change the RFI Deadline to 04/10/2016, 5:00pm (ET).

The purpose of Modification 000001 is to extend the RFI Deadline to 04/15/2016, 5:00pm (ET).

The Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) is seeking feedback from the research community, relevant stakeholders, and industry on technical and economic barriers for fuel cell-related technologies. In particular, FCTO seeks information regarding:

• Research and development (R&D) needs to improve performance and reduce cost of bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs);
• The high startup cost for hydrogen refueling stations, which may be caused by extensive installation and permitting efforts or low equipment utilization; and
• Innovative research topics that may not currently be part of the FCTO portfolio but could potentially be appropriate for future efforts or funding opportunity announcements.

This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time. EERE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE may also elect not to issue a FOA. There is no guarantee that a FOA will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue a FOA regarding the subject matter. Final details, including the anticipated award size, quantity, and timing of EERE funded awards, will be subject to Congressional appropriations and direction.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FY16FCTONeedsandStrategies@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on April 10, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery.
Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 4 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Please identify your answers by responding to a specific question or topic if applicable. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled "Next Generation of Electric Machines: Enabling Technologies" (DE-FOA-0001467).

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in March 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the June 2016 timeframe.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) seeks feedback from stakeholders regarding the construction and benefits of a National Hydrogen Technology Showcase and Training station (HyTeST). The station would serve as a tool for research and development, testing, safety training, and outreach for community and commercial early adopters, including station developers, owners, code officials, first responders, operators, investors, and insurers.

The purpose of this RFI is to seek input from stakeholders on a potential model hydrogen station, and in particular what features, trainings, technologies, etc. should be present to maximize use and utility of the station. In this RFI we seek feedback on the proposal for the first phase of HyTeST station, as well as subsequent phases. The input will help DOE prioritize features and activities at the demonstration station, to best serve stakeholders’ needs. 

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement. EERE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives. DOE will not respond to questions related to this FOA.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FY16FCTONeedsandStrategies@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on July 22, 2016. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, of no more than 4 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Modular Chemical Process Intensification”.

This FOA supports the establishment of a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute on Modular Chemical Process Intensification. Modular chemical process intensification represents an emerging opportunity for processing industries in the U.S. manufacturing sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce feedstock waste, increase scalability and improve productivity by merging and integrating separate unit processes (mixing, reactions, separation) into single modular hardware elements of reduced size, higher efficiency and scalability.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in May 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Reducing EMbodied-energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) in Materials Manufacturing”.

This FOA supports the establishment of a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Reducing EMbodied-energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) in Materials Manufacturing. This Institute will enable the development and widespread deployment of key industrial platform technologies that will dramatically reduce life-cycle energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing through the development of technologies for reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of materials. Solving this enormous and currently unmet challenge could significantly reduce U.S. primary energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector, which represents a particularly challenging sector to decarbonize, and improve U.S. manufacturing competiveness in the process. Analysis shows that the development and deployment of cost effective new technologies to enable significant reductions in the life-cycle embodied energy and carbon emissions for materials production in the US economy relative to the use of primary feedstocks could offer energy savings on the order of 1.6 quadrillion BTU (quads) annually across four classes of waste materials - metals, fibers, polymers, and e-waste.

The resulting Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute is expected to be a Department of Energy supported Institute participating in the interagency National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) program.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in June 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) seeks feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to mobilizing biomass resources to support a “billion-ton bioeconomy.” Existing feedstock supply systems are not adequate to reliably provide high-quality feedstock at the increasing volumes demanded over the next few decades by a growing bioeconomy. Current systems and technologies have limitations in providing uniform feedstocks with specified composition, shape, size, and moisture characteristics. New logistics and processing technologies and systems are needed to address these challenges to support a growing biomass derived industry and bioeconomy. Advanced systems in the future may involve central processing and distribution centers such as feedstock depots or be stand-alone operations.

This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time. EERE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE may also elect not to issue a FOA. There is no guarantee that a FOA will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue a FOA regarding the subject matter. If a FOA is subsequently issued, final details, including the anticipated award size, quantity, and timing of EERE funded awards, will be subject to Congressional appropriations and direction.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to BETOAFSS@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on June 30, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Modification Information:

Modification 000002 updates this RFI removing all deadline submission dates.

Modification 000001 updates the deadline for submissions to September 9, 2016 at 5:00 P.M. ET  

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks input from industry, academia, national laboratories and other biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders to identify existing capabilities to produce lignocellulosic sugars and lignin for use by the research community. Please note: It is DOE’s intent to make all information submitted in response to this RFI publicly available to other interested parties. Thus, respondents are specifically directed to NOT include ANY proprietary, business sensitive or otherwise confidential information in their responses. DOE will consider all information submitted in response to this RFI to be non-proprietary.

This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time. EERE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE may also elect not to issue a FOA. There is no guarantee that a FOA will be issued as a result of this RFI. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue a FOA regarding the subject matter. Final details, including the anticipated award size, quantity, and timing of EERE funded awards, will be subject to Congressional appropriations and direction.

Any information obtained as a result of this RFI is intended to be used by the Government on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy development; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated as information only. EERE will review and consider all responses in its formulation of program strategies for the identified materials of interest that are the subject of this request. EERE will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that EERE is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind EERE to any further actions related to this topic.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to sugarandlignin@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Please identify your answers by responding to a specific question or topic if applicable. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) seeks input on priority areas that will advance deployment of hydrogen fueling stations and delivery infrastructure and input on barriers and activities to pursue in both the near and longer-term.

