EERE Funding Opportunity Announcements

FY20 SETO FOA Topic Area 2 Applicants ONLY

Topic Area 2: Integrated Thermal Energy STorage and Brayton Cycle (Integrated TESTBED)
Research in this topic area will work to move lab-scale supercritical CO2 (sCO2) Brayton power cycles closer to commercial production by designing and demonstrating the integration of these cycles with thermal energy storage (TES).

Teaming Lists associated with this FOA can be found on the main FOA page https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx#FoaIdc8e280d2-b7bf-4138-810b-cad9ba1541ac.

Questions and Answers related to this FOA can be found on the main FOA page https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx#FoaIdc8e280d2-b7bf-4138-810b-cad9ba1541ac.

Topic Area 8: Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS): PV and CSP
Projects in this topic area will focus on innovative and novel ideas in photovoltaics and concentrating solar-thermal power that are riskier than research ideas based on established technologies.

Teaming Lists associated with this FOA can be found on the main FOA page https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx#FoaIdc8e280d2-b7bf-4138-810b-cad9ba1541ac.

Questions and Answers related to this FOA can be found on the main FOA page https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx#FoaIdc8e280d2-b7bf-4138-810b-cad9ba1541ac.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) works across the solar energy technology spectrum with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. Ensuring that more Americans can benefit from the declining costs of solar is one of SETO's primary goals, which support early-stage research, development, and demonstration of solar technologies. Achieving SETO's priorities across the solar energy technology landscape requires sustained, multifaceted innovation. With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the office intends to fund high-impact, early-stage research in the following areas:

Topic Area 1: Photovoltaics Hardware Research

*Topic Area 2: Integrated Thermal Energy STorage and Brayton Cycle (Integrated TESTBED) (Applications must be submitted under DE-TA2-0002243.)

Topic Area 3: Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 3 (SEEDS 3)

Topic Area 4: SETO Incubator Tier 2: Innovation in Manufacturing

Topic Area 5: Systems Integration

Topic Area 6: Agricultural Solar: Opportunities, Innovative Models, and Novel System Designs

Topic Area 7: Artificial Intelligence Applications in Solar Energy with Emphasis on Machine Learning

*Topic Area 8: Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS): PV and CSP (Applications must be submitted under DE-TA8-0002243.)

Informational webinars:

February 12, 2020, at 2 PM Eastern Standard Time / 12 PM Mountain Standard Time

Through the Wells of Opportunity (WOO) FOA, EERE's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) is soliciting well owners or operators with “idle” wells that are willing to partner with DOE to advance and test EGS technologies in-situ. Due to the criticality of the technology prototyping and methodology testing phase of research and development in the innovation pipeline, this FOA focuses on active field testing, where the Federal government takes on the associated high cost and risks.

Topic Area 1 – Pilot (FORGE Test Wells): The objective of this initiative is to select, prepare, permit, and repair idle wells for early-stage FORGE technology and methodology testing prior to or in lieu of testing in the FORGE Utah wells. These wells will be closely linked to the FORGE effort, contributing to the overall goals and mission of the FORGE initiative by enabling higher-risk technology testing.

Topic Area 2 – Amplify (EGS Near-Field RD&D): This field validation effort will culminate in new power production, adding to the economic viability of these existing geothermal fields and illustrating that near-field EGS can be successfully deployed now and that low permeability/unproductive wells near existing hydrothermal fields can be turned into valuable assets using EGS techniques.

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the Q&A before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered. Please include the Topic Area(s) with the question.

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 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 should contact the Exchange Helpdesk for assistance at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Applicants are responsible for meeting each submission deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadline.

The Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), supports early-stage research and development (R&D) to strengthen the body of knowledge upon which industry can accelerate the development and deployment of innovative geothermal energy technologies.

GTO works to develop technologies to drive down the costs and risks of geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is a domestic energy resource from the heat of the earth, which represents a reliable, secure, clean, and nearly inexhaustible energy source.

This multi-topic funding opportunity aims to drive down costs and risks associated with the discovery of hidden geothermal systems in the Basin & Range region of the U.S., and to enhance energy system resilience through the utilization of Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage (RTES), Deep Direct-Use (DDU) and other geothermal direct use applications on university campuses, military installations, hospital complexes, and other large energy end-uses across the U.S.

The topic areas will be:

Topic Area 1 – Exploration RD&D: Hidden Geothermal Systems in the Basin and Range

Topic Area 2 – Advanced Energy Storage Initiative (AESI): Bi-directional Energy Storage Using Low-Temperature Geothermal Applications

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the Q&A before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

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 Letter of Intent 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 should contact the Exchange Helpdesk for assistance at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Applicants are responsible for meeting each submission deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their Letters of Intent and Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadlines.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Workforce Development in Emerging Fields.”

EERE intends to announce a funding opportunity to support leading-edge interdisciplinary research that promotes workforce development in emerging fields by supporting a coordinated expansion of existing joint graduate education programs with national laboratories to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers. Consistent with Congressional guidance, applicants will be restricted to land grant universities. Qualified land grant universities are identified here: https://nifa.usda.gov/land-grant-colleges-and-universities-partner-website-directory.

This notice of intent (NOI) 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 NOI is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this NOI. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential applicants to submit questions.

Modification 00001 - This modification extends the deadline for responses to this RFI to March 4, 2020. This change is highlighted in yellow on page 5 of the RFI document.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is issuing this request for information (RFI) to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders. This RFI will inform SETO’s strategic planning on research related to the integration of solar energy resources. Specifically, this RFI will inform SETO’s strategies relating to prediction of solar irradiance reaching the surface of the earth, and power output from solar generation plants, using either photovoltaic (PV) or concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. Improving solar generation prediction will better inform grid operators as they consider the impacts of solar power variability on grid planning and operations technologies, as well as the owners and operators of utility-scale plants and aggregators of distributed PV systems.

Amendment 000002 issued on February 7, 2020 to clarify cost share for certain non-profits and revise the definition of heavy rare earth materials in AOI 2.

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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, “Fiscal Year 2020 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research Funding Opportunity Announcement.”

