EERE Funding Opportunity Announcements

Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels FOA

DE-FOA-0003178

BETO’s 2024 Systems Development and Integration (SDI) FOA is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. IRA Section 60108(b) authorized funds to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for new grants to industry in advanced biofuels. EPA and DOE entered an Interagency Agreement to transfer the funds to DOE and allow DOE to manage a FOA with substantial involvement from EPA. The FOA’s topic areas are of mutual interest for both the EPA’s priority in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program and DOE BETO’s priority in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge as well as SDI’s priority in supporting four demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries by 2030. For both topic areas of this FOA, the application must discuss how the proposed technology would meet the RFS definition of advanced biofuel, which means using allowable feedstocks, producing allowable fuel types, and with lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions of at least 50% compared to petroleum baseline.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050 to the benefit of all Americans. For over a decade, EPA’s RFS program has helped develop the market for advanced biofuels, including the current production of billions of gallons of biomass-based diesel and renewable natural gas. These fuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% compared to the petroleum fuels they replace.

As shown in the RFS Program: Standards for 2023-2025 final rule, the RFS continues to expand by increasing renewable volume obligations, while monitoring how renewable fuel production impacts the environment, national energy security, national infrastructure, the cost of fuels to consumers, and the impacts on job creation, agricultural commodity prices and supplies, rural economic development, and food prices.

There is a need for more feedstocks and conversion technologies to enable more advanced biofuels with the lowest cost of production and the greatest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. DOE is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities. This FOA will support the Biden Administration’s action items to produce 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year and reduce aviation emissions by 20% by 2030 towards unlocking the potential for a fully zero-carbon aviation sector by 2050.

This FOA also supports high-impact technology R&D to accelerate the bioeconomy. BETO is focusing on applied RD&D to improve the performance and reduce the cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. By reducing cost and technical risk, BETO can help pave the way for industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as the aviation industry. Additionally, this FOA will reduce risks in processing or co-processing biointermediates in legacy refinery infrastructure.

• Topic Area 1: Pre-pilot Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefinery Technologies
• Topic Area 2: Biointermediate Processing Toolbox

Questions regarding the FOA must be submitted to IRAAdvancedBiofuelsFOA@ee.doe.gov.

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 in the DOCUMENTS section below.

The required Concept Paper due date for this FOA is 03/22/2024 at 5PM ET. The Full Application due date for this FOA is 5/24/2024 at 5PM ET.

Modification 0002: The purpose of this modification is to:

• Update the minimum non-federal cost share amount for Topic 1; and
• Provide clarification on blended cost share.

Modification 0001: The purpose of this modification is to:

• Update estimated funding for Topic Area 4;
• Clarify the requirements for DOE/NNSA and Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs regarding a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA);
• Add language to the Content and Form of the Full Application for Topics 4 and 5;
• Add the Community Benefits Plan template;
• Clarify RDD&D Community Benefits Plan language for Topics 2 and 3;
• Add reporting requirements to track progress toward key departmental goals.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0003213 on behalf of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), which coordinates hydrogen activities with offices across DOE as described in the DOE Hydrogen Program Plan. These activities align with the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, and other DOE initiatives as described below.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis are top priorities of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, “to deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050, to the benefit of all Americans”. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering; catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D); and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

The research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will support the goals of the H2@Scale Initiative, which aims to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization to enable decarbonization and revenue opportunities across multiple sectors. These objectives align with DOE’s Hydrogen Energy Earthshot^TM (Hydrogen Shot), which targets affordable clean hydrogen production at $1/kg by 2031. Advancing technologies that will facilitate the use of clean hydrogen will support the goal of net zero GHG emissions by 2050.

In addition to RDD&D topics, this FOA will focus on enabling hydrogen deployments through safety and permitting support, equitable community engagement, and developing strategies for effective community benefits.

As part of the whole-of-government approach to advance equity, it is the policy of the Biden Administration that the federal government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. As part of this approach, this FOA encourages the participation of underserved communities and underrepresented groups.

Topics Include:

Topic 1: Components for Hydrogen Fueling of Medium-and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Topic 2: Standarized Hydrogen Refueling Station of the Future

Topic 3: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Port Equipment

Topic 4: Enabling Permitting and Safety for Hydrogen Deployment

Topic 5: Equitable Hydrogen Technology Community Engagement

Please see the 'Full FOA Document' in the DOCUMENTS section below.

Questions regarding the FOA must be submitted to H2FCFOA@ee.doe.gov

The Teaming Partner List is transferred from Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0003212. The list will remain open and will be updated at least weekly until the close of the Full Application period, to reflect new Teaming Partners who have provided their information.

Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5:00pm ET on the due date listed in the FOA to be eligible to submit a Full Application. Concept Papers and Full Applications will only be accepted through EERE eXCHANGE.

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

The 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.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO), a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) titled “IEDO FY24 Energy and Emissions Intensive Industries FOA.”

This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050 to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

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

EERE plans to issue the FOA in or about December 2023 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.

This Teaming Partner List is for DE-FOA-0003158 Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2024 FOA.

A teaming partner list may be used to facilitate the formation of new project teams for the announcement/topic area. The list allows organizations to express their interest and to explore potential partnerships, including representation from Minority Serving Institutions (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)/Other Minority Serving Institutions); and partnerships with Minority Business Enterprises, Minority Owned Businesses, Woman Owned Businesses, Veteran Owned Businesses, or tribal nations.

Modification 0001

This modification incorporates the following changes:

Section I.B: Revised Performance Goal/Target Outcomes for Subtopic 1B.

Section III.E.i: Replaced Value/Funding and Cost Share sections with Section III.E.i.c. Funding, Cost Share, and Subaward with FFRDCs.

Additional revisions made throughout to align with the newest FOA template. Please download and review the FOA document for complete details. The Modifications table begins on page 2.