FCTO is a key component of the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) portfolio. EERE seeks to provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy from diverse domestic resources, along with benefits of increased energy security, reduced criteria pollutants, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions; hydrogen and fuel cells are an important part of EERE’s portfolio. FCTO funds activities addressing the barriers hydrogen fueling stations face today, including renewable hydrogen fuel cost, station and equipment cost, station reliability and performance, codes and standards development, manufacturing needs, and outreach and training needs.

This is a critical time for the hydrogen market in the United States, as we are in the early commercial phases for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), hydrogen fueling stations and delivery infrastructure, and renewable production technologies. With independent data from over 6 million miles of driving FCEVs and over 163,000 kg of hydrogen dispensed, FCTO is obtaining important information to help identify key areas for further research and development and has identified specific challenges facing hydrogen infrastructure and fueling station components.

FCTO is committed to enabling successful initial commercial deployment of hydrogen fueling stations. In the recent past, FCTO has focused on increasing public-private partnerships to address immediate technical challenges, an effort that will continue through the Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research and Station Technology (H2FIRST) project. H2FIRST leverages capabilities at the national laboratories to address the technology challenges related to hydrogen fueling stations. Outside of infrastructure projects funded through H2FIRST, FCTO is looking to identify other strategic research, development, and demonstration pathways to lower station costs and increase the overall utilization of hydrogen in the market.

FCTO wants to address some of the barriers facing hydrogen infrastructure research, development, and deployment in the near and longer-term, listed below. Note that the following list does not include all of the barriers, but it does include many identified by both FCTO and stakeholders during an Annual Merit Review Session. Barriers to be addressed through this RFI include:
• Station and equipment cost
• Station footprint
• Station reliability and performance
• Station availability
• Lack of a domestic supply chain for equipment parts, and
• Lack of real-world business cases for FCEVs and hydrogen stations.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on the research, development, and demonstration topics.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. EERE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives. EERE may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FY16FCTONeedsandStrategies@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on August 26, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The Department of Energy (DOE) funds university-led traineeship programs that strategically address workforce training needs in key technical focus areas.The following objectives guide DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office’s (AMO) traineeship efforts:

In July 2015, EERE released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to address emerging needs in graduate training enabling preparedness for the field of advanced Power Electronics Engineering careers beyond those in academia. As a result, EERE made two competitively-selected awards supporting five-year graduate-level programs in Power Electronics Engineering, leveraging existing DOE assets including the wide band gap National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) Institute, PowerAmerica.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to future EERE-funded and AMO-funded graduate-level Traineeships. This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an e-mail message addressed to AMOTraineeship@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 10^th, 2016. The full content of the RFI can be found below.

Limited to State Energy Offices (defined as the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories).
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) State Energy Program (SEP) seeks applications to advance policies, programs, and market strategies that advance affordable and reliable energy to promote economic growth and energy security for the nation. This competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) allows States (which includes the District of Columbia and five territories) to compete for funding designed to meet SEP’s goals to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and maximize the benefits of decreasing energy waste. Specifically, this FOA includes three Areas of Interest: State Energy Planning, Innovative Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE/RE) Practices, and Technical Assistance to Advance SEP Formula Grant EE/RE Activities.

Refer to the document DE-FOA-0001644 State Energy Program 2017 Competitive Awards Full Text, page 21 for the list of the Application Content Requirements, Components i. - xii.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

October 24, 2017 - Tuesday (repeated Wednesday, October 25, 2017)

APPLICATION WORKSHOP

October 26, 2017 - Thursday

Slides and Audio: Open the files under the documents section below.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Open the excel sheet under the documents section below.

APPENDIX C LINKS DO NOT FUNCTION IN THE PDF VERSION OF THE FOA

REFER THE Q&A SPREAD SHEET FOR THE ACTIVE LINKS

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks input on priority RD&D areas to enable deep decarbonization of industrial, transportation, and power generation sectors through wide-scale deployment of hydrogen. The potential of hydrogen to deeply decarbonize a multitude of sectors was identified by the DOE national laboratories in a proposal termed H2@Scale in 2016. The preliminary analysis performed by the national laboratories on the H2@Scale concept indicated that nearly a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is possible by 2050. Research in several relevant areas is currently addressed by many different DOE Offices, including the Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Fossil Energy (FE), Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), and Science (OS), along with the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E). Given the broad scope of H2@Scale, and the need to engage many stakeholders to ensure the proposal’s success, the U.S. DOE is soliciting feedback on activities to advance the H2@Scale proposal in both the near and longer-term.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback, project ideas, and other guidance on the topic areas described below and through responses to questions (as applicable). Note stakeholders should feel free to respond only to those topics relevant to their expertise; it is not necessary to respond to all topics.

1. Concept of H2 at Scale
2. Integration of Hydrogen Production with the Electricity Grid, and with Storage and Pipeline Infrastructure
3. Integration of Hydrogen Production with Process Heat, such as from Nuclear Generation, Industrial Waste Heat Sources, or Concentrated Solar Power
4. Leveraging Stranded Renewables, and Value-Added Applications for Hydrogen
5. Hydrogen from Fossil Fuels
6. Other

This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, the U.S. DOE is not accepting applications at this time. The U.S. DOE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, the U.S. DOE may also elect not to issue a FOA.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to H2Scale@ee.doe.gov with the subject line "DE-FOA-0001655 - RFI" no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 4, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “SunShot Technology to Market: Incubator Round 12, SolarMat Round 5”.

