EERE Funding Opportunity Announcements

The Funding Opportunity Announcement's (FOA) will be issued by the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), the Building Technologies Office (BTO), and the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), in collaboration with the Geothermal Technologies Office, the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office, and the Office of Electricity to equitably address grid edge challenges.

It is anticipated that the FOAs under this Notice of Intent (NOI) will be released individually and may include the following areas of interest:

SETO Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003331 (STRIVES) to develop and demonstrate technology and market tools for better integration of distributed energy resources including solar, wind, and energy storage.

BTO Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003136 (Connected Communities) to equitably advance grid-edge solutions for resilient, decarbonized communities including an emphasis on affordable housing communities that have limited availability of distribution capacity for transportation and building electrification.

VTO Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0003344 (SuperTruck Charge) will demonstrate concepts for managed charging at truck depots/hubs and truck stops that alleviate grid capacity challenges.

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 Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office), through the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), is issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) – Joint Office of Energy and Transportation: Communities Taking Charge Accelerator, Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Opportunity Announcement”. Awards made under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The Communities Taking Charge Accelerator FOA seeks applications that will help further the Joint Office’s vision of a future where everyone can ride and drive electric. This FOA will fund innovative approaches to expanding EV adoption and charging access, particularly at the local level in urbanized areas where land use, density, car ownership rates, grid considerations, and other factors add further complexities to electrifying the transportation network while the demand for transportation access is at its highest density.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) as part of their Interconnection Innovation Exchange (i2X) program1 to support innovative work to enable simpler, faster, and fairer interconnection of clean energy resources while enhancing the reliability, resiliency, and security of our electrical grid.

The two FOA topic areas are as follows:

Topic Area 1: Improved Efficiency of EMT Simulations for Interconnection Studies of IBRs Projects in this topic area will seek to improve the efficiency of the interconnection study process for new IBRs, such as solar and wind plants and battery energy storage systems, by improving software tools to study plant dynamics to increase long-term plant reliability. Projects will achieve this both by improving the speed of advanced, high-fidelity EMT modeling and simulation tools used in power systems interconnection studies and by developing a better understanding of when such high-fidelity simulations are necessary in the interconnection process.

Topic Area 2: Dynamic Stability-Enhanced Network Assessment Tools Projects in this topic area will develop tools to provide stakeholders with data on transmission system characteristics related to stability, voltage, and grid strength while securing confidential and critical energy infrastructure information. Projects will establish the type of information required by stakeholders, develop a tool or tools, and test and evaluate those tools on at least one real transmission system.

Topic Area 1 is primarily focused on the improvement of software tools, methods, or processes used to conduct EMT studies, the results of which will inform the transmission system interconnection stakeholders in Topic Area 2. Projects in Topic Area 2 do not need to be focused solely on transmission system characteristics based on EMT studies.

The research and development (R&D) activities to be funded under this lab call 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 lab call will enable innovation in research areas aligned to the WPTO Hydropower Program. In addition, this lab call will emphasize increasing diversity of research staff, increasing diversity of voices in research design, and or increasing quantification and emphasis on supporting underserved communities

This lab call solicits proposals in seven topics that cover three of the five core activity areas in the Hydropower Program, including one program-wide topic supporting the Federal Hydropower Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and DOE’s MOU with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The three Hydropower Program activity areas and their supporting topics are:

HydroWIRES (Water Innovation for Resilient Electricity System) Activity Area (4 topics)

Topic 1: Modeling Gaps

In partnership with Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), an ongoing HydroWIRES Modeling Gaps project is focusing on developing new models and implementing them with the goal of creating public tools to include robust and updated scenarios for utility planning. Previous work identified seven top modeling gaps to representation of hydropower in power system models. This topic solicits proposals that focus on continued partnership with WECC model users and other practitioners to improve hydro generation representation in power system studies for operation and planning.

Topic 2: Future Grid Strength

HydroWIRES work has highlighted the role of hydropower in providing primary frequency response, ramping, and other benefits during contingency events. While previous studies have offered valuable anecdotes and modeling frameworks, a more comprehensive look at the unique benefits of hydropower at the timescales of grid stability has not been developed yet. This topic solicits proposals that will be comprehensive, national-scale modeling efforts (but with regional insight) that address the unique benefits of hydropower at the timescales of grid stability.