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The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2024”.

The 2024 BENEFIT FOA will invest up to $30M (subject to appropriations) across four topic areas:

Topic 1: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning and Water Heating

Technologies with improved materials, components, equipment design, and engineering, lower cost manufacturing processes, and easier installation.

Topic 2: Innovative, Replicable, and Low-Cost Roof and Attic Retrofits

Technologies for affordable and scalable roof and attic retrofits that improve energy efficiency and address air and water infiltration.

Topic 3: Building Resilience and Capacity Constraints

Novel approaches to maintain essential loads during blackouts and add power capacity to buildings without the need for major infrastructure upgrades; localized thermal management systems and thermally resilient building envelopes to provide cooling and overheating protection against extreme heat events.

Topic 4: Commercial Lighting Retrofit Advancements

Low-cost, high-quality retrofit solutions for lagging sectors in energy-efficient lighting adoption (schools, certain commercial buildings).

DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of project teams for this FOA. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships. Please see the Teaming List section of the FOA document for more information.

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.

AMMTO, IEDO, and BTO, in collaboration with OTT, are interested in jointly funding Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) programs in Fiscal Year 23 (FY23) that reduce embodied energy/carbon of materials and processes, as well as operational energy across the built environment, including residential, commercial, and industrial settings. The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing innovation, and using cutting edge technologies to create real world impacts. The current funding portfolios can be found on the AMMTO and IEDO web site and the BTO web site.

Modification 0001: The purposes of this modification are to:

1.) Updates to Topic 1 as highlighted in FOA document.

2.) Updated maximum file size to 50MB in sections IV.B and IV.D.i.

3.) Changes made to the list of FFRDC members of HyMARC in footnote 42 on page 28.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002920 on behalf of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), which coordinates hydrogen activities with offices across DOE as described in the DOE Hydrogen Program Plan. These activities align with the DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap and specific DOE initiatives.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“ to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

The research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will support the goals of the H2@Scale Initiative, which aims to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization to enable decarbonization and revenue opportunities across multiple sectors. These objectives align with DOE’s Hydrogen Shot, which targets affordable clean hydrogen production at $1/kg within the decade. Advancing technologies that will facilitate the adoption of clean hydrogen technologies will support the goal of net zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Topic Areas Include:

Topic 1: Hydrogen Carrier Development

Topic 2: Onboard Storage Systems for Liquid Hydrogen

Topic 3: Liquid Hydrogen Transfer/Fueling Components and Systems

Topic 4: M2FCT: High Performing, Durable Membrane Electrode Assemblies for Medium and Heavy-Duty Applications

Please see the 'Full FOA Document' in the DOCUMENTS section below.

The Teaming Partner List is transferred from Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0002919. The list will remain open and will be updated at least weekly until the close of the Full Application period, to reflect new Teaming Partners who have provided their information.

Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5:00pm ET on the due date listed in the FOA to be eligible to submit a Full Application. Concept Papers and Full Applications will only be accepted through EERE eXCHANGE.

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

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2022/2023”.

The 2022/2023 BENEFIT FOA will invest up to $15.35M - $45.2M across 5 topic areas to allow all interested parties to research and develop high-impact, cost-effective technologies and practices that will reduce carbon emissions, improve flexibility and resilience, as well as lower energy costs.

Topic 1: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning and Water Heating: Technologies with improved materials, components, equipment design and engineering, lower cost manufacturing processes, and easier installation.

Topic 2: Thermal Energy Storage (TES): Development and validation of next generation plug-and-play TES products with improved cost and performance and ease of installation to accelerate adoption of TES in HVAC applications.

Topic 3: Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Development, validation, and demonstration of product innovations that reduce the cost of BESS integration, improve the coordination between distributed BESS and the electrical grid, as well as help meet building decarbonization targets.

Topic 4: Plug Loads/Lighting: Integration of plug load controls with connected lighting systems in commercial buildings with minimal cost and complexity to support building electrification.

Topic 5: Opaque Building Envelope: Development, validation, and demonstration of high-impact, affordable. opaque building envelope retrofit and diagnostic technologies.

BTO is compiling a “teaming” partner list to facilitate widespread participation in this FOA. This list allows organizations with expertise in the topics to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partnerships. Please see the Teaming List section of the FOA document for more information.

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 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) - 2022”.

This potential FOA is expected to support the development, validation, and demonstration of novel building technologies and retrofit practices that have significant potential for equitable carbon savings through building electrification, energy efficiency, and demand flexibility. The FOA will also enhance building and grid resilience, affordability of efficient technologies and practices, and ensure environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

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

• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Water Heating (WH)
• Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
• Plug Loads/Lighting
• Opaque Building Envelope

BTO is compiling a “teaming” partner list to facilitate widespread participation in this FOA. This list allows organizations with expertise in the topics to express their interest to potential applicants and to explore potential partnerships. Please see the Teaming List section of the NOI document for more information.

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

MOD0004: Change Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments to 02/24/2023 5:00pm ET.

MOD0003: Change Submission Deadline for Full Applications to 01/11/2023 5:00pm ET and Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments to 02/17/2023 5:00pm ET.

MOD0002: Change Submission Deadline for Full Applications to 01/04/2023 5:00pm ET and Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments to 02/10/2023 5:00pm ET.

MOD0001: Changes in language related to: Applications Not of Interest for Topic Area 1 clarified in Section I.B. (page 17) and Section I.C. (page 40). Also, clarification of TRL levels permitted for Tier 1 projects on page 13. And on page 15, NAICS code reference revision to 325199 for all other organic chemicals.