This FOA will enable the widespread market penetration of highly impactful solar technologies and solutions through technology research, development, and demonstration to overcome technical, institutional and market challenges. The FOA is divided into 6 Tiers that are based on the technology type, hardware or software, as well as its stage in the development cycle, e.g. prototype refinement, manufacturing tooling, beta testing, etc. The total federal funding will be approximately $30M with a 20% to 50% awardee cost share required depending on the project Tier. Projects are expected to be funded with a maximum award level of $500,000 to $5M depending on project Tier. In addition to achieving rigorous technical milestones, awardees are expected to deliver on business development and commercial metrics that de-risk the technology/solution and enable its progression to the next phase of commercial development. Successful awardees will be well positioned for investment from the private sector and have a path to market impact.

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all.

The planned FOA supports improvements in module design as well as approaches to reduce installation and interconnection time, which represent important development avenues for reducing the cost of PV electricity and energizing the future growth of the U.S. PV industry. This funding opportunity encourages project teams to optimize the completed product by considering the holistic module and system architecture rather than focusing on individual components.

Applicant eligibility is anticipated to follow the same criteria as provided in the previous PVRD funding opportunity, which was released in September, 2015. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government-Owned Government Operated institutions (GOGOs) are not expected to be eligible to apply as primary applicants, but may be included as sub-recipients on proposals to this funding opportunity. Comprehensive details on eligibility will be released in the funding opportunity announcement.

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Solar Energy Technologies Office on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled, Solar Forecasting II. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange October 2016.

Through this FOA the program plans to support three key aspects of solar forecasting as a critical enabler of higher penetration of solar power in the electric grid: the improvement of solar forecasting skill, especially during challenging conditions, such as partly cloudy weather and large ramps; the integration of solar power forecasting with existing grid management systems, especially through probabilistic methodologies; and the setup of a common test framework that can be used to validate solar irradiance and power forecast models. The anticipated federal funding for this FOA is up to $10M. The applicants will be required to contribute 20% cost share to the projects. It is anticipated that each award size will be in the range of $500k to $3M and will be completed within fifteen months to three years.

Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Water Power Technologies Office is looking to fund early-stage research into innovative fish passage solutions to effectively provide volitional upstream fish passage while reducing both construction and operational costs compared to existing methods. There are two Topic Areas under this FOA.

Topic Area 1: Testing the Effects of Innovative Fish Passage Technologies - Through two Subtopics, this Topic Area will cover development of a prototype and/or testing of innovative technologies that can reduce construction and/or operational costs associated with either upstream or downstream fish passage at a hydropower dam to improve efficiencies of volitional fish passage.

Topic Area 2: Advancing Innovative Methods and Technologies to Improve Fish Passage - Through two Subtopics, this Topic Area will focus on technological advancements and research that can improve the efficacy and efficiency of volitional fish passage. Innovations in this context can refer to improvements in detection, sorting, counting, and/or identification of fish that have the ability to improve operations and monitoring and improvements in fish attraction and/or guidance technologies.

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Please carefully review the complete Funding Opportunity Announcement, which can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

FOA FAQs for this Funding Opportunity Announcement can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading below. Please review the FAQs before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

A pre-recorded webinar presentation on this FOA is now available online.

To access the webinar, use the following link: https://youtu.be/4qa4EDTWHNs

A non-narrated, slides-only slideshow can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline:

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance - EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Technology-to-Market (T2M) team is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0001669. The purpose of this RFI is to gain public input on how T2M can best facilitate a more efficient clean energy innovation ecosystem in the U.S. by leveraging prior initiatives. T2M is looking to understand unaddressed challenges faced by early-stage clean energy start-ups and investors (and other capital providers) and industry partners that can help facilitate the transition of new technologies into the marketplace. The information being sought under this RFI is intended to assist EERE in further defining the scope and priorities of its initiatives by capitalizing on prior year investments to strengthen the U.S. Energy innovation ecosystem. Descriptions of current T2M efforts can be found at http://energy.gov/eere/technology-to-market/technology-market-program.

Background

The conventional technology-to-market pathway from invention to market entry has proven to be challenging for disruptive non-software clean energy technologies. Specific challenges include high capital needs, long development times, the need to integrate into complex systems and supply chains, the need to work with established industry in a commodity market, and the need to operate within a shifting regulatory environment.

In this complex landscape where innovation pathways encounter many market barriers, it is critical for the U.S. to build a more efficient and interconnected innovation ecosystem in order to transition to a clean energy economy. For the purpose of this RFI, we define the innovation ecosystem as the set of stakeholders (e.g. universities, business and industry, entrepreneurs and start-ups, labs and facilities, and capital providers) that can collectively enable the commercialization of clean energy technologies.

This RFI from EERE’s Office of Strategic Programs (OSP) T2M program seeks to obtain information from the broad innovation community on challenges that start-up companies face in launching and scaling their products and businesses, and understand the interventions in the clean energy innovation ecosystem that could address these challenges.

In February 2016, the Clean Energy Investment Center (CEIC) within DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) issued a RFI on how to utilize DOE’s considerable resources and expertise to support the investor community. The questions posed in that RFI primarily addressed specific services and tools that CEIC could develop to maximize the value of DOE engagement with the investment community and support clean energy investment decision making by the public. In response to stakeholder input from that RFI, CEIC has initiated several efforts to serve the investment community, including the Laboratory-Investor Knowledge Series (LINKS), a forum for public-private discussion of the challenges and opportunities around clean energy investment, and a Lab Partnering Service to connect investors with subject matter experts at the DOE national labs. Descriptions of current OTT efforts can be found at http://energy.gov/technologytransitions/services.