Topic 3: US-Norway Collaboration

Norway is a world leader in hydropower technology, operations, and modeling, which inspired a 2020 US-Norway MOU and international research summit. As HydroCen, the flagship Norwegian research consortium under which these projects were started, concludes, there are new Norwegian and/or European initiatives being launched with similar research themes that may lead to new fruitful international collaborations. This topic solicits new research projects aligned with the HydroWIRES roadmap that are not captured in the existing portfolio or other topics in this call, which are performed in collaboration with Norwegian researchers and/or partners.

Topic 4: Open Topic

This open topic solicits new ideas not captured in the existing HydroWIRES portfolio. Proposals should clearly further the goals of HydroWIRES as described in the research roadmap, and the application should explain how they do this. Collaborations with industry or other external entities outside the labs to co-design, validate, and implement National Lab results are highly encouraged.

Hydrologic Systems Science Activity Area (1 topic):

Topic 5: Extreme Weather and Climate Events:

Extreme events can have devastating effects on the country’s infrastructure, including power generation facilities, and climate change is only increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme events like heat waves, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, inland flooding, and heavy precipitation. This topic solicits new research projects addressing extreme weather and climate events and their effects on hydropower infrastructure, operation, and planning. Proposals of interest will focus on one or more of the following: event classification, modeling, impact quantification, and mitigation and resilience strategies.

Fleet Modernization, Maintenance, & Cybersecurity Activity Area (1 topic):

Topic 6: Smart Maintenance Implementation Assistance

Traditionally, hydropower owners and operators’ maintenance programs have followed prescriptive, time-based maintenance and inspection programs. These programs may lose asset value by conducting maintenance earlier than needed or may not properly adapt to changing operating conditions (e.g., due to increased need for turbine flexibility) leading to increased failure rates. Predictive maintenance mitigates these challenges by using instrumentation, modeling, and data analytics to understand the remaining useful life and failure probabilities of an asset in real time. This topic solicits projects that accelerate the transition to smart maintenance methodologies by streamlining the implementation of new and existing maintenance analytics resources at existing hydropower facilities through programmatic assistance to hydropower asset owners and operators.

The one Hydropower Program-wide topic is:

Topic 7: Federal Hydropower MOU

Federally owned hydropower represents approximately half of the U.S. hydropower nameplate capacity, including many of the largest facilities in the fleet. Maintaining and modernizing this federal fleet requires significant investment and coordination. WPTO supports this coordination through two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU):

This pilot effort topic solicits “quick win” collaborative projects that minimize bandwidth required and solve targeted challenges within the federal hydro fleet.

Modification 0002: The purpose of this modification is to:
1) Update the expected timeframe for first round award negotiations to 11/2023.
2) Correct the SOPO page limit to 12 pages.

Modification 0001: The purpose of this modification is to:
1) Change the full application deadline date to 06/16/2023.

Awards made under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy through enhancing U.S. competitiveness, driving the creation of good-paying union jobs, and ensuring stronger access to economic, environmental, and other benefits for disadvantaged communities. The BIL appropriates more than $62 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE) to invest in American manufacturing and workers; expand access to energy efficiency; deliver reliable, clean and affordable power to more Americans; and deploy the technologies of tomorrow through clean energy demonstrations.

As part of and in addition to upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, DOE’s BIL investments will address the climate crisis and support efforts to build a clean an equitable energy economy that achieves zero carbon electricity by 2035, and puts the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050 to benefit all Americans.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) 2022 Enhanced Geothermal Shot^TM analysis, building on the 2019 GeoVision report, concludes that with aggressive technology improvements, in areas relevant to enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), geothermal power generation could provide 90 gigawatts-electric (GWe) firm, flexible power to the U.S. grid by 2050.

Enhanced Geothermal Systems 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 reservoir 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 hot rock. The fluid transports the otherwise stranded heat to the surface where clean, renewable electricity can be generated with current power generation technologies.

Relative to other geothermal resources, EGS have the potential to provide the most growth in the electric sector, and in the GeoVision scenarios, support noteworthy growth within the non-electric sector for district heating and other direct-use applications. This potential expands if superhot EGS resources (>375°C) are accounted for. Without significant and sustained investment in EGS technology development and demonstrations to refine our ability to access and develop these resources, however, the 90 GWe target will not be achieved.