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) plays a leading role in increasing energy efficiency along with decarbonizing the industrial sector. AMO drives the innovation and deployment that can lead to a more resilient, robust, and competitive domestic clean energy manufacturing sector that provides economic opportunities across diverse communities. As part of its industrial efficiency and decarbonization efforts, AMO supports applied research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) targeting the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from high emitting industrial sectors and through cross-sector technologies relevant across multiple industrial sectors. Significant decarbonization of the industrial sector is essential to achieving the overall goal of economy-wide decarbonization by 2050 and creating good paying jobs; while ensuring that U.S. industry remains globally competitive and production is not transferred to locations with higher carbon emissions.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050" to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities. The projects selected under this FOA are expected to contribute to the Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of government’s climate and clean energy investments will flow to disadvantaged communities.

The research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will fund high-impact, applied research and development and prototype or pilot-scale technology validation and demonstration projects in order to expedite the adoption of transformational industrial technology necessary to increase energy efficiency across industry and in high GHG-emitting industrial subsectors, reducing both energy usage and GHG emissions. This includes cross-sector industrial decarbonization approaches via opportunities in energy efficiency; industrial electrification; low carbon fuels, feedstocks and energy sources; and industrial carbon capture and utilization. This FOA and its associated projects are separate from any forthcoming efforts to be funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including activities related to Industrial Emissions Demonstration Projects.

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 in the DOCUMENTS section below.

To drive manufacturing innovation, spur job creation, and enhance manufacturing competitiveness, the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) supports applied research, development, and demonstration in crosscutting, platform technologies to decarbonize the industrial sector and promote the development and growth of a resilient manufacturing sector for multiple emerging clean energy fields.

Building a clean energy and equitable economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will advance the Biden Administration’s goal to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“ to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of disadvantaged communities. 

The research and development (R&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. This FOA will support activities to advance efficiency improvements and enhance manufacturing competitiveness through technological innovation by focusing on three main areas, as described below, with subtopics in each area: 

Topic Area 1: Manufacturing Process Innovation

Topic Area 1a: Efficiency Improvements to Drying Processes

Topic Area 1b: Advanced Tooling for Lightweight Automotive Components

Topic Area 1c: Sustainable Chemistry Practices in Manufacturing

Topic Area 2: Advanced Materials Manufacturing

Topic Area 2a: Materials for Harsh Service Conditions

Topic Area 2b: Development of Aluminum-Cerium (Al-Ce) Alloys and Processing to Enable Increased Energy Efficiency in Aerospace Applications

Topic Area 3: Energy Systems

Topic Area 3a: Structured Electrode Manufacturing for Lithium-ion Batteries

Modification 0001: The purpose of this modification is to:

1.) Change date of EERE selection notification to April 2023

Update: Given the recent addition of the current and pending support requirement, DOE is being very flexible on what current and pending support documentation, if any, applicants submit for the application stage. No applicant will be deemed ineligible based on the submission or lack of submission of current and pending support documentation. For selectees under this FOA, DOE may designate covered individuals for the current and pending reporting requirements during award negotiations.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment” is issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050 to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

The overall FOA objective is to support the formation of U.S. community coalitions that will develop, design, and install community geothermal heating and cooling systems that supply at least 25% of the overall community heating or heating and cooling demand in communities where current fuel use to heat or heat and cool homes and/or businesses results in increased greenhouse gas emissions. An overarching goal of this FOA is to support community coalitions seeking to deploy geothermal systems that can reduce the disproportionate shares of energy costs and associated environmental contaminants to underserved populations in a diverse set of communities. Target applicants are anticipated to be U.S. community coalitions. Coalitions can be from urban, suburban, rural, remote, island, or islanded communities where geothermal technology can reduce dependence on fossil fuels such as natural gas or heating oil.

Additional FOA objectives include:

Please see the 'Full FOA Document' in the DOCUMENTS section below.

Attention: 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).

Update: Given the recent addition of the current and pending support requirement, DOE is being very flexible on what current and pending support documentation, if any, applicants submit for the application stage. No applicant will be deemed ineligible based on the submission or lack of submission of current and pending support documentation. For selectees under this FOA, DOE may designate covered individuals for the current and pending reporting requirements during award negotiations.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO). The mission of GTO is to research, develop, and validate innovative and cost-competitive technologies and tools to locate, access, and develop geothermal resources in the United States, enabling the deployment of carbon-free, flexible geothermal energy in both the electric and non-electric sectors. Geothermal energy is a renewable and diverse energy solution for the United States, providing reliable and flexible electricity generation and delivering unique technology solutions to America’s heating and cooling demands. Geothermal resources can be found nationwide, are “always on,” and represent vast domestic energy potential. Only a fraction of this potential has been realized due to technical and non-technical barriers that constrain industry growth. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office’s GeoVision report concluded that with technology improvements, especially in areas relevant to drilling costs reduction, geothermal power generation could increase 26-fold from today, representing 60 gigawatts-electric (GWe) by 2050.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals (1) to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and (2) to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“1 to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

This FOA targets technology developments that will provide significant improvements in drilling performance in commercial geothermal settings. The GeoVision Roadmap2 outlines a compilation of technical, economic, and institutional actions that the entire geothermal community, including DOE, industry, and academia must address in order for geothermal technologies to play a larger role in the nation’s energy mix. A key “Action Area” identified in the GeoVision Roadmap and strategic goals for the Hydrothermal Resource Program are highlighted below.

GeoVision Key Action 1.3 - Improve geothermal drilling and wellbore integrity: Integrating improved drilling and well-completion technology, better well design and construction materials, improved decision making, and innovative drilling financing can help industry realize better drilling efficiencies and effectiveness.
DELIVERABLE(S): New designs and approaches that enhance drilling efficiency and reduce well costs.
IMPACT(S): Reduced costs and risks and improved reliability.