This RFI is intended to build upon DOE initiatives already underway to strengthen the clean energy innovation ecosystem in the U.S.

Please see the full RFI document in the "DOCUMENTS" section below. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to T2M@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 14, 2016.

This notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this notice is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE eXCHANGE in December 2016.

Through this RFI, Department of Energy (DOE) is soliciting information on next-generation (Gen 3) CSP technology.

The DOE launched the SunShot Initiative in 2011 with the goal of making solar electricity cost-competitive with conventionally generated electricity by 2020. The CSP SunShot Program set aggressive targets to achieve lower component costs and higher system efficiencies. Over the course of 5 years, the program’s portfolio of research has developed sub-system technologies potentially capable of efficient operation at higher temperatures, and hold promise to be reliable and cost effective. Yet there has not yet been shown to be a combination of integrated sub-systems that is without at least one significant technical, economic, or reliability risk. To advance next-generation (Gen 3) CSP technology, the DOE SunShot CSP Program asserts that an integrated system of sub-systems and components must be developed to investigate operational uncertainties at a multi-megawatt scale.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technology Office (SETO) is seeking applications under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to fund applied research and development to enable the reduction of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generated by concentrating solar power (CSP) to 6 ¢/kWh-electric or less, without subsidies. This FOA intends to develop integrated thermal system solutions to overcome the temperature limitations of current CSP systems, while lowering capital costs by enabling the use of advanced turbines and achieving a higher overall system efficiency in converting solar thermal energy into electricity. Applications to this FOA are expected to advance individual high temperature components which have been developed at lab scale, and test them as an integrated system at a multi-MW thermal scale that can accept solar thermal energy, store it, and efficiently deliver it to a working fluid at high temperature, representative of a high efficiency power cycle.

An informational webinar was held Tuesday September 19, 2017 at 1pm ET.  The presentation slides and the script read during the webinar are posted below. 

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement, number DE-FOA-0001629 entitled "FY 2017 Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement".

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the December 2016 timeframe.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Extending Industrial Assessment Centers to Underserved Areas (DE-FOA-0001704).”

This FOA supports EERE AMO technical assistance activities. 

As background, the goal of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is twofold: first, to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers currently defined as having gross annual sales below $100 million, fewer than 500 employees, and annual energy bills between $100,000 and $2.5 million, to increase their energy efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness; and second, to help address a growing shortage of energy engineering professionals with applied energy efficiency-related skills.

The goal of Extending IACs to Underserved Areas is to encourage a broader and more diverse Applicant pool to serve as Extension IACs, and in so doing, further expand the geographic reach of the IAC program to areas that are less likely to be adequately serviced because of their distance from the 28 IACs that were selected in the summer of 2016. Eligible minority-serving institutions are encouraged to apply as Extension IACs.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in January 2017.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will fund research that can enable significant reductions in the lifetime costs of power electronics (PE) for solar photovoltaic (PV) energy that align with meeting the SunShot 2030 goals, and likewise enable versatile control functionalities to support grid integration of solar PV for enhanced grid services. Power electronics technology is fundamental for renewable energy systems, and especially for solar PV as the critical link between solar PV arrays and the electric grid.

In comparison to the state of the art, the SunShot Initiative seeks to fund early-stage solar PE research projects to enable the following objectives:

1) Lower the lifetime cost of residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar PV inverter/converter solutions;

2) Develop innovative modular, multi-purpose solar PV power electronics designs that offer enhanced services for improved lifetime value and lower grid integration costs.

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when theApplicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

An Informational Webinar was held on Thursday, September 21st. To view the webinar slides and transcript, please download DE-FOA-0001740 Informational Webinar Slides and DE-FOA-0001740 Informational Webinar Transcript from the "Documents" section below.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technology Office (SETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Advanced Power Electronics Design for Solar Applications”.

This FOA accelerates cost reductions for solar energy power electronics in order to support the SunShot 2030 goals for cost of solar electricity (i.e., 3 cents/kWh for utility-scale solar) and enable high solar energy penetration on the electric grid. The FOA is intended to primarily support reductions in the lifetime costs of solar inverters/converters for residential, commercial, and utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems through holistic designs that utilize advanced components, innovative topologies and packaging, advanced control schemes, and novel smart grid applications. The FOA is also intended to support innovative multi-purpose power electronics systems that add modular applications for enhancing solar PV customer and/or grid services.

It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Topic Areas:

Topic Area 1 - This Topic Area targets research and development of solar PV inverter/converter designs that reduce solar PV lifetime costs towards SunShot’s 2030 cost goals.

Topic Area 2 - This Topic Area targets research and development of modular, multi-purpose power electronics that achieve lower lifetime costs by enabling value-added grid and/or customer-owned solar energy solutions.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. EERE may issue a FOA as described, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all. No applications will be accepted through this notice. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent.

The objective of this FOA is research-enabling technologies for flexible CHP systems that are specifically designed to provide cost-effective support to the electric grid. The systems will enable small to mid-size manufacturers to gain the benefits of CHP systems while at the same time providing a resource to the grid so that it is more reliable, resilient and secure.

Amendment 000003 was issued on April 16, 2018 to to modify the submission deadline for Full Applications and clarify the technical requirements of both Areas of Interest.