This FOA seeks research projects to address priorities in the following areas: advanced batteries and electrification in support of the recently-announced DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge; advanced engine and fuel technologies, including technologies for off-road applications and alternative fueled engines; lightweight materials; new mobility technologies (energy efficient mobility systems); and alternative fuels technology demonstrations.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) develops technologies that convert domestic biomass and other waste resources into fuels, products, and power to enable affordable energy, economic growth, and innovation in renewable energy and chemicals production – the bioeconomy. The activities supported by BETO are authorized by public law 109–58, TITLE IX, § 932, which authorizes the Secretary of Energy to establish a program of research and developmentfor bioenergy with the goal of price-competitivebiofuels, bioproducts, and biopower made from biomass-based feedstocks – see section I.E for details. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support high-impact technology research and development (R&D) to enable growth and innovation to accelerate the bioeconomy by requesting applications across the entire scope of BETO’s mission space.

This FOA will provide funding to address BETO’s highest priority R&D areas. It includes Topic Areas from five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced Algal Systems; Conversion Technologies; Advanced Development and Optimization; and Strategic Analysis and Crosscutting Sustainability. Each Topic Area supports BETO’s objectives to reduce the minimum selling price of drop-in biofuels, lower the cost of biopower, and enable high-value products from biomass or waste resources.

Topic 1: Scale Up of Bench Applications (SCUBA)

Topic 2: Waste to Energy Strategies for the Bioeconomy

Topic 3: Algae Bioproducts and CO₂ Direct-Air-Capture Efficiency (ABCDE)

Topic 4: Bio-Restore: Biomass to Restore Natural Resources

Topic 5: Efficient Wood Heaters

Topic 6: Biopower and Products from Urban and Suburban Wastes: North American Multi-University Partnership for Research and Education

Topic 7: Scalable CO₂ Electrocatalysis

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 (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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

Please see the full FOA document in the DOCUMENTS section below.

The technology improvements necessary to advance H2@Scale encompass four main focus areas—better ways to MAKE, MOVE, USE, and STORE hydrogen. The initial H2@Scale FOA, released by EERE in FY19, focused on enabling R&D in these areas—and also funded first-of-kind pilot demonstrations of integrated systems with on-site nuclear power and multiple renewable energy sources. The key to continued advancement of H2@Scale is scaling up affordable hydrogen and fuel cell technology options for expanded supply and demand, enabled in part by continued R&D.

This “H2@Scale New Markets FOA” will provide more than $64M in Federal funding to advance the focus areas of H2@Scale and support EERE’s core priorities. Highlighting the importance of scaling up hydrogen use across sectors, this FOA will include more novel demonstration projects for several emerging new markets and applications.

Topics under this FOA to advance H2@Scale include:

Topic 1: Electrolyzer Manufacturing R&D

Topic 2: Advanced Carbon Fiber for Compressed Hydrogen and Natural Gas Storage Tanks

Topic 3: Fuel Cell R&D for Heavy Duty Applications

Subtopic 3a: Membranes for Heavy-Duty Applications

Subtopic 3b: Domestically Manufactured Fuel Cells for Heavy-Duty Applications

Topic 4: H2@Scale New Markets R&D—HySteel

Topic 5: H2@Scale New Markets Demonstrations

Subtopic 5a: Maritime Demonstrations

Subtopic 5b: Data Center Demonstrations

Topic 6: Training and Workforce Development for Emerging Hydrogen Technologies

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the Q&A before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

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 should contact the Exchange Helpdesk for assistance at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Applicants are responsible for meeting each submission deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their Concept Papers and Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadline.

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 “Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Program.”

The Solar Energy Technologies Office intends to announce a funding opportunity to support early-stage research and development of solar technologies that support use and integration of solar technologies onto the electric grid. The FOA may support innovative research efforts that lower solar electricity costs to promote energy affordability, securely and reliably integrate more solar energy onto the grid, and enhance the use and storage of solar energy. These efforts are intended to provide the technological foundations necessary to continue the solar industry’s growth and preserve American energy choice, independence, and security. The funding amount is subject to the availability of funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of this program and the availability of future-year budget authority.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “H2@Scale New Markets FOA”, to advance innovations that will build new markets for H2@Scale. Transformational R&D and innovative concepts for new H2@Scale markets will be key to expanding hydrogen opportunities and converting them into market solutions that benefit the American people and provide added value for the economy.

Potential topics under the FOA include:

• Electrolyzer Manufacturing R&D
• Advanced Carbon Fiber for Compressed Storage Tanks
• Fuel Cell R&D for Heavy-Duty Applications
• H2@Scale New Markets R&D—HySteel
• H2@Scale New Markets Demonstrations
• Training and Workforce Development

This FOA supports the vision of affordable and large-scale production, storage, transport, and utilization of hydrogen in the United States.

This notice of intent (NOI) 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 NOI is subject to change. EERE will not respond to questions concerning this NOI. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential applicants to submit questions.

EERE plans to issue the FOA in January of 2020 via the EERE Exchange website https://eere-exchange.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 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-0002197 entitled "FY 2020 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/February 2020 timeframe.

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 “FY20 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic FOA”.

BETO develops technologies that convert domestic biomass and waste resources into fuels, products, and power to enable affordable energy, economic growth, and innovation in renewable energy and chemicals production. The activities funded through this opportunity will be a component of the comprehensive U.S. energy strategy to enhance energy supply, create domestic jobs, secure the nation’s global leadership in bioenergy technologies and improve U.S. energy security.

This FOA will support high-impact technology research and development (R&D) to enable growth and innovation of the Bioeconomy. The topic areas will focus on BETO's objectives to reduce the minimum fuel selling price of drop-in biofuels, lower the cost of biopower, and enable high-value products from biomass or waste resources.

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

EERE plans to issue the FOA via the EERE Exchange website https://eere-exchange.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.

Current recycling strategies often do not allow for cost-effective recycling of commonly used plastics. Typical recycling techniques can result in diminished material properties, which limit opportunities to produce products from recycled material with equal or greater value. However, there is an opportunity to advance new technologies that use recycled materials to reduce manufacturing energy consumption for some of the most prevalent plastics by up to 50 percent, including those used in grocery bags and beverage bottles.

BETO and AMO have identified significant potential to improve the carbon efficiency and energy efficiency of plastics recycling technologies. To achieve this, research is needed to:

- Develop novel polymers that are designed for infinite recyclability;

- Create innovative deconstruction pathways for existing polymers that generate high-value products; and

- Establish a consistent framework for evaluating carbon and energy efficiency across potential material flows and transformations.

Please see the full text of the Notice of Intent in the Documents section below.