GTO Hydrothermal Resource Program Strategic Goals:
 Expand geothermal energy opportunities throughout United States.
 Support research on drilling technologies that increase efficiency, lower costs, and lower risk related to hydrothermal reservoir development.
 Accelerate oil & gas technology transfer to address geothermal’s toughest challenges.

The construction of geothermal wells can represent up to 50% of total capital costs for geothermal energy production. Technologies and techniques that can reduce the time needed or the material costs associated with the construction of geothermal wells are key to achieving cost reductions. Furthermore, recent advancements in drill bits, casing, and drilling workflows have achieved significant cost reductions and improvements in wellbore quality in geothermal subsurface settings. Such significant reductions in time and capital requirements, when achieved in a reproducible manner, would represent material progress towards achieving the goals of the GeoVision study.

GTO seeks to reduce the financial risk of technologies and techniques not widely deployed in geothermal resource development. Of particular interest are projects focused on advancing geothermal well construction through the development, modification, and/or adaption of technologies and/or techniques that reduce drilling costs in a real-world geothermal field setting.

FOA Goal:
The ultimate goal of this FOA is a reduction in geothermal well costs. Because drilling costs are highly variable and sensitive to one-off events, average daily drilling penetration rate (e.g. average m/day) is the basis of performance measurement selected in this FOA. This FOA seeks to affect a 25% improvement in geothermal drilling rates by supporting multiple demonstration projects that each target this level of improvement. This metric and performance target will allow for quantitative evaluation of project impacts to support broad deployment of the most successful approaches.

Modification 0001:

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) was created in 1976 with the primary purpose to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total residential energy expenditures, and improve their health and safety, especially low-income persons who are particularly vulnerable such as the elderly, the disabled, families with children, high residential energy users and households with a high energy burden.[1] A network of 57 Grantees and 700 local organizations (Subgrantees) working with private contractors delivers WAP services to eligible residents in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian lands of the Federally recognized tribes, and five U.S. Territories.

Within Public Law 116-260, signed December 27, 2020, Congress directed the DOE to establish a competitive program for “WAP Enhancement and Innovation” (E&I). Financial assistance is available to state, local, tribal and non-profit organizations[2]. A total of $18.6 million is available from the FY 2021 appropriation with a maximum award amount of $2 million. Through partnerships and leveraging of the DOE WAP and other funding sources, these awards will enable deep energy retrofits of low-income housing[3] in four topic areas: 1) place-based initiatives; 2) multifamily housing; 3) single family and manufactured housing; 4) workforce development. Applicants are encouraged to use awarded E&I funds in conjunction with DOE WAP formula awards and other funding sources to deploy demonstration projects that have potential to be scaled nationally, enhance the benefits realized by underserved communities, and ensure an equitable transition to a clean-energy economy.[4]

Building a clean-energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050”¹ to the benefit of all Americans. DOE is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of disadvantaged communities.

The activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of energy efficiency retrofits and clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will support the goals of carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and net zero GHG emissions by 2050 while also supporting quality jobs and economic growth by:

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[1] Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

[2] 42 U.S.C. 6864d(b)

[3] See 10 CFR 440.3 for the definition of low-income. Each Grantee defines low income for their service territory in the annual Weatherization Grant Application (Master File Section V.1 Eligibility).

[4] 42 USC 6864d.(e)(4)

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Questions regarding the FOA must be submitted to WeatherizationFOA@ee.doe.gov

Answers to the questions will be posted to an excel spreadsheet found in the announcement "Documents" section of the FOA posting.

Background:

Geothermal energy is a renewable and diverse solution for the United States—providing reliable and flexible electricity generation and delivering unique technology solutions to America’s heating and cooling demands. Geothermal resources can be found nationwide, are “always on,” and represent vast domestic energy potential; however, only a fraction of this potential has been realized due to technical and non-technical barriers that constrain industry growth. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) recent GeoVision report concludes that with technology improvements, especially in areas relevant to enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), geothermal power generation could increase 26-fold from today, representing 60 gigawatts-electric (GWe) by 2050[1].

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are engineered geothermal reservoirs, created where there is hot rock (175-300+°C), but little to no natural permeability and/or fluid saturation.  During EGS development, subsurface permeability is enhanced via safe, well-engineered stimulation processes that re-open pre-existing fractures, create new ones, or a combination of both.  These open conduits increase permeability and allow fluid to circulate throughout the rock. This fluid transports heat to the surface where electricity can be generated with current power generation technologies. 

In addition to geothermal wells that have been targeted for EGS development, the hydrocarbon[2] industry also has an opportunity to contribute to the development of geothermal resources nationwide through the use of wells for power or heat production. The adaptation of hydrocarbon reservoirs, which are traditionally located in sedimentary basins, to geothermal production and utilization would expand the sector’s geographic reach outside of the Western U.S. where natural geothermal systems reside. Many hydrocarbon fields enounter temperatures high enough for geothermal energy and heat production. This unused heat, combined with the wealth of data, knowledge, workforce, and infrastructure in place in support of these fields underscores the benefits of exploring their geothermal potential. While a comprehensive nationwide resource assessment that evaluates the potential of existing hydrocarbon wells for geothermal development does not yet exist, a number of studies have looked at geographic subsets of the sedimentary basins of the U.S., where most hydrocarbon exploration and development occurs. Blackwell et al. (2006) provided a conservative estimate of 100,000 EJ of thermal energy in basins nationwide deeper than 4km[3]. A more detailed study on a subset of 15 U.S. basins by Porro et al. (2012) reported 135,000 EJ including only basins in the western United States (not including the Gulf Coast region)[4]. Finally, a study by Zafer & Cutright (2014) estimate the thermal energy resource base for the state of Texas alone to be 166,000 EJ[5]. 