Amendment 000002 was issued March 14, 2018 to correct the submission deadline for Concept Papers, clarify the technical requirements of both Areas of Interest; clarify the allowable number of Concept Papers and Full Applications by colleges, universities, institutions of higher learning, and university‐affiliated research institutions; change the recommended section lengths of the Full Application Technical Volume; and update hyperlinks in the footnotes.

Amendment 000001 issued on March 1, 2018 to change the date for the anticipated date for the concept paper recommendation notifications and to change the submission deadline for full applications. Additionally, this amendment makes updates to the Applications Specifically Not of Interest and clarifies the allowable number of Concept Papers.

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks to conduct research and development activities to further the utilization of cost-effective, highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) via Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001750. The FOA includes two areas of interest to research enabling technologies for CHP systems that are specifically designed to provide cost-effective support to the electric grid. Such systems would have the benefits of conventional CHP while at the same time being able to sell electricity to and serve as a stabilizing factor for the Grid.

Informational Webinar: EERE will conduct one informational webinar during the FOA process. It will be held before the due date for the Concept Papers. Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions.

Please register for the Applicant Webinar on March 2, 2018 10:00 AM EDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/376450080550801153

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Participants can use their telephone or computer mic & speakers (VoIP).

United States: +1 (914) 614-3221
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the webinar

Access Code: 664-621-984

The U.S. Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium FOA solicits an administrator to establish and lead a voluntary consortium of members committed to shared public/private investment in collaborative R&D focused on realizing technology improvements for the offshore wind industry in the U.S.

The U.S. offshore wind industry has unique technological challenges that have yet to be overcome in the global offshore wind market. In order to establish a consortium to undertake mutually beneficial research and development (R&D) addressing these challenges, a competitive award of $18.5M will be made under this Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) FOA. An additional $2.0M will be allocated directly from DOE to DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research (FFRDC) and Development Centers to carry out R&D activities, either in direct partnership with the applicant, or prioritized by the consortium.

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Please carefully review the complete Funding Opportunity Announcement, which can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

FOA FAQs for this Funding Opportunity Announcement can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading below. Please review the FAQs before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

An Informational Webinar was held on December 20, 2017. You may access the webinar through the link below using this password: OsWFOA1767

The FOA Applicant Webinar Presentation slides can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline:

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance - EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

Modification 0001: The purpose of this modification is to modify the first full paragraph on page 6, to include the fourth "particularly attractive market for desalination technologies": industrial processes.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks to fund applied scientific research that develops novel technologies or concepts using solar thermal energy to assist in the desalination process, which will reduce the levelized cost of water (LCOW) through reducing the levelized cost of heat (LCOH), increasing the energy efficiency for thermal desalination processes, and reducing the overall capital and integration costs for solar thermal desalination. Applications for thermal desalination include municipality water production, agriculture, industrial processes, and produced waters from the oil and gas industry. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA), intends to support the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of technologies that have the potential to integrate solar thermal technologies into desalination processes, develop novel low temperature solar concentrators and storage, consider novel and innovative thermal desalination technologies, or show how solar thermal energy can be implemented into current or upcoming desalination methods. As part of the SunShot Initiative, this applied research and development program is intended to demonstrate new concepts in either solar thermal or thermal desalination technologies, or the combination therein. These developments should lead to subsequent system integration, engineering scale-up, and eventual commercial production for water purification applications.

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when theApplicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

An Informational Webinar was held on Thursday, October 12. To view the webinar slides and transcript, please download DE-FOA-0001778 Informational Webinar Slides and DE-FOA-0001778 Informational Webinar Transcript from the "Documents" section below.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Fiscal Year 2017 Vehicle Technologies Office Batteries and Electrification to Enable Extreme Fast Charging Funding Opportunity Announcement".

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin formulating ideas and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the October 2017 timeframe.

Amendment 000003 to DE-FOA-0001808

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The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), this FOA entitled “FY2017 Vehicle Technologies Office Batteries and Electrification to Enable Extreme Fast Charging Funding Opportunity Announcement”.

This FOA will include two (2) areas of interest: 1) Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) Systems for Electric Vehicles and 2) Batteries for Extreme Fast Charging. These topics will be detailed in later sections of this FOA.

This FOA supports DOE’s strategic goal of protecting the U.S. national and economic security by reducing imports and promoting a diverse supply of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy. More specifically, this FOA helps to achieve, by 2020, U.S. petroleum reduction of over 2.5 billion gallons per year through voluntary adoption of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure.

Please join us for an applicant webinar!

Date and Time

Thursday, November 2, 2017 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST

Audio

Participants can use their telephone or computer mic & speakers (VoIP).

Call-in number: +1 (631) 992-3221

Attendee Access Code (muted): 909-821-442

Audio Pin: Shown after joining the webinar

Must Register PRIOR to Webinar

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8335201223107598594

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement, number DE-FOA-0001813 entitled "Medium / Heavy Duty, On-Road Natural Gas Engine research and Development".    The objective is to address barriers to adoption of natural gas vehicles through early-stage research on medium- and heavy-duty on-road engine technologies.  The programmatic goal is to enable natural gas engines that can cost-effectively achieve diesel-like efficiency while meeting current and future emissions standards.  A complete engine development project is outside the scope of this effort, but engine subsystem research must have a plausible pathway to higher engine efficiency.  Emission control technology projects addressing criteria pollutants and GHGs are desired, with consideration that future standards are likely to influence NGV technology adoption.  Potential technologies include (but are not limited to) combustion strategies, engine subsystems, emission control systems, fuel systems, and controls.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the October 2017 timeframe.  EERE plans to issue the FOA in October 2017 via the EERE Exchange website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding the FOA, they should register in EERE Exchange. When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange.