The Topic Areas addressed under this FOA are:

Topic Area 1: EGS Proximal Demonstrations: EGS demonstrations utilizing existing infrastructure proximal to existing geothermal / hydrothermal development with immediate potential for electrical power production.

Topic Area 2: EGS Green Field Demonstrations: Sites with no existing geothermal development and potential for shallow sedimentary, igneous and/or mixed metamorphic rock EGS with near-term electrical power production potential. ​

Topic Area 3: Super-hot / Supercritical EGS Demonstrations: Super-hot/ supercritical EGS demonstrations located at well-characterized sites with existing well(s) in place and with near-term electrical power production potential.

Applications for Topic Area 4 will not be accepted at this time.

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

Teaming Partner list: Any organization that would like to be included on this list should submit the following information: Organization Name, Contact Name, Contact Address, Contact Email, Contact Phone, Organization Type, Area of Technical Expertise, Brief Description of Capabilities, and Area of Interest. Interested parties should email the information to BIL_EGSPilotDemos@ee.doe.gov with the subject line “Teaming Partner 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.

The public comment period in response to this RFI has been extended to March 6, 2024.

This Request for Information (RFI) is soliciting feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on Part 1 of a draft National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building. Responses to this RFI will help to develop a definition that will provide a clear market signal and consistent target, backed by measurable data, that is intended to help move the building sector to zero emissions.President Biden has called for net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by 2050 and a 100% clean energy electricity sector by 2035. Within the building sector, the Biden Administration has set the goal to make zero emissions resilient new construction and retrofits common practice by 2030. Accomplishing these goals will require increasing efficiency, expanding clean energy capacity, and plugging both new and existing buildings into a grid that is rapidly becoming cleaner.

Developing a broadly accepted common definition of a zero emissions building, as well as a pathway for verification, is foundational to efforts by public and private entities to transition the building sector to zero emissions. The National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building will create a standardized, consistent, and measurable basis for zero emissions buildings. The definition will act as a framework, offering designers and operators multiple pathways to influence the design and operation of buildings, thereby reduce building sector emissions.

As is proposed currently, the definition of a zero emissions building is one that is:

1. Highly energy efficient,

2. Free of on-site emissions from energy use, and

3. Powered solely from clean energy

Part 1 of the draft definition in full, which includes details on the criteria above, is available here: https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/national-definition-zero-emissions-building. This RFI aims to gather more extensive insights on the definition. DOE will consider responses to this RFI before finalizing version 1.00 of Part 1 of the National Definition for a Zero Emissions Building.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to https://forms.office.com/g/Y0Ss3UFdL3, no later than 5:00 pm (ET) on March 6, 2024. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications at this time.

Mod 00001 extends the submission date to 12/01/2023.

This request for information (RFI) solicits feedback on a draft Transmission System Interconnection Roadmap prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) program. This roadmap covers interconnection solutions for the transmission system/bulk power system only. Feedback from interconnection stakeholders regarding the Roadmap’s content (e.g., challenges, solution sets and key actions) will ensure the final version provides a comprehensive set of strategies to improve the interconnection process. Interconnection stakeholders include, but are not limited to, utilities, grid operators, grid reliability organizations, Tribal governments and utilities, Federal and state regulators, state and local governments, clean energy developers, energy justice groups, nonprofits, and trade associations.Read the draft i2X Transmission System Interconnection Roadmap:

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 invest in R&D to support continued innovation and cost reduction for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) voltage-source converter (VSC) transmission systems. This investment is intended to enable future grid upgrades required to integrate increasing renewable energy generation on to the grid, both onshore and offshore.

Topic Area 1: Innovative Designs for HVDC VSC Technology

Please note: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk at eere-exchangesupport@hq.doe.gov”

The U.S Department of Energy (DOE)’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) and the Office of Electricity (OE), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Innovative DEsigns for high-performAnce Low-cost HVDC Converters (IDEAL HVDC)”.

The activities under this anticipated FOA 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, the planned FOA would invest in research and development to support continued innovation and cost reduction for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) voltage source converter (VSC) transmission systems.This investment is intended to enable future cost-effective grid upgrades required to integrate increasing renewable energy generation on to the grid, both onshore and offshore.

DOE is compling a "Teaming Partner List" to facilitate the formation of new project teams for this FOA. The Teaming Partner 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.