Purpose:

Through periodic funding opportunity announcements (FOAs), GTO partners with industry, academia, national laboratories, industry experts, etc. to increase the use of domestic geothermal energy across a range of resource types by improving technologies, reducing costs, and mitigating barriers. Within GTO, the EGS Program actively pursues research, development, and demonstration projects to facilitate technology validation and deployment, reduce cost, and improve performance of EGS. Specifically, the economic viability of EGS depends on developing and improving enabling technologies and a detailed understanding of rock mass behavior and permeability enhancement.  While achieving cost-competitive electricity generation from EGS is a long-term goal, in the near-term, research, development, and demonstration projects will move industry along the learning curve toward technological readiness.

Through the FY21 Wells of Opportunity (referred to as WOO going forward) FOA, GTO is soliciting geothermal and hydrocarbon well owners or operators with existing wells that are willing to partner with DOE to advance and test EGS technologies in-situ.  These wells could be “idle” or currently used for injection, production, and/or monitoring. 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 cost and risks. 

• Topic Area 1 – Amplify (EGS Near-Field RD&D):  This field validation effort will culminate in new power production, adding to the commercial viability of existing geothermal fields. The goal of Amplify is to illustrate that near-field and in-field EGS can be successfully deployed now as a result of recent technology advancements and that low permeability/underproductive wells near and in existing hydrothermal fields can be turned into valuable assets using EGS techniques.

• Topic Area 2 – ReAmplify  (Geothermal production from hydrocarbon wells): The objective of this initiative is to establish the commercial viability of geothermal energy production from existing hydrocarbon fields. The goal of ReAmplify is to establish a pilot program where the production of geothermal heat from existing hydrocarbon fields can be demonstrated for electricity production or direct use applications.

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“^[6] to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities. 

The R&D activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA focuses on critical aspects of reservoir management needed for widespread commercialization of EGS technologies which directly supports the Biden Administration’s goals for a clean energy future.  In addition, this FOA provides an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions from the fossil fuel sector and facilitate clean geothermal energy/heat production from hydrocarbon wells.  

[1] The GeoVision Roadmap outlines a compilation of technical, economic, and institutional actions that the entire geothermal community including DOE, other government agencies, industry, and academia must address in order for geothermal technologies to play a larger role in the Nation’s energy mix.

[2] Hydrocarbon: An organic chemical compound of hydrogen and carbon in the gaseous, liquid, or solid phase. https://www.eia.gov/tools/glossary/index.php

[3] Blackwell, D., Negraru, P., and Richards, M., 2006. Assessment of the Enhanced Geothermal System Resource Base of the United States. Natural Resources Research, Vol. 15, No. 4, December 2006. DOI: 10.1007/s11053-007-9028-7.

[4] Porro, C., Esposito, A., Augustine, C., and Roberts, B., 2012. An Estimate of the Geothermal Energy Resource in the Major Sedimentary Basins in the United States. GRC Transactions, Vol. 36, 2012.

[5] Zafar, S. and Cutright, B., 2014. Texas’ geothermal resource base: A raster-integration method for estimating in-place geothermal energy resources using ArcGIS. Geothermics, Vol. 50, April 2014.

[6] Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

Informational Webinar: 

Please access the information webinar at: https://doe.webex.com/doe/j.php?MTID=ma57725545051bda39fd560f48a740371

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This Federal Agency Call (FAC) will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“ to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of disadvantaged communities.

As part of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Federal Energy Management Program’s (FEMP) priority is to help federal agencies advance the energy efficiency and resilience of their operations, while addressing climate change and minimizing the carbon footprint. FEMP assists Federal agencies in meeting energy- and climate change-related goals by bringing expertise from all levels of project and policy implementation to identify affordable solutions and facilitate public-private partnerships.

DOE and FEMP intend to play a leading role in meeting the challenge facing our nation and our planet from climate change through advancing a plan to lead the world in building a clean energy economy to address the climate emergency. DOE and FEMP will use its resources to turn the threat of climate change into an opportunity by catalyzing our partners across the Federal government to lead through the power of example toward the goal of building a 100% clean energy economy with net-zero emissions.

FEMP’s Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2021 FAC will provide direct funding to Federal agencies for the development of energy and water efficiency projects and processes that address climate change mitigation and/or adaptation. The purpose of the AFFECT 2021 FAC funding is to initiate, supplement, improve or otherwise increase the viability and adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions entailing energy efficiency, clean energy, and operational resilience at U.S. Federal government-owned facilities. This is accomplished through leveraging the use of a privately financed performance contract in the form of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), ENABLE contract, or Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) to enhance Federal agency climate change mitigation via energy efficiency, clean energy, and adaptation at mission critical sites. The AFFECT 2021 FAC is expected to provide ‘value added’ additions to projects allowing for greater impact from the projects in terms of energy cost savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, enhanced climate change adaptation and resilience. FEMP also intends for the AFFECT 2021 FAC to provide demonstrated opportunities for replication of projects at other Federal facilities, while building a diversified workforce within the clean energy economy in construction, skilled trades, and engineering to enhance American infrastructure.

Applications must address either or both of the Climate Change Adaptation-Resilient and/or Efficient Areas of Interest identified below, and describe a Replicability Plan highlighting (a) how replication and/or scalability across the agencies’ enterprises will be promoted, and (b) agree to develop a Government Use Case for leveraging across applicable U.S. Federal government-owned facilities.

Through the AFFECT 2021 FAC, FEMP intends to facilitate and promote the use of energy performance contracts to leverage a wider adoption of Climate Change Adaptation-Resilient and/or Efficient projects and processes at all Federal facilities.

Questions regarding the FAC must be submitted to AFFECT2021@ee.doe.gov.

Answers to the questions will be posted to an excel spreadsheet found in the announcement "Documents" section of the FAC posting.

EERE Exchange is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FAC. 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 FAC 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.