Amendment 0001 issued on November 30, 2017 for the purpose of updating the Summary Slide Instructions and Template for use in submitting full applications.

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The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Medium/Heavy-Duty, On-Road Natural Gas Engine Research and Development”.

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Informational Webinar: EERE will conduct one informational webinar during the FOA process. It will be held after the initial FOA release but before the due date for the Concept Papers. Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions.

Please register for FOA 1813 Medium/Heavy-Duty, On-Road Natural Gas Engine R&D Applicant Webinar on Oct 23, 2017 11:00 AM EDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4553111021642736641

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

United States: +1 (415) 655-0060
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the webinar

Access Code: 286-303-518

The objective of the FOA is to research technologies and innovations that can improve the energy efficiency of fluid power systems for commercial off-road where fluid power systems actuate most of the functions.

Amendment 0001 issued on November 29, 2017 for the purpose of updating the Summary Slide Instructions and Template for use in submitting full applications.

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The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Energy Efficiency Research and Development (R&D) for Fluid-Power Systems In Off-Road Vehicles.”

The objective of this FOA is to research technologies that can improve the energy efficiency of fluid power systems for commercial off-road vehicles . Construction, mining, and agricultrure equipment represent the majority of fuel consumption in off-road vehichles, and this equipment relies heavily on fluid-power systems (i.e. hydraulics) to actuate most of their functions. They are preferred over electric motors because of their high specific power density and ability to tolerate shock and harsh environments. However, current fluid-power systems have poor efficiency. Research in this area can provide decreased operating costs for these key domestic industries.

A public workshop on energy efficiency R&D for fluid power systems in off-road vehicles was held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on September 12, 2017 to identify early-stage research needs. A summary of the key observations can be found at https://www.nrel.gov/transportation/mobile-fluid-power-workshop.html.

Technologies for efficiency improvement are anticipated to include, but are not limited to, new system architectures, energy storage, engineered fluid properties, advanced materials, engine technologies, and hybridization.

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Informational Webinar: EERE will conduct one informational webinar during the FOA process. Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions.

Title

FOA 1815-Fluid Power Systems in Off-Road Vehicles Applicant Webinar

Date and Time

Wed, Nov 1, 2017 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EDT

Registration URL

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7720635796163965442

Webinar ID: 698-471-411

Attendees MUST register PRIOR to Webinar.

Audio

Participants can use their telephone or computer mic & speakers (VoIP).

United States: +1 (213) 929-4232

Audio PIN: Shown after joining the webinar

Attendee - muted

Access Code: 121-730-30

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technology Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Solar Desalination”.

This FOA supports research, development, and potential demonstration of early stage technologies that can significantly reduce the costs of desalination powered by solar thermal energy. Rather than utilizing high-value electricity as an energy input, solar thermal desalination can achieve lower costs than current reverse osmosis systems by lowering the cost of collecting and storing solar thermal energy and increasing the efficiency of thermal desalination technologies. Additionally, thermal desalination can be utilized over a wide range of salt content, making it attractive for applications that require very high salinity feedwater or zero-liquid discharge. Applicants will be expected to propose ideas that have the potential to dramatically decrease the cost of producing solar thermal energy, advance early-stage thermal desalination technologies, or design novel integrated systems that creatively use solar thermal energy to lower the cost of producing fresh water.

It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Areas of Interest:

Area of Interest 1 – Low cost solar thermal heat - innovative concepts that have the potential to lower the cost of solar thermal collection, transport, and storage below conventional methods of generating heat.

Area of Interest 2 – Innovative thermal desalination techniques - Novel, early-stage thermal desalination technologies that are well suited to be coupled with solar generated heat.

Area of Interest 3 – Solar thermal integrated desalination - Integrated solar thermal desalination systems showing the potential for low-cost desalinated water.

Area of Interest 4 – Solar thermal desalination analysis - Analytic tools, such as systems models, for economic evaluation and resource optimization with solar thermal desalination.

Please access the complete Notice of Intent under the "Documents" heading below.

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. EERE may issue a FOA as described, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all. No applications will be accepted through this notice. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent.

The FOA will support early-stage research that spans the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) portfolio, seeking to advance both solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) technologies and to facilitate the swift integration of those technologies into the nation’s electricity grid. It also is designed to support efforts that prepare the workforce for the solar industry’s future needs. The FOA is organized into the following high level Topic Areas:

Topic 1: Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies describes SETO research priorities in the seamless integration of high penetrations of solar energy onto the nation’s electricity grid.

Topic 2: Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Research and Development describes SETO research priorities that support solar technologies that focus sunlight to generate and store high-temperature heat for electricity generation and other end uses.

Topic 3: Photovoltaic Research and Development describes SETO research priorities that support the further development of photovoltaic technologies that improve system reliability, annual energy yield, demonstrate performance of novel PV devices and develop new PV materials.

Topic 4: Improving and Expanding the Solar Industry through Workforce Initiatives describes SETO research priorities that support solar workforce development.