Updates to the Teaming Partner List will be available in the EERE Exchange website. The Teaming Partner List will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

The U.S Department of Energy (DOE)’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) and the Office of Electricity (OE), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Innovative DEsigns for high-performAnce Low-cost HVDC Converters (IDEAL HVDC)”.

The activities under this anticipated FOA 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, the planned FOA would invest in research and development to support continued innovation and cost reduction for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) voltage source converter (VSC) transmission systems.This investment is intended to enable future cost-effective grid upgrades required to integrate increasing renewable energy generation on to the grid, both onshore and offshore.

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.

Modification 000002: The Full Application Submissions Dealine has been extended.

Modification 000001: The Concept Paper Submissions Deadline has been extended.

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) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). 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 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 innovations that can lead to the large-scale deployment of clean energy technologies.

Topic Area 1: System Planning Tools for Future Power Systems

This topic seeks to improve the long-term planning process of the bulk power grid by incorporating the unique features of VRE and new technologies that support VRE into the planning process.

Topic Area 2: Variability Management in Grid Operations

Projects funded under this topic area will develop tools for grid operators to optimally utilize and control IBR connected to the bulk power grid, as well as large numbers of DER, to achieve a more reliable and predictable grid with high penetrations of VRE.

Topic Area 3: Rapid System Health and Risk Assessment Tools for Grid Operators

Modification 0002 Announcement:

Updated the Full Application Submission Deadline to June 6, 2023

Modification 0001 Announcement:

The research and development (R&D) activities to be funded under this Lab Call 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 Lab Call will be a critical element of an effort within DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) with goals to simultaneously spur technology leadership in microelectronics -- a foundational technology for clean energy -- and to stop exponential growth in microelectronics energy use. Achieving the former goal will accelerate and lower costs of innovation needed to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035; achieving the latter goal will prevent a spike in GHG emissions in the near term and also avoid strain on the electricity grid as the economy evolves rapidly towards microelectronics-dependent net zero technologies in all sectors by 2050.

This Lab Call is focused on flattening the slope of microelectronics energy use as part of AMMTO’s broader microelectronics R&D Roadmapping effort now called “Energy Efficiency Scaling for two Decades” (EES2). The intent of this Lab Call is to support manufacturing and other R&D on prototype devices to advance them to at least technology readiness level (TRL) 6 where they are ready to be matured and commercialized in lab/industry partnerships.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) is issuing this lab call for fiscal year 2023 (FY2023) to solicit project proposals in new and on-going research areas. Depending on the Area of Interest (AOI), project awards from this year’s Lab Call will initially be funded through either FY2023 or FY2024 appropriations, subject to the availability of funds.

To the extent possible and appropriate, VTO seeks lab projects that involve industry engagement or industry partners and encourages multiple-lab, multi-disciplined team-based approaches. VTO will award only a portion of its total planned FY23 and FY24 lab funding through this lab call process. There is approximately $35.8 million in annual funding available to fund all projects solicited in this Lab Call with the potential for future year funding pending appropriations.

Some labs have continuing multi-year projects that have already gone through the merit review process. These will continue to be reviewed through the annual peer review process. Labs should work with VTO project and program managers to ensure that ongoing projects are included in the annual operating plans (AOPs) to meet AOP deadlines.

This lab call will only pertain to the new topic areas below.

AOI 1: Technology Commercialization Fund

AOI 2: Composites Core Program 2.0

AOI 3: Powertrain Materials Core Program 2.0

AOI 4: Lightweight Metals Core Program 2.0

AOI 5: EEMS Tools and Technologies

AOI 6: Freight-in-the-Loop

AOI 7: Data and Tools for Vehicle Grid Integration

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.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), seeks public comment on its Request for Information (RFI) number DE-FOA-0002797 regarding prevalence of and solutions to prevent Electric Vehicle (EV) No-Charge Events. The VTO is developing plans to implement the Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI) Research, Development, and Demonstration (RDD&D) Program as directed by the Energy Act of 2020 and one of the challenges/barriers to VGI to be addressed is the issue of some EVs failing to charge satisfactorily when connected to Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE or chargers). These no-charge events either fail to start charging or fail to complete the charge without interruption.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) on behalf of the Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains Office in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office. This RFI seeks public input to help inform DOE’s implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The Information collected may be used to inform DOE planning related to the following BIL Sections.

Section 40207(e), titled Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize.

Section 40207(f) titled, Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling: Battery Recycling Research, Development, and Demonstration Grants.