EERE is issuing this notice so that interested parties are aware of the intent to issue a 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 January 2020 via the EERE Exchange website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Applicants who wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding this FOA should register in EERE Exchange. After FOA release, EERE will accept applications only through EERE Exchange.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is consistent with the principles of tribal sovereignty and self-determination, and with an all of-the-above energy strategy that recognizes the breadth of energy resources on Tribal Lands, and each Tribe’s right to use them as they see fit. Projects sought under this FOA are fuel and technology neutral. Specifically, DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes, which include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations, Intertribal Organizations, and Tribal Energy Development Organizations to:

(1) Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s) (Topic Area 1); or,

(2) Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal Lands (Topic Area 2); or,

(3) Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience (Topic Area 3); or,

(4) Deploy energy infrastructure and integrated energy system(s) to electrify Tribal Buildings (Topic Area 4).

Applications from a consortium of Indian Tribes (Tribal Consortium) will be accepted but must be submitted by a single Indian Tribe acting as the Applicant and representing the Consortium. Applications may also be submitted on behalf of Indian Tribe(s) by an authorized Tribal Organization, provided evidence of that authority is included as part of the application.

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 resiliency for Indian Tribes and tribal members.

DOE expects to make approximately $3.5 million to $15 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 5 to 15 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the topic areas.

Informational Webinar:

An informational webinar was held on December 10, 2019 to provide information on the FOA to potential applicants. In addition to describing the FOA in detail, information was 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 were unable to attend the webinar, please see links to the webinar presentation below:

https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/downloads/2020-energy-infrastructure-deployment-tribal-lands-foa-informational-webinar

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/12/f69/2020-DE-FOA-0002168-final.pdf

Submission Details:

EERE Exchange is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FOA. The “Apply” and “Submit” buttons will be automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines.

Should Applicants experience problems with Exchange, the following information may be helpful:

Applicants that experience issues with submission 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 Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov) will assist Applicants in resolving issues. However, those Applicants who are unable to submit their applications because they are submitting them at the last minute, when network traffic is at its heaviest, will not be able to seek assistance from the EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system.

This request for information (RFI) seeks feedback on technologies to integrate and demonstrate advanced supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton power cycles that are indirectly heated via thermal energy storage at a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) range between 550 and 630°C. This request is focused on accelerating the commercialization of sCO₂ power cycles that are appropriate for near-term integration with concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), at temperatures that do not require significant de-risking of the cost and performance of novel materials.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to seek broad stakeholder input to inform the strategic direction of the DOE Lighting Research & Development (R&D) portfolio. The purpose of issuing this RFI is to better understand how lighting research goals can be refined to reflect evolving technology needs and to inform related R&D technologies. Specifically, the DOE EERE program is interested in gathering information relevant to four (4) different topic areas: (1) Identify impactful lighting R&D opportunities who immediate applications are beyond general illumination, but have potential to help save energy in the built environment; (2) Identify impactful lighting R&D opportunities within general illumination that are absent (or under-represented) in the 2018 DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Opportunities (RDO) document; (3) Validate the importance of existing R&D opportunities described in the RDO and provide additional context or support, and (4) Provide other comments or information that could improve the quality of the RDO or the general direction of the DOE Lighting R&D Program.

This is solely a request for information and is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). U.S. Department of Energy is not accepting applications to this RFI.

Notice of Intent (NOI) to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002168 Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – 2020

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), 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, which, for purposes of this NOI, include Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations to:

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

Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal Lands (Topic Area 2); or,

Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation (independent of the traditional centralized electric power grid) to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience (Topic Area 3); or,

Deploy energy infrastructure or integrated energy system(s) to electrify tribal buildings (Topic Area 4).

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 a 12 month mandatory verification period.

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of 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 October or November 2019 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 (www.energy.gov/indianenergy). When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE.

This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) only. DOE 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.

DE-FOA-0002165: Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Water Security Grand Challenge Resource Recovery Prize

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment providing information and feedback on the design of a potential prize competition with a goal of increasing resource recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plants across the United States, and in so doing, lower the ultimate cost of treatment by extracting additional value from the wastewater (i.e., improve energy efficiency). Through this potential prize, DOE would seek novel, systems-based solutions from multidisciplinary teams to implement resource recovery at small-to-medium-sized wastewater treatment plants. Specifically, the intent is to encourage teams of wastewater treatment plants, engineering and design firms, technology developers, resource customers (e.g., farmers, electric and gas utilities), and others to develop holistic community and/or watershed-based resource recovery plans for their respective wastewater treatment systems. Input from this RFI may be used to further develop the competition objectives, rules, metrics, and incentives.

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.

For questions and answers pertaining to this RFI, please reference the DE-FOA-0002165 Water Recovery Prize FAQ Log in the Documents section.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to WaterResourceRecoveryPrize@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on October 23, 2019. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. Include Water Security Grand Challenge Resource Recovery Prize in the subject of the title. 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 20 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), State Energy Program (SEP) seeks information on organizations, including industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and others, who are able to support state officials serving in the executive branch of state government; in particular, Governors and/or their designated energy representative(s). The desired outcome is to improve how DOE SEP delivers technical assistance that helps states improve the affordability, reliability, and resiliency of energy systems.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and others that have extensive experience working with senior state officials, including Governors and/or their designated energy representative(s), serving the nation’s 55 states and territories. SEP is specifically interested in information on such organizations’ ability and experience in providing direct support to states through training on best practices and the development and dissemination of technical assistance programs. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is issuing this request for information (RFI) to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders. This RFI will inform SETO’s strategic planning on research related to the integration of distributed solar energy resources. Specifically, this RFI will inform strategies relating to the modeling, monitoring, predicting, and controlling of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. As the penetration of solar PV on the grid grows, these activities will become more important as grid operators consider how solar adoption impacts grid planning and operations technologies.

This is solely a request for information and not a funding opportunity announcement (FOA). No funding applications are being accepted in response to this RFI.

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.

To respond, please email your response to SETO.RFI.SI@ee.doe.gov no later than 12:00pm (ET) on August 30, 2019. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically and 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 ten (10) pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

As part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)’s mission is to promote widespread energy efficiency and renewable energy technology adoption in the Federal sector. FEMP assists Federal agencies in meeting energy-related goals by bringing expertise from all levels of project and policy implementation to identify affordable solutions and facilitate public-private partnerships.