Webinar links:

**Note prior registration is not necessary.

Topic 1: Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies Webinar

April 23, 2018 1-2 pm EST

https://meetings.doe.gov/orion/joinmeeting.do?MTID=8ed931c4b7a7dfc06b4c54aa8db46055

Topic 2: Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Research and Development Webinar

April 23, 2018 2-3 pm EST

https://meetings.doe.gov/orion/joinmeeting.do?MTID=7993ba670f1327aeda96b3584f541b1a

Topic 3: Photovoltaic Research and Development Webinar

April 24, 2018 4-5 pm EST

https://meetings.doe.gov/orion/joinmeeting.do?MTID=6aa33236e167ca68666a5b3f420283b8

Topic 4: Improving and Expanding the Solar Industry through Workforce Initiatives Webinar

April 24, 2018 1-2 pm EST

https://meetings.doe.gov/orion/joinmeeting.do?MTID=516a967629e43ac5ce6ef51e0a0d7015

Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0001847 Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – 2018

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Indian Energy is charged by Congress under the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self Determination Act of 2005 (Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), Title V, § 502, codified at 42 USC § 7144e and 25 USC § 3501 et seq.), to “provide, direct, foster, coordinate, and implement energy planning, education, management, conservation, and delivery programs that –

(1) Promote Indian tribal energy development, efficiency, and use;

(2) Reduce and stabilize energy costs;

(3) Enhance and strengthen Indian tribal energy and economic infrastructure relating to natural resource development and electrification; and

(4) Bring electric power and service to Indian land and homes for tribal members located on Indian lands or acquired, constructed, or improved (in whole or in part) with Federal funds.” 42 USC § 7144e(b).

Through this planned Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the DOE’s Office of Indian Energy will be continuing its efforts to maximize the deployment of energy solutions for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives and help build the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to implement those energy solutions.

Specifically, DOE’s Office of Indian Energy may solicit applications from Indian Tribes including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations (hereafter referred to as “Indian Tribe”) and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations to:

(1) Install energy efficiency measures and/or energy generating system(s) for Tribal Buildings (Area of Interest 1);

(2) Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) on Tribal lands (Area of Interest 2);

(3) Install energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal loads for a short period of time during an emergency situation or for long-term tribal community resilience. (Area of Interest 3).

DOE envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of grants. The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately from one (1) to two (2) years, but no longer than three (3) years (including the 12-month energy savings verification period for Area of Interest 1).

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the DOE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. DOE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. However, once the FOA has been released, DOE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.

DOE’s Office of Indian Energy plans to issue the FOA on or about December 2017 or January 2018 via the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). If Applicants wish to be notified when the FOA is issued, they should subscribe to the DOE Office of Indian Energy email list on the website homepage (https://energy.gov/indianenergy/office-indian-energy-policy-and-programs). When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE.

DE-FOA-0001847: Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – 2018

Consistent with the Administration’s all of the above energy strategy and recognizing the breadth of energy resources on Tribal Lands, energy infrastructure projects sought under this FOA are fuel and technology neutral. Specifically, under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations to:

Install energy efficiency measures and/or energy generating system(s) for tribal building(s) (Topic Area 1);

Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) on tribal lands (Topic Area 2); and

Install energy system(s) for autonomous operation (Topic Area 3).

Applications may also be submitted on behalf of an Indian Tribe(s) by an authorized Tribal Organization or Inter-Tribal Organization, provided evidence of that authority is included as part of the application. See the FOA for all eligibility requirements and definitions.

Under Topic Area 1, DOE is seeking applications for the deployment of energy efficiency measures and/or energy generating system(s) for tribal buildings that may include deep energy retrofits, energy generating systems, or a combination of energy efficiency measures and energy generating systems. Proposed projects that include energy generating systems are intended to be grid-connected and/or provide power directly to individual or multiple tribal buildings.

Under Topic Area 2, DOE is soliciting applications for the deployment of community-scale energy generating systems on tribal lands to provide electricity and/or heating or cooling to a substantial number of buildings or to an entire tribal community. Projects proposed under Topic Area 2 are intended solely for energy generating systems that are grid-connected.

Under Topic Area 3, DOE is soliciting applications to install energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal load(s) during emergency situations, or to power a substantial number of essential tribal loads for tribal community resilience. Projects proposed under Topic Area 3 are intended to be for either: energy systems that are normally grid-connected, but can disconnect and function autonomously, or energy systems that normally operate independently of the traditional centralized electric power grid.

The intended results of the 50% cost-shared projects selected under this FOA are to reduce or stabilize energy costs and increase energy security and resilience for Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages.

DOE expects to make approximately $5.5 million to $11.5 million of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on Congressional appropriations. DOE anticipates making approximately 6 to 15 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the topic areas.

Informational Webinar

The DOE Office of Indian Energy will conduct an informational webinar on February 27, 2018 (3:00 Eastern) to provide information on the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to potential applicants. In addition to describing the FOA in detail, information will be provided on who is eligible to apply, what an application needs to include, cost share and other requirements, how to ask questions, and how applications will be selected for funding. If you are unable to attend the webinar, it will be recorded and posted for later viewing.

The webinar slides and audio are posted at: https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/downloads/webinar-office-indian-energy-2018-energy-infrastructure-deployment-tribal

Other eXCHANGE Information

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

The Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), invites input from the public regarding challenges and opportunities associated with drilling geothermal wells. With the overall goal of better understanding barriers to lower the costs and risks of geothermal drilling for the purpose of electricity production, we are seeking input in three areas: defining the major challenges, research and development opportunities, and process improvement opportunities. The information requested is intended to ascertain where there are opportunities to reduce the costs of drilling, facilitating increased geothermal energy production in the United States.