Please see the full text for the Federal Agency Call (FAC) in the DOCUMENTS section below.

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050“ to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of disadvantaged communities.

The FOA seeks projects across the following areas: electric vehicle community partner demonstration projects; electric vehicle workplace charging projects; RDD&D of technologies to reduce the cost of EV chargers, advanced engines and fuels that reduce emissions, including natural gas, propane, and dimethyl ether; and, innovative solutions for medium/heavy duty on- and off-road vehicles including electrification and high-power charging.

Amendment 000002

Amendment 000001: The purpose of this amendment is to remove the Risk Mitigation Plan for Topic Areas 1b and 1c; update Appendix G - Acceptable Feedstocks, to correct an error and reconcile Topic Area 3a requirements with the text of the FOA; and update Appendix H - Supplemental Content Requirements and Instructions. See FOA DE-FOA-0002396/00001 for details.

Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050.“[1] The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

In support of these Administration priorities, the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is focused on developing technologies that convert domestic biomass and other waste resources (e.g., municipal solid waste, biosolids) into low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts. These bioenergy technologies can enable a transition to a clean energy economy, create high-quality jobs, support rural economies, and spur innovation in renewable energy and chemicals production – the bioeconomy. The activities funded through this opportunity will mobilize public clean energy investment in the biofuels, chemical and agricultural industries, accelerate the deployment of bioenergy technologies, and support achieving economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050.

This FOA supports high-impact technology RDD&D to accelerate the bioeconomy and, in particular, the production of low-carbon fuels for the aviation industry. BETO is focusing on applied RDD&D to improve the performance and reduce cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. By reducing cost and technical risk, BETO can help pave the way for industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from hard to decarbonize sectors, such as aviation. The Program is focused on developing and demonstrating technologies that are capable of producing low-carbon drop-in biofuels at $2.50 per gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) by 2030, as well as associated renewable chemical co-products to achieve this target.^[2] BETO is focused on biofuel production pathways that can deliver at least 70% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum.

The research and development (R&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will support high-impact RDD&D focusing on the production of low-GHG fuels for the aviation industry, as well as the long-haul trucking and marine industries by soliciting proposals to scale-up technologies; cost effectively produce biomass derived sugars as an intermediate for the production of biofuels and bioproducts; and support cost effective separation technologies. In addition, the FOA will support increasing the efficiency of residential wood heaters and the production of renewable natural gas.

An informational webinar will be held on April 16^th, 2021 at 3:00 PM ET. The webinar will review the Funding Opportunity Announcement and Merit Review process, but will only discuss Topic Area 1: Scale-up of Biotechnologies specific requirements due to the complex nature of the topic area. Please note, there are no particular advantages or disadvantages to the application evaluation process with respect to participating in the webinar. Your participation is completely voluntary. Please register for the webinar at: https://www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/events/webinar-scale-biotechnologies

The informational webinar slides have been uploaded to the Announcement Documents section below. The informational webinar recording has been posted to YouTube. Interested parties to this FOA can view the webinar at the following link:

Questions regarding the FOA must be submitted to FY21BETOMultiTopicFOA@ee.doe.gov.

Answers to the questions will be posted to an excel spreadsheet found in the announcement Documents section of the FOA posting.

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.

[1] Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

[2] U.S. Department of Energy (2020), Bioenergy Technologies Office 2019 R&D State of Technology, DOE/EE-2082, https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2020/07/f76/beto-2019-state-of-technology-july-2020-r1.pdf

Amendment 000002: EERE is amending this Notice of Intent to revise the language in the introduction and topic area descriptions to better align with the most recent guidance from the Acting Assistant Secretary.

_____________________________________

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 “FY21 Bioenergy Technologies Scale-up and Conversion FOA.”

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. The Administration has laid out a bold plan to lead the world in building a clean energy economy, addressing climate change and achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050 to the benefit of all Americans. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of disadvantaged communities.

In support of these Administration priorities, BETO is focused on developing technologies that convert domestic biomass and other waste resources (e.g. municipal solid waste, biosolids) into low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts. These bioenergy technologies can enable a transition to a clean energy economy, create high-quality jobs, support rural economies, and spur innovation in renewable energy and chemicals production – the bioeconomy. The activities funded through this opportunity will mobilize public clean energy investment in the biofuels, chemical and agricultural industries, accelerate the deployment of bioenergy technologies, and support achieving economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050.

This FOA may support high-impact technology RDD&D to accelerate the bioeconomy and, in particular, the production of low-carbon fuels for the aviation industry. BETO is focusing on applied RDD&D to improve the performance and reduce cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. By reducing cost and technical risk, BETO can help pave the way for industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from hard to decarbonize sectors, such as aviation. The Program is focused on developing and demonstrating technologies that are capable of producing low-carbon drop-in biofuels at $2.50 per gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) by 2030, as well as associated renewable chemical co-products to achieve this target. BETO is focused on biofuel production pathways that can deliver at least 70% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum.

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 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.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Vehicle Technologies Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment".

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. The Administration has laid out a bold plan to lead the world in building a clean energy economy, address climate change, and net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering and catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funds a broad portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects to develop affordable, efficient and clean transportation options to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate the development and widespread use of a variety of innovative transportation technologies. The FOA may seek innovative solutions for on- and off-road vehicles to support the reduction of emissions and increased efficiencies in the transportation sector and may include request for proposals onelectric vehicle community partner demonstration projects, electric vehicle workplace charging, technologies to reduce the cost of EV chargers, advanced engines and fuels including natural gas, propane, and dimethyl ether; and innovative solutions for medium/heavy duty on- and off-road vehicles including electrification and high-power charging

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "SuperTruck 3."

Building a clean energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. The Administration has laid out a bold plan to lead the world in building a clean energy economy, address climate change, and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The Department of Energy is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering and catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment.