FEMP’s Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2019 Federal Agency Call (FAC) will build on FEMP’s prior AFFECT grant program efforts to provide direct funding to Federal agencies for the development of energy and water efficiency projects and processes. The purpose of the AFFECT 2019 FAC funding is to initiate, supplement, improve or otherwise increase the viability and adoption of energy efficiency at U.S. Federal government-owned facilities through the use of a privately financed performance contract such as an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) or Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC), etc., or demonstration of a Federal agency’s enterprise-wide approach to implementing energy efficiency. An enterprise-wide approach is defined as an all-inclusive strategy to energy management for an entire portfolio of sites. Through the AFFECT 2019 FAC, FEMP intends to facilitate and promote the wider adoption of energy and water efficiency projects and processes at all Federal facilities.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the growing Research and Development (R&D) interest in the use of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) facilities for renewable energy, maritime markets, and energy storage research, technology development and testing. This information will help DOE and PNNL prioritize resources and investments. 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 WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 8, 2019. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. 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. 

NOTICE: The submission deadline for Full Applications has been extended to 09/12/2019 at 5 PM ET. Expected submission deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments has been extended to 10/23/219 at 5 PM ET. Please see updated Modification 0002 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement below for changes.

NOTICE: The submission deadline for Full Applications has been extended to 09/05/2019, 5:00pm ET. Please see updated Modification 0001 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement below for additional changes.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports federal investment in innovative, early-stage advanced manufacturing applied research and development (R&D) projects that focus on specific high-impact manufacturing technology, materials, and process challenges. The topics are aimed at foundational energy-related advanced manufacturing technologies that impact areas relevant to manufacturing processes (where energy costs are a determinant of competitive manufacturing) and broadly applicable platform technologies (the enabling base upon which other systems and applications can be developed). The competitively selected projects will focus on developing next-generation manufacturing material, information, and process technologies that improve energy efficiency in energy intensive and energy dependent processes.

With this FOA, the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) intends to fund high-impact, early to mid-stage research in the following topic areas:

Topic 1: Innovations for the Manufacture of Advanced Materials

Subtopic 1.1: Accelerate the Manufacturing Process Design and Development Cycle for Advanced Energy Conversion and Storage Materials

Subtopic 1.2: Innovative Manufacturing Processes for Battery Energy Storage

Subtopic 1.3: Materials and Manufacturing Process Development of Nanocrystalline Metal Alloys

Subtopic 1.4: Process-Informed Science, Design, and Engineering of Materials and Devices Operating in Harsh Service Conditions

Topic 2: Lower Thermal Budget (LTB) Processes for Industrial Efficiency & Productivity

Subtopic 2.1: Advances in Industrial and Process Drying

Subtopic 2.2: Thermal Process Intensification

Topic 3: Connected, Flexible and Efficient Manufacturing Facilities and Energy Systems

Subtopic 3.1: Medium-Voltage Power Conditioning Systems to Enable Grid-Dispatchable and Resilient Manufacturing Facilities

Subtopic 3.2: High Power to Heat Ratio, High Efficiency Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Subtopic 3.3: Verification and Validation of CHP and District Energy

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001980 AMO 2019 FAQ Log at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

EERE Exchange is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FOA. The “Apply” and “Submit” buttons will automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. Should applicants experience problems with EERE Exchange, the following information may be helpful.

Applicants that experience issues with submission PRIOR to the FOA deadline: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the applicant should contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators will assist applicants in resolving issues.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in late submissions: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties so severe that they are unable to submit their application by the deadline, the applicant should contact the EERE Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The EERE Exchange helpdesk and/or the EERE Exchange system administrators will assist the applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing submission on behalf of and with the applicant’s concurrence). Please note, network traffic is at its heaviest during the final hours and minutes prior to submittal deadline. Applicants who experience this during the final hours or minutes and are unsuccessful in uploading documents will not be able to use this process.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to address the highest priority R&D areas within biofuel technologies, bioproducts, and biopower. It includes Areas of Interest (AOIs) from all five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced Algal Systems; Conversion; Advanced Development and Optimization; and Sustainability and Strategic Analysis. Each AOI supports BETO’s objectives to reduce the minimum selling price of drop-in biofuels, lower the cost of biopower, enable high-value products from biomass or waste resources, and improve the quality of feedstock characterization and reliability of biorefinery operations.

Topics under this FOA include:

• AOI 1: Cultivation Intensification Processes for Algae
• AOI 2a: Relating Biomass Physical and Chemical Characteristics to Feedstock Performance in Handling and Conversion Operations
• AOI 2b: Impact of Storage and Handling on Biomass Characteristics
• AOI 2c: Improving Economics and Development of Coproducts
• AOI 3: Efficient Wood Heaters
• AOI 4: Systems Research of Hydrocarbon Biofuel Technologies
• AOI 5: Optimization of Bio-Derived Jet Fuel Blends
• AOI 6: Renewable Energy from Urban and Suburban Wastes
• AOI 7a: Advanced Bioprocessing
• AOI 7b: Agile BioFoundry
• AOI 8a: Designing Highly Recyclable Plastics
• AOI 8b: Designing Novel Methods for Deconstructing and Upcycling Existing Plastics
• AOI 9: Rethinking Anaerobic Digestion
• AOI 10: Reducing Water, Energy, and Emissions in Bioenergy

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the Q&A before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

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 should contact the Exchange Helpdesk for assistance at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Applicants are responsible for meeting each submission deadline. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their Concept Papers and Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadline.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) Advanced Building Construction with Energy-Efficient Technologies & Practices (ABC) FOA supports research and development of solutions that can be applied to many segments of the building sector, including existing and new buildings, residential and commercial, and across multiple climate zones. BTO is seeking applications aimed at developing deep energy retrofit and new construction technologies that holistically tackle a combination of envelope, heating, cooling, water heating, and ventilation issues, and hold appeal for both building owners and occupants.

BTO is interested in three topic areas:

Topic 1: Integrated Building Retrofits

Topic 2: New Construction Technologies

Topic 3: Advanced Technology Integration

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0002099 ABC 2019 FAQ Log in the Documents section below.

Informational Webinar: A playback of the Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA can be found by following this link:

https://doe.webex.com/doe/lsr.php?RCID=8bd63921da034e8996909acf73ffdab1

Passcode: 2019abcFOA 

A full transcript of the Informational Webinar can be found in the Documents section below.

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 (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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Building Technologies Office (BTO). BTO’s overall goal is to improve the energy productivity of buildings without sacrificing occupant comfort or product performance. The goal is to use energy more productively and efficiently, not simply to use less energy. Progress towards achieving this goal will make building energy costs more affordable to the benefit of American families and businesses.

BTO research is focused on reducing energy intensity for major segments of the sector with the most opportunity for energy savings, while balancing the need to maintain occupant comfort and productivity, and product performance. This includes both new and existing buildings, both residential and commercial, including their energy-consuming and labor-saving equipment. The development of next-generation building technologies, including building materials, components, equipment, energy models and systems, is critical to increasing energy productivity in a cost-effective manner.

