The overarching goal of this FOA is to support the development of capabilities that will allow increased deployment of solar power generation at optimal cost. Better solar forecasting will allow the reduction of balancing, dispatch, and unit commitment costs associated with errors in the prediction of solar power generation. These costs scale with solar penetration, therefore it is important to keep them in check with advancements in the forecasting science, implementations of forecasting models with rapid execution, and seamless integration of forecasting tools in the electric system operations.
The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when theApplicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.
The Solar Energy Technologies Office held an Informational Concept Paper Phase Webinar (Relevant to All Topic Areas) on November 21, 2016. The script and slides are included in the FOA Documents, below.