How freight moves is changing dramatically due to a number of factors including new technologies, business models, and consumer demands. Although Class 7-8 trucks are still the most significant consumer of fuel, medium duty Class 4-6 vehicles also offer significant opportunities for higher efficiency and electrification.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funds a broad portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects to develop new affordable, efficient and clean transportation options to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate the development and widespread use of a variety of innovative transportation technologies. VTO-funded research has greatly reduced the cost of electric vehicle batteries and nearly every plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) on the road today uses VTO-developed battery technology. There are also efficiency opportunities beyond vehicle components and systems. Advances in connectivity and automation have the potential to dramatically improve transportation system-level energy efficiency, energy productivity, and affordability. VTO has developed robust modeling, simulation, and big data analytics capabilities, while research of advanced sensing and perception technologies, system controls, and other connected and automated technologies has advanced rapidly.

HFTO is focused on enabling large scale hydrogen production, delivery, storage, and use across applications and sectors, including medium and heavy-duty transportation. Interest in hydrogen powered medium/heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles is growing rapidly due to the benefits of zero tailpipe emissions and low life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, along with extended driving range, fast fueling times, high fuel efficiency, high power operation, and zero noise pollution.

In partnership with industry, EERE’s VTO and HFTO have established aggressive targets to focus research on cost-reduction, efficiency, and performance.

This 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). This section describes the overall goals of BTO and the type of projects that are being solicited for funding support through this FOA.

BTO’s overall goal is to improve the energy productivity of buildings without sacrificing occupant comfort or product performance. Progress towards achieving this goal will make building energy costs more affordable to the benefit of American families and businesses.

The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to research and develop next‐generation building technologies that have the potential for significant energy savings and improved demand flexibility, affordability, and occupant comfort. An additional goal is to advance building construction, remodeling, and retrofit practices, and associated workforces.

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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.

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

UPDATE: There is a new FOA Webinar link below.  Applicants, please use this link to join the webinar scheduled for May 8th.

There is a new Application for Finanical Assistance (SF 424) uploaded for applicants to download and submit with full applications.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office (BTO) Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) 2018 FOA supports research and development of innovative energy saving technologies, systems, tools, and models that could lead to significant reduction in building energy consumption.

BENEFIT 2018 focuses on early-stage R&D to enable the development of novel technologies that can improve efficiency and reduce the energy costs of the nation’s buildings and facilitate interaction with the electricity grid. Under this funding opportunity, BTO is interested in six topic areas:

Topic 1: Advanced Separation Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency

Topic 2: Advanced Building Materials

Topic 3: High-Performance Windows

Topic 4: Novel Approaches for Cyber-physical Systems in Buildings

Topic 5: Integration Research of Advanced Commercial Energy Efficiency Packages

Topic 6: Advancements in Natural Gas and Other Fuel-driven Equipment

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001825 BENEFIT 2018 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.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA is scheduled for May 8, 2018 at 11:00AM ET.  

https://doe.webex.com/doe/j.php?MTID=mb13832750da3129382101dfdec4cdad8 

Meeting number (access code): 903 763 876

Meeting password: BENEFIT18

In prior years, the BENEFIT FOA consisted of two sections (Innovations: early-stage; Frontiers: later-stage, roadmap-driven) to complement the core funding provided by the program ([1], [2], [3], below). This FOA consists of four topic areas within these two sections (e.g., “Innovations” and “Frontiers”), as well as a new third “Scale-up” section for pre-commercial prototype development. Two targeted “Frontiers” topics are focused on Advanced HVAC&R and Miscellaneous Electric Loads (MELs), and two open topics are focused on early-stage R&D applications (“Innovations”) and pre-commercial prototype development and scale-up (“Scale-up”), respectively. This pursuit of early-stage (Innovations), as well as later-stage (Scale-up) investments in the open topics will provide balance to the BTO R&D portfolio and targeted technology topic and program areas.

[1] DE-FOA-0001383: Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2016, https://eere-exchange.energy.gov

[2] DE-FOA-0001166: Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2015, https://eere-exchange.energy.gov

[3] DE-FOA-0001027: Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2014, https://eere-exchange.energy.gov

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001632 BENEFIT 2017 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.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA occured on December 6, 2016 at 3:00 PM ET Eastern Standard Time. Please see documents below in the Documents section for the powerpoint presentation and audio recording.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of new project teams for the anticipated Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2017 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to BENEFIT17Teaming@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 pm (EDT) on November 14, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

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

This Funding Opportunity Announcement combines early-stage topics (Innovations) with later-stage, roadmap-driven topics (Frontiers) that complement the core funding provided by the program. Because of their different focuses (Innovations: early-stage; Frontier: later-stage, roadmap-driven), this FOA is divided into two sections; an Innovations and a Frontiers section with an additional optional Buildings University Innovators and Leaders Development (BUILD) supplement.

Applications for a BUILD Supplement cannot be submitted as standalone applications.

INNOVATIONS section:

Topic 1: Open Topic for Energy Efficiency Solutions for Residential and Commercial Buildings

Topic 2: Human-in-the-Loop Sensor & Control Systems

Topic 3: Infiltration Diagnostic Technologies

FRONTIERS section:

Topic 4: Plug and Play Sensor Systems

Topic 5: Advanced Air-Sealing Technologies for Existing Buildings

FOA Webinar Information:

Please register for BENEFIT 2016 FOA - Introduction on December 21, 2015 2:00 PM EST at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8715391438828356098

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

Amendment 000001 to DE-FOA-0001383 BUILDINGS ENERGY EFFICIENCY FRONTIERS & INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES (BENEFIT) – 2016 includes the following changes:

1. Total available federal funding has increased from $8 million to $20 million.

2. The number of anticipated awards has increased to approximately 17-25.

3. The schedule has been altered to allow an additional week for submission of Concept Papers. The new submission date for Concept Papers is 2/5/2016

4. The 2^nd Webinar has been rescheduled to 3/17/2016.

5. Additional detail regarding building/grid interaction has been added for Topic Areas 1, 2 and 4.

6. Extend the submission date for Full Applications to 4/19/2016.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001383 BENEFIT 016 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 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.