BTO’s Emerging Technologies (ET) program invests in the research and development to create the next-generation building technologies, tools and systems to enhance energy efficiency. The program focuses on the most energy-intensive technologies for residential buildings and in commercial buildings, where the opportunity for cost-effective energy savings is greatest. These technologies include air conditioning, space heating, water heating, lighting and sensors & controls, all of which are addressed in this FOA.

Achieving BTO’s priorities across the building technology landscape requires sustained, multifaceted innovation. With this FOA, BTO intends to fund high-impact, early-stage research in the following areas:

Topic 1: Flexible Building Technologies

Topic 2: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technologies

Topic 3: Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Technologies

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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 (eXCHANGE@go.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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the applicant through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE), Building Technologies Office (BTO) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) on Research and Development Opportunities for Innovations in Sensors and Controls for Building Energy Management.

Through this RFI, BTO seeks input on its recently developed R&D opportunities document for the integration and optimization of systems at the whole-building level through connected and controllable loads for increased energy affordability, improved occupant comfort, and enhanced provision of grid services that will strengthen the integration between buildings, other distributed energy resources, and the electric grid. This document will inform BTO’s strategic planning moving forward in identifying early-stage and innovative technology solutions to meet these goals. Successful solutions will strengthen the affordability, reliability, and resiliency of the energy consumed by the buildings sector, contributing to DOE’s priorities for the energy sector as a whole.

Request for Information Categories:

Category 1: Multi-Functional Wireless Sensor Networks

Category 2: Advanced Monitoring and Data Analytics

Category 3: Adaptive and Autonomous Controls

Category 4: Occupant-Centric Controls

Category 5: Overarching Areas of Interest and Cross-cut Strategies

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to sensor and control technologies for optimizing building energy management. This information will be used by BTO to update its Sensors and Controls R&D strategy and supporting energy savings and cost reduction goals, as well as to inform future strategic planning and adjustments to its R&D portfolio. 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 BTO_SensorsControls_RDO@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on June 3, 2019. 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 10 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 United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) is seeking input from the public about its Research and Development Opportunities for Building Energy Modeling (BEM). In particular, BTO is interested in feedback on planned initiatives and their prioritization, on program scope, and on data-sets, metrics and targets for assessing program effectiveness and impact.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on BTO’s BEM program and its future directions and priorities. To clarify these, BTO has developed a report that is structured around six focus areas (the BEM value proposition, predictive accuracy of BEM, core modeling capabilities, workflow integration and automation, the BEM data ecosystem, and BEM professionals). The report identifies barriers to the increased adoption of BEM and proposing a set of initiatives to address them. BTO is requesting feedback on each of these barriers, the associated initiatives, as well as barriers and initiatives that have not been identified. BTO is also requesting feedback on datasets, metrics, and targets for assessing the impact and progress of the BEM industry and its own BEM program.

Request for Information Categories:

Category 1: Metrics, benchmarks, targets, and data sets for tracking the use of BEM in various building energy building energy efficiency projects. Methods of attributing energy-efficiency to BEM in various applications.

Category 2: Focus areas

Category 3: Barriers

Category 4: Initiatives

Category 5: Stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanisms

Category 6: Other Feedback

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to BTO_BEM_RDO@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on June 3, 2019. 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 10 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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.

BTO: 2019 National Laboratory Call for Core and Competed Activities

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Modification 001 (4-15-2019)

a) Provided additional guidance for proposal submission in Appendix B.3.

***********************************************************************************

The Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office (BTO) is seeking multi-year project proposals from national laboratories (“Labs”) for activities to incorporate into the Annual Operating Plans (AOPs). Updates to the Lab Call will be announced on EERE Exchange at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ .

For some topics, only specific DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and specific DOE Government-Operated Government-Owned laboratories (GOGOs) are eligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient. All DOE laboratories are listed on http://energy.gov/offices under the heading “Labs and Technology Centers.” Only proposals for which the identified DOE national laboratory is the prime applicant will be considered for funding. Prime recipients are encouraged to form teams with other labs and to include other entities as sub-recipients.

Topics of Interest:

Appendix A: Core R&D Topics

A.1. Sensors & Controls:

A.1.1. Sensor and Meter Data Collection and Integration for Building Applications

A.1.2. Automated Fault Detection and Diagnostics (AFDD)

A.1.3. Predictive and Adaptive Controls Testing and Validation

A.2. Indoor Air Quality

A.2.1. Multi-Zone Building Ventilation

A.2.2. Air Sealing and Ventilation Research for Residential Retrofits

Appendix B: Competed R&D Topics

B.1. Building Energy Modeling:

B.1.1. Empirical Validation of Energy Simulation

B.1.2. A Simplified Performance Rating Method for (Small) Commercial Buildings

B.2. Advanced Residential Ventilation Technologies

B.2.1. Advanced Residential Ventilation Technologies

B.3. Solid State Lighting

B.3.1. Open Lighting Topic

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the Lab Call is scheduled for April 11th, 2019 at 3:00PM ET.

To Register/Join, go here:

https://doe.webex.com/doe/onstage/g.php?MTID=e37ce8d209d9cdd5f9822c47d63c61c98

• US Toll: +1-415-527-5035
• Access Code: 909 365 359
• Event password: BTOLC2019

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-LC-000L070 BTO Lab CAll 2019 FAQ Log in "Questions and Answers" tab on Exchange.

The eXCHANGE system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for 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 (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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

Modification 0003 has been made to this FOA to change "two (2)Budget Periods are anticipated", to "one (1) Budget Period is anticipated" FOA AOI 4, within Section II.A.ii. of the FOA. See "FOA 2080 WPTO Research Mod 0003" under the "Documents" heading below.

Modification 0002 has been made to this FOA to make corrections in Section I B AOI 3 on page 41. See "FOA 2080 WPTO Research Mod 0002" under the "Documents" heading below.

Modification 0001 has been made to this FOA to correct the AOI 3 and AOI 4 Specific Technical Volume information on pages 76 and 77.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Water Power Technologies Office 2019 Research Funding Opportunity.” This FOA addresses priorities in the following Areas of Interest:

Area of Interest 1: Hydropower Operational Flexibility

Area of Interest 1a: Quantify Hydropower Capabilities for Operational Flexibility

Area of Interest 1b: Operational Strategies for Increasing Hydropower Flexibility

Area of Interest 2: Low-Head Hydropower and In-Stream Hydrokinetic Technologies

Area of Interest 2a: Modular Technologies for Low-Head Hydropower Applications

Area of Interest 2b: Modular Technologies for River Current Energy Converter Applications

Area of Interest 3: Advancing Wave Energy Device Design

Area of Interest 4: Marine Energy Centers Research Infrastructure Upgrades

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the Q&A before submitting a question, as a similar question may already have been answered.