This FOA supports research and development of key early-stage technical challenges for fuel cells and for hydrogen fuel production, delivery and storage, and will leverage the private sector to address institutional barriers that impact progress in the field. The goal of this research activity is to provide affordable, clean, safe, and reliable energy from diverse domestic resources, providing the benefits of increased energy security and reduced emissions through early-stage research and development.

The global fuel cell market increased its growth 40% in 2016, with revenues of over $1.6 billion in 2016 and over 20,000 fuel cell units for material handling equipment purchased in the U.S. alone since 2009. Light duty vehicles are an emerging application for fuel cells that has earned substantial commercial and government interest worldwide due to the superior efficiencies, reductions in petroleum consumption, and reductions in criteria pollutants fuel cells make possible.

The FOA topics include:

Topic 1: Energy Materials Network (EMN) - ElectroCat – this topic will leverage the Electrocatalysis Consortium (ElectroCat) to accelerate the development of catalysts made without platinum group metals for use in fuel cells for transportation. The EMN consortia have been established to make unique, world-class capabilities at the national laboratories more accessible to industry, facilitating collaborations that will expedite the development and manufacturing of advanced materials for commercial markets.

Topic 2: H2@Scale – this topic aims to improve the efficiency and resiliency of the electrical grid and of the transportation sector, and to realize gains in the various industries using or producing hydrogen. Some of the key research areas in this topic include materials compatibility, electrolyzer integration, and analysis.

Topic 3: Innovative Concepts – this topic supports applied early stage research and development of fuel cell technologies for transportation, stationary, and early market applications, with a primary focus on reducing cost and improving durability. While the main focal points of the program’s R&D portfolio are polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and platinum-based catalysts, the program also supports longer-term technical approaches that offer advantages over PEMFCs.

To apply to this FOA, Applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE Exchange (this website), EERE’s online application portal.

The Exchange system enforces hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline:

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission PRIOR to the deadline, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE‐ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The Exchange helpdesk &/or the EERE Exchange System Administrators (Exchange@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission:

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE‐ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001880: Efficient Drilling for Geothermal Energy, is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).

The FOA contains three Topic Areas. The first two involve early stage research and development (R&D), while the third solicits projects that incentivize the risk-averse geothermal industry to adopt innovations earlier in the technology R&D cycle.

Topic Area 1: Reducing Non-Drilling Time

Topic Area 2: Advanced Drilling Technologies

Topic Area 3: Innovative Partnership Models

Please carefully review the complete Funding Opportunity Announcement, which can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

An informational webinar will be held on May 2, 2018, at 2:00 PM (EST). Instructions for attending the webinar will be posted here in the very near future.

FOA Q&A for this Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below. Please review the FOA Q&A before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper (required) and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline:

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance - EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

Through this Request for Information (RFI), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) seeks input on new research to maximize the value of hydropower’s contribution to grid resiliency and reliability today and into the future. This strategy includes pumped storage and traditional hydropower, and covers both new technology design as well as modeling and analysis to assess the range of value streams hydropower provides in the current and future power grid. This research will build targeted insight into economic, policy and technological barriers, inform future hydropower technology development, and improve the tools by which investment and operational decisions are made. WPTO seeks concise feedback from all relevant stakeholders.

Please carefully review the complete RFI, which can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on April 6, 2018. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

This is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or a Notice of Technical Assistance (NOTA); therefore, no funding will result from responding to this RFI, and WPTO is not accepting applications at this time. WPTO may issue a FOA or NOTA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, EERE may also elect not to issue a FOA or NOTA. Responding to this RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage to potential applicants if EERE chooses to issue a FOA or NOTA regarding the subject matter.

WPTO will not respond to questions related to this RFI.

The U.S. Department of Energy seeks to understand the key technical and other barriers that may prevent long-term access to low-cost water supplies that could be best addressed through challenges and prize competitions. For the purposes of this Request for Information (RFI), challenges and prize competitions are tools and approaches the Federal government and others can use to engage a broad range of stakeholders, including the general public, in developing solutions to difficult problems. Challenges and prize competitions rely on competitive structures to drive innovation among participants and usually offer rewards (financial and/or other) to winners and/or finalists. DOE may use the information provided through this RFI to develop challenges and prize competitions to address key water issues. This RFI is not designed to solicit input on DOE’s broader R&D efforts on affordable water.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Advancement and Data Dissemination”.

The FOA objectives are to further the development of Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies by reducing costs, accelerating technology, and reducing deployment timelines. It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Topic Areas to support these objectives:

Topic Area 1: Early Stage Device Design Research  The objective of Topic Area 1 is to advance technology by providing early stage development and evaluation of next generation wave and tidal/current systems, targeting prototype scale systems that have high potential that can be proven through numerical simulations and testing validation.

Topic Area 2: Controls and Power Take Off (PTO) Design Integration and Testing  The objective of Topic Area 2 is to support early stage design of PTO and control systems in parallel. Projects are expected to build and test the PTO with an operational real time control system at a relevant scale in a laboratory and/or tank setting. 

Topic Area 3: Dissemination of Environmental Data and Analyses to Facilitate the Marine Energy Regulatory Process  The objective of Topic Area 3 is to develop tools and methodologies that capture recent advances in the scientific understanding of environmental impacts of marine renewable energy and make this information widely available in a synthesized and easily digestible format to inform and facilitate Federal and State MHK regulatory processes.

Please review the full Notice of Intent, which can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all.

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.