The Emerging Technologies (ET) Program of the Building Technologies Office (BTO) supports applied research and development for technologies and systems that contribute to building energy consumption.  BTO’s goal is to deliver 50% primary energy savings in the year 2030, relative to the baseline energy consumption projected by the 2010 Annual Energy Outlook.  The ET Program is helping to meet this goal by enabling cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies to be developed and introduced into the marketplace.  The ET Program maintains support for the national laboratories in five core areas:  Solid-State Lighting, HVAC (includes water heating and appliances), Sensors & Controls, Windows & Envelope, and Modeling & Tools.  This FOA combines an early-stage research and development topic (Innovations) with a later-stage research and development topic (Frontiers) that complement the core funding provided to the national labs and allow all interested parties, including corporations, universities, and non-profits as well as the national labs, to contribute to advancement in two of these core technological areas:  Non-vapor compression HVAC technologies and advanced vapor compression HVAC technologies. These topics are combined into this single, relatively large FOA in order to reduce administrative costs and to ensure that only the best applications are supported.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001166 BENEFIT FOA FAQ sheet in FOA Documents.  

The BENEFIT 2015 FOA  seeks to fund next-generation non-vapor compression HVAC technologies (Innovations) and improvements to existing advanced vapor compression HVAC technologies (Frontiers) that complement the core funding provided to the national labs and allow all interested parties, including corporations, universities, and non-profits as well as the national labs, to contribute to advancement in these technological areas. These topics are combined into this single, relatively large FOA in order to reduce administrative costs and to ensure that only the best applications are supported.

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 the FOA.

*** BENEFIT FOA 2nd Informational Webinar will be held Tuesday, March 25, 2014 3:00-4:00 ET. Register at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/344478633 ***

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has issued, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled Building Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Incubator Technologies (BENEFIT) - 2014, Number DE-FOA-0001027. The FOA is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

Mandatory concept papers must be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website by March 6, 2014, followed by full applications due by April 21, 2014. Applicants must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for EERE eXCHANGE can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. 

The BENEFIT FOA includes the following Areas of Interest:

Incubators (Off-Roadmap):

Area of Interest 1:  Open Topic for Energy Efficiency Solutions for Residential and Commercial Buildings

Innovative energy-efficiency technologies, approaches, or design tools NOT already supported or targeted by BTO are eligible to apply under this area of interest, providing they show a clear application to residential and/or commercial buildings with significant primary energy savings potential.

Area of Interest 2:  Innovative Sensors & Sensor Systems

Develop open architecture sensors and sensor systems that easily share data to enable building operators and owners to cost effectively capture energy and cost savings through the use of new and existing control system applications. Major goals in this development area are low cost, data sharing, and ease of deployment (plug-n-play methodologies).

Frontiers (Roadmap-Driven):

Area of Interest 3:  Advanced Energy-Efficient Clothes Dryers

Applications are sought for advanced energy-efficient clothes dryers (vented and ventless).  Economic and technical goals are defined for this area.  Furthermore, concepts with measurable non-energy benefits, which are important for market success, are particularly encouraged.

Area of Interest 4:  Highly Insulating Building Envelope Components

Subtopic  1, Visibly transparent building envelope components:  There are technical and economic goals for this area that are significant improvements of current technology.  Performance metrics include ≥ R-7 (residential) and ≥ R-5 (commercial).

Subtopic 2, Opaque building envelope components:  The metrics and targets for this subtopic are > R-8/inch building envelope thermal insulation material that can be added to either the exterior or interior walls in existing buildings at < $0.30/ft² installed cost premium (labor and material).  

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 Building Technologies Office (BTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Building Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Incubator Technologies (BENEFIT) - 2014”, Number DE-FOA-0001027. The Notice of Intent is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

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 in or around the first calendar quarter in 2014. 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.  It is anticipated that the FOA may include the following Areas of Interest:

Incubators (Off-Roadmap):

Area of Interest 1:  Open Topic for Energy Efficiency Solutions for Residential and Commercial Buildings

Innovative energy-efficiency technologies, approaches, or design tools NOT already supported or targeted by BTO are eligible to apply under this area of interest, providing they show a clear application to residential and/or commercial buildings with significant primary energy savings potential.

Area of Interest 2:  Innovative Sensors & Sensor Systems

Develop open architecture sensors and sensor systems that easily share data to enable building operators and owners to cost effectively capture energy and cost savings through the use of new and existing control system applications. Major goals in this development area are low cost, data sharing, and ease of deployment (plug-n-play methodologies).

Frontiers (Roadmap-Driven):

Area of Interest 3:  Advanced Energy-Efficient Clothes Dryers

Applications are sought for advanced electric energy-efficient clothes dryers (vented and ventless).  Economic and technical goals are defined for this area.  Furthermore, concepts with measurable non-energy benefits, which are important for market success, are particularly encouraged.

Area of Interest 4:  Highly Insulating Building Envelope Components

Subtopic  1, Visibly transparent building envelope components:  There are technical and economic goals for this area that are significant improvements of current technology.  Performance metrics include ≥ R-7 (residential) and ≥ R-5 (commercial).

Subtopic 2, Opaque building envelope components:  The metrics and targets for this subtopic are > R-8/inch building envelope thermal insulation material that can be added to either the exterior or interior walls in existing buildings at < $0.30/ft² installed cost premium (labor and material).