An informational webinar was held on April 11, 2019 at 12:00 PM EST. A copy of the webinar PowerPoint presentation can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below; recording is available at https://youtu.be/s2LpyJsUfzM

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. Applicants are encouraged to submit Concept Papers and Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the related Submission Deadline. For this FOA, Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by the stated deadline in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

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 at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) will award up to $7M for projects that advance geothermal development by addressing two significant barriers: understanding subsurface state of stress and managing lost circulation events in drilling. Improved understanding of the stress state in geothermal fields will lead to significant cost reductions at several stages of the development cycle, including improved drilling success rates and sustainability of reservoirs over time. Improved knowledge of subsurface stress has the potential to improve both well targeting and reservoir sustainability – two primary drivers of cost. Another challenge that can contribute to the high cost of reservoir access is the loss of fluids to surrounding rock during drilling, or lost circulation events (LCEs). Because geothermal drilling operations tend to target zones of highly fractured and altered material, lost circulation is more common in geothermal drilling than in other applications and can represent 20% of the costs for exploratory wells and reservoir development. Effective assessment of the subsurface stress and being able to mitigate and manage lost circulation events are critical to improving the efficiency of geothermal energy development and ultimately can play a major role in increasing domestic energy affordability. With this funding opportunity, GTO is seeking to sponsor early-stage R&D that will advance the state of the art in each of these related areas.

The full Funding Opportunity Announcement is published at EERE-Exchange.energy.gov.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0002083: Subsurface Stress and Lost Circulation in Geothermal Drilling FAQ Log in FOA Documents.

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 (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.

The FOA has been modified to:

1) Revise the eligibility information for applications under Area of Interest 4 on page 21 to remove the requirement that the prime recipient must perform more than 50% of the project work, as measured by the Total Project Costs; and

2) Revise and clarify required LCOE analysis and include additional detail on assumptions in Appendix H – Guidelines for Tall Tower Estimates.

The FOA was previously modified (002) to extend the FOA closing date and Expected Date for EERE Selection Notifications from 6/17/2019 to 7/1/2019 and August 2019 to September 2019, respectively.

The FOA was also previously modified (001) to correct the maximum funding amount for Subtopic 2a on page 10.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Wind EnergyTechnologies Office (WETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Wind Energy Technologies Office Funding Opportunity Announcement.”

This FOA consists of four Areas of Interest and will provide $28.1M in federal funding for innovative wind energy technologies research and development including land-based, distributed, and offshore applications.

1) Wind Innovations for Rural Economic Development (WIRED)

Subtopic 1a: Fully integrated distributed wind research and development (R&D) innovations to enhance resilience and reliability

Subtopic 1b: Balance of system cost reduction through standardization

2) Utilizing and Upgrading National-Level Facilities for Offshore Wind R&D

Subtopic 2a: R&D utilizing existing national-level offshore wind testing facilities

Subtopic 2b: R&D requiring upgrades to existing national offshore wind testing facilities

3) Project Development for Offshore Wind Technology Demonstrations

4) Tall Towers for U.S. Wind Power

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the 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 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 are encouraged to submit Concept Papers and Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the related Submission Deadline.

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 at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov

Modification 00003 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 00003 are highlighted in blue.

Modification 00002 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 00002 are highlighted in green.

Modification 00001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 00001 are highlighted in yellow.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) works across the solar energy technology spectrum with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. Ensuring that more Americans can benefit from the declining costs of solar is one of SETO's primary goals, which support early-stage research, development, and demonstration of solar technologies. Achieving SETO's priorities across the solar energy technology landscape requires sustained, multifaceted innovation. With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the office intends to fund high-impact, early-stage research in the following areas:

Topic Area 1: Photovoltaics Research and Development

Topic Area 2: Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Research and Development

Topic Area 3: Balance of Systems Soft Costs Reduction

Topic Area 4: Innovations in Manufacturing: Hardware Incubator

Topic Area 5: Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies

Teaming Partner List: See “Teaming Partner List Instructions” under the Documents Section for more information about the SETO teaming partner list.

Links to the recorded webinars are below. The password for each webinar is Setofoa2019. The recordings must be viewed in a browser other than Internet Explorer.

SETO FY 2019 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY - OVERVIEW

Topic Area 1- PHOTOVOLTAICS

Topic Area 2 - CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER - Due to an unfortunate technical error, the CSP webinar recording and webinar transcript will not be posted on Exchange. See the Documents section below for a copy of the CSP presentation slides.

Topic Area 3 - SOFT COSTS

Topic Area 4 - INNOVATIONS IN MANUFACTURING

Topic Area 5 - SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Applicants should note that the SAM registration and renewal process has been updated recently and now requires applicants to mail a notarized letter to the SAM processing office in London, KY. The letter must formally identify an Entity Administrator for each applicant. This additional step can result in longer processing times.

For questions and answers, please refer to the FOA Q and A spreadsheet under Documents.

Modification 0002 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 0002 are highlighted in yellow.

Modification 0001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 0001 are highlighted in yellow.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), invests in cutting-edge research, development, and demonstration activities focused on sustainable transportation, renewable power, and energy efficiency. Through EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) public-private R&D consortia, manufacturers, small businesses, universities, national laboratories, and state and local governments are brought together to pursue coordinated early-stage R&D in high-priority areas essential to energy in manufacturing. Federal funding is the catalyst to bring stakeholders into shared spaces and to address process and technological challenges that present a significant degree of scientific or technical uncertainty.

Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), EERE in partnership with the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER), seeks to establish a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute dedicated to advancing cybersecurity in energy efficient manufacturing (referred hereafter as the Institute). The Institute will pursue targeted research and development (R&D) that will focus on understanding the evolving cybersecurity threats to greater energy efficiency in manufacturing industries, developing new cybersecurity technologies and methods, and sharing information and knowledge to the broader community of U.S. manufacturers. The Institute will leverage expertise from industry, academia, state and local governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), non-profits and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs).

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

Please click "FOA FAQs" under the "DOCUMENTS" heading below for Questions and Answers specific to this FOA.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: The Exchange system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for 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 applications. 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 ).

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA will be held on April 16, 2019 at 1pm Eastern Standard Time. Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions. Standard application questions regarding the EERE Office and FOA procedures will be discussed. No new information will be presented during the webinar and EERE will not answer any attendee questions during the webinar.

After the webinar is complete, a link will be provided to access the audio recording of the webinar. Also, a copy of the Webinar Slides and Webinar Transcript will be available to download in the “DOCUMENTS” section below.

Please click here to register for the webinar.

*UPDATE: Please see the link below for the Informational Webinar held on April 16, 2019 and enter this password: VtGQQJA7

https://doe.webex.com/doe/lsr.php?RCID=450f071ef5274a6a819d8d0383328000

Please see the Announcement Documents section for a copy of the webinar slides and transcript.

The purpose of this FOA is to select a Network Director for an effort to support a rolling testing campaign, the TEAMER Program. TEAMER will provide developers access to Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) testing facilities. TEAMER will also lend technical expertise to assist with numerical modeling and data collection. TEAMER will be a collaborative effort including universities as well as already established national laboratories and National Marine Renewable Energy Centers (NMRECs).

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

FOA Q&A can also be accessed under the "Documents" heading. Please review the 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 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 are encouraged to submit Concept Papers and Full Applications at least 48 hours in advance of the related Submission Deadline. For this FOA, Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by the stated deadline in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

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 at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

This RFI has been modified to extend the deadline for responses to April 5, 2019. Please see "Waves to Water RFI_Mod 0001" under the "Documents" heading below.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is seeking feedback on its proposed “Waves to Water” prize via this Request for Information (RFI). The Waves to Water prize seeks to address water security and energy needs in remote and coastal communities through small, modular, cost-competitive desalination systems that use the power of the ocean to provide potable drinking water.

The objective of this effort is to develop technology solutions that harness ocean energy to desalinate water. Through an anticipated multi-phased contest, the prize seeks to accelerate an innovation cycle timeline that can typically take years and support new innovators and organizations seeking to pair desalination systems with marine energy.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to WPTOPrizes@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on April 5, 2019.

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

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 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001960 entitled "Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute: Cybersecurity in Energy Efficient Manufacturing".

This FOA establishes a new Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute (referred to as the “Institute”) to develop technologies that will advance U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, energy efficiency, and innovation. This Institute, the sixth one established by DOE, focuses on Cybersecurity in Manufacturing – understanding the evolving cybersecurity threats to greater energy efficiency in manufacturing industries, developing new cybersecurity technologies and methods, and sharing information and expertise to the broader community of U.S. manufacturers. A critical path to improving energy efficiency for manufacturing is increased automation (enabled by advanced sensors and controls) and integration across the supply chain. However, cybersecurity risks limit increased adoption and implementation of automation, advanced sensors and controls necessary to improve energy efficiency. By improving cybersecurity protection, those risks can be reduced and also catalyze adoption of more energy efficiency technologies in manufacturing. More cyber-secure, energy-efficient manufacturing processes lead to a more competitive U.S. manufacturing sector.

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT (NOI) ONLY. 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 from the FOA described herein, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all.

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.

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 in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2019.

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

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE), Building Technologies Office (BTO) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) on Efficient and Flexible Building Loads.

Efficient and flexible building loads provide options to increase electricity system reliability and energy affordability, while also supporting a portfolio of generation options in grid modernization. To date, savings resulting from flexible building loads have been primarily achieved through traditional energy efficiency and demand management programs. However, advanced controls, sensors and data analytics developed over the last decade provide new ways to optimize building energy savings and energy use, by autonomously managing a variety of distributed energy resources (DER) including on-site solar panels, energy storage, electric vehicles, and various demand-side assets, while maintaining – and even improving – comfort to occupants, and contributing to a reliable, affordable grid. Substantial research and development (R&D) related to advanced controls, sensors and data analytics is underway, and additional progress is anticipated. Through this RFI, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) seeks input from industry to better understand where flexible building loads research goals can be refined to reflect market needs and inform related R&D activities.

Request for Information Categories:

Category 1: Building Technologies R&D and Integration Needs for Increased Load Flexibility

Category 2: Controls and Communication to Enhance Building-to-Grid Interactions

Category 3: Building Energy Modeling for Load Flexibility

Category 4: The Value of Flexible Building Loads

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, building owners and operators, builders, utilities, and other stakeholders on key issues related to the energy flexibility that building technologies can provide. This information will be used by BTO for strategic planning of the broader grid-interactive efficient building technologies R&D portfolio. 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 RFI_GEB2019@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 pm (ET) on March 1st, 2019. 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 five (5) pages in length per category of questions, 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 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), invests in cutting-edge research, development, and demonstration activities focused on sustainable transportation, renewable power, and energy efficiency. Through EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) public-private R&D consortia, manufacturers, small businesses, universities, national laboratories, and state and local governments are brought together to pursue coordinated early-stage R&D in high-priority areas essential to energy in manufacturing. Federal funding is the catalyst to bring stakeholders into shared spaces and to address process and technological challenges that present a significant degree of scientific or technical uncertainty.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to establish an Energy Innovation Hub (referred to hereafter as the Energy-Water Desalination Hub, or the Hub) to address water security issues in the U.S. For the purpose of this FOA, “desalination” more broadly includes technologies that primarily remove salts. The Hub is a critical component of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) broader Water Security Grand Challenge which will use a coordinated suite of prizes, competitions, early stage research and development (R&D), and other programs to help address the nation’s water security needs.

The Energy-Water Desalination Hub will be organized around four topic areas: 1) Materials Research and Development, 2) New Process Research and Development, 3) Modeling and Simulation Tools, and 4) Integrated Data and Analysis. DOE intends to select and fund one application with the greatest likelihood of achieving the goals of all four topics of this FOA.

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

Please click "FOA FAQs" under the "DOCUMENTS" heading below for Questions and Answers specific to this FOA.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: The Exchange system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for 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 applications. 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 ).

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA will be held on January 7, 2019 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions. Standard application questions regarding the EERE Office and FOA procedures will be discussed. No new information will be presented during the webinar and EERE will not answer any attendee questions during the webinar.

After the webinar is complete, a link will be provided to access the audio recording of the webinar. Also, a copy of the Webinar Slides and Webinar Transcript will be available to download in the “DOCUMENTS” section below.

Please click here to register for the webinar.

*UPDATE: Please see the link below for the Informational Webinar held on January 7, 2019 and enter this password: ZyM3H8Yg

https://doe.webex.com/doe/lsr.php?RCID=cb6bea419f25703c5b37a6f66c993868

Please see the Announcement Documents section for a copy of the webinar slides and transcript.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Technology Transitions (OTT), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). The TCF is an approximately $25 million annual fund created to provide matching funds with private partners to promote promising energy technologies for commercial purposes.

The purpose of this RFI is to seek input about how OTT might improve the TCF through changes to the program and its structure. OTT seeks specific input on the TCF's structure and process, treatment of project partners, handling of non-federal matching funds, and potential to leverage other DOE programs. This RFI builds on previous DOE RFIs related to technology transfer and commercialization topics, including the 2008 Federal Register Notice on DOE Technology Transfer Practices, the 2013 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Commercialization RFI, and OTT’s 2015 RFI, which included a section about the TCF. Responses to this RFI will serve as a complement to the input collected from these previous requests; however, respondents are encouraged to submit any relevant information to this RFI, even if it appeared in a previous response.

All responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to TCFRFI@hq.doe.gov with the subject line “TCF RFI Response” no later than January 11, 2019. All responses must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.doc/.docx) of no more than 5 pages in length, with black, Times New Roman, 12 point font, and 1 inch margins as an attachment to an email. The document cannot exceed 2MB in size.

This is a RFI only. OTT 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. OTT may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI.

The purpose of this modification is to extend the application due date.  Please see the updated FOA document in the Documents section below for more details.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) Machine Learning for Geothermal Energy funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports projects that will develop new analytical tools for finding and developing geothermal resources and establish the practice of machine learning in geothermal operations. The rapidly advancing field of Machine Learning (ML) offers substantial opportunities for technology advancement and cost reduction throughout the geothermal project lifecycle, from resource exploration to power plant operations.

Under this funding opportunity, GTO is interested in two topic areas:

Topic 1: Machine Learning for Geothermal Exploration - GTO seeks projects that advance geothermal exploration through the application of machine learning techniques to geological, geophysical, geochemical, borehole, and other relevant datasets. Of particular interest to GTO are projects that will identify data acquisition targets and build community datasets for future work.

Topic 2: Advanced Analytics for Efficiency and Automation in Geothermal Operations - GTO seeks projects that apply advanced analytics to power plant and other operator datasets, with the goal of improving operations and resource management.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001956 Machine Learning FAQ Log in FOA Documents.

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 (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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office (GTO) Zonal Isolation for Manmade Geothermal Reservoirs funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports early-stage development of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) tools and technologies, and will seek to improve the performance and economics of EGS systems by funding research in zonal isolation.

Zonal isolation technologies can radically improve the performance and economics of EGS, or manmade geothermal reservoirs. These technologies provide the ability to target specific zones for stimulation activities, which can enable the command and control of fracture location and the economy of resources. In turn, this reduces development costs and operational risks associated with EGS development and promotes more power from fewer wellbores.

Under this funding opportunity, GTO is interested in two topic areas:

Topic 1 - Invention and Innovative Design of Zonal Isolation Technologies and Techniques for EGS Stimulation; and,
Topic 2 - Adaption of Existing Zonal Isolation Technologies for EGS Stimulation.

The projects selected from this FOA will aim to develop reliable zonal isolation tools and technologies that:
• Present low risk to wellbore integrity or the conductivity of fractures;
• Can operate at high-temperatures in corrosive, hard rock environments for extended periods of time; and
• Withstand large pressure differentials.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001945 Zonal Isolation 2018 FAQ Log in FOA Documents.

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for 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 (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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov).

The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA is scheduled for July 5, 2018 at 2:00PM ET.
https://doe.webex.com/doe/onstage/g.php?MTID=e79ab53873f11cc658018eb6923f78827

The mission of BTO’s Residential Buildings Integration (RBI) Program is to accelerate energy performance improvements in existing and new residential buildings using an integrated building systems approach to achieve peak energy performance. The RBI Program’s market outcome goal is to reduce, by 2025, the energy used for space conditioning and water heating in single-family homes by 40% from 2010 levels. RBI’s focus on space conditioning and water heating offers the best opportunities for influencing residential energy use.

With this FOA, RBI will select building science project teams in 2018 for the Building America Program to conduct early stage research and validation of energy performance improvements in existing and new residential buildings with integrated building systems approaches, and achieve optimal home energy performance. These Building America teams will work with industry partners and real world homes to develop and validate technologies and practices that achieve optimal energy and cost performance while effectively managing related risks (e.g., indoor air quality and moisture durability). This FOA builds on work begun in the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Building America FOAs, and is focused primarily on addressing remaining gaps and objectives in the Building America Research-to-Market Plan.

This FOA has three (3) topics, described below. Applicants may submit multiple applications, but each individual application must be submitted to either Topic 1,  Topic 2, or Topic 3, but not all. Applications will be evaluated using the technical review criteria of the selected topic.

Topic 1 - Baseline In-situ Fault Analysis in Residential Comfort Systems

Topic 2 - Integration of Advanced Residential Envelope and HVAC Systems

Topic 3 - Gap Analysis of Building Industry Standard Practices

The full Funding Opportunity Announcement is published at EERE-Exchange.energy.gov.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001824 Building America FAQ Log in FOA Documents.

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Letter of Intent 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 issuse 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 (eXCHANGE@go.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 (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov) 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 the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA is scheduled for Monday, May 14, 2018 at 3:00PM ET.

https://doe.webex.com/doe/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0a69392615f1e5362e49f957d8c7cfff

Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), invites input from the public regarding opportunities associated with applying machine learning techniques toward challenges in the geosciences that are relevant to geothermal energy. With the overall goals of establishing the practice of machine learning (ML) in the geothermal industry and maximizing the value of the rich datasets utilized in the geosciences, GTO is seeking input in three areas: Identifying the most promising applications of machine learning in subsurface R&D, building open community datasets capable of supporting the most advanced ML techniques, and leveraging crowd-sourced R&D through alternative funding mechanisms. As ML is already well- established in some industries, GTO is also very interested in feedback from outside of the geothermal community. The information requested is intended to advance GTO goals in geothermal development, though there are likely crosscutting applications with other industries operating in the subsurface. Opportunities for partnerships with other industries are also of interest. 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 machinelearninggeo@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00 PM EDT on June 6, 2018. The full content of the announcement can be found on the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

Modification No. 0001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. All changes are highlighted in yellow.

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 was held on May 2, 2018, at 2:00 PM (EST). The presentation slides and the script read during the webinar are posted below.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to assist in further defi