Section 40208 titled, Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Program.

***PLEASE NOTE: This FOA has been modified (DE-FOA-0002792.0001). Section III.A.ii and footnote 59 regarding FFRDC eligibility have been updated to indicate that, for Topic 4, only core members of the M2FCT consortium are ineligible to apply as subrecipients. Core national laboratories in M2FCT include Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Please see the "DE-FOA-0002792_HFTO FOA_FINAL_Mod 0001" document in the Announcement Documents section below.***

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) hereby issues Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience” that will address two unique areas of interest: one with topic areas focused on supporting the DOE Hydrogen Shot on behalf of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and a second EERE-wide topic area focused on grid resilience through a university research consortium.

This FOA includes the following five topics under two Areas of Interest, as follows:

Area of Interest 1: Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies in Support of Hydrogen Shot

Topic 1) HydroGEN: Solar Fuels from Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water SplittingTopic 2) Development and Validation of Sensor Technology for Monitoring and Measuring Hydrogen LossesTopic 3) Materials-based H₂ Storage DemonstrationsTopic 4) M2FCT: High Performing, Durable, and Low-PGM Catalysts/Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for Medium- and Heavy-duty Applications

Area of Interest 2: Improving Electricity Grid Resilience

Topic 5) University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience

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

The Teaming Partner List is transferred from Notice of Intent (NOI) DE-FOA-0002807. 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. Any organization that would like to be included on this list should submit the following information to HFTOFOA@ee.doe.gov, with the subject line “Teaming Partner Information FOA-0002792”: Topic Area(s) of Interest, Organization Name, Contact Name, Contact Address, Contact Email, Contact Phone, Organization Type (including MSI designation or disadvantaged community status, if relevant), Area of Technical Expertise, and Brief Description of Capabilities.

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 Applications will be accepted only through EERE eXCHANGE.

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the 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).

***PLEASE NOTE: This FOA has been modified (DE-FOA-0002792.000001). Section III.A.ii and footnote 59 regarding FFRDC eligibility have been updated to indicate that, for Topic 4, only core members of the M2FCT consortium are ineligible to apply as subrecipients. Core national laboratories in M2FCT include Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Please see the "DE-FOA-0002792_HFTO FOA_FINAL_Mod 0001" document in the Announcement Documents section below.***

MOD 000003: Extended the Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments from 12/15/2022 to 12/20/2022. Updated the FOA timeline on the FOA cover page to accomodate this change.

MOD 000002: Extended the Concept Paper Submission Deadline from 9/1/2022 to 9/15/2022. Updated the FOA timeline on the FOA cover page to accommodate this change.

MOD 000001: A broken link was fixed in Section I.A.vi - Teaming Partner List.

The U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Projects awarded under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58,1 also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The Systems Integration Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability Demonstration FOA will provide funding to demonstrate the capability of large-scale solar and wind plants to provide grid services to the bulk power grid as well as improving grid reliability.

Topic 1: Wind and Solar Grid Services Design, Implementation, and Demonstration

This topic area supports full-scale demonstration projects that seamlessly integrate renewable generation with other large-scale or aggregated distributed energy resource (DER) technologies to provide ancillary (grid) services and improve reliability.

Topic 2: Protection of Bulk Power Systems with High Contribution from Inverter-Based Resources

The goal of this topic area is to develop a better understanding of how protection systems will operate under very-high IBR scenarios through advancements in modeling and simulation capabilities and to develop and validate strategies and new technologies that can maintain system protection at any level of IBR penetration and improve reliability.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Funding Opportunity in Support of the Hydrogen Shot and a University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience,” that will address two unique areas of interest: one with topic areas focused on supporting the DOE Hydrogen Shot on behalf of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and a second EERE-wide topic area focused on grid resilience through a university research consortium.

EERE anticipates that the FOA may include the following five topics under two Areas of Interest, as follows:

Area of Interest 1: Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies in Support of Hydrogen Shot

Topic 1) HydroGEN: Solar Fuels from Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water Splitting

Topic 2) Development and Validation of Sensor Technology for Monitoring and Measuring Hydrogen Losses

Topic 3) Materials-based H₂ Storage Demonstrations

Topic 4) M2FCT: High Performing, Durable, and Low-PGM Catalysts/Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) for Medium- and Heavy-duty Applications

Area of Interest 2: Improving Electricity Grid Resilience

Topic 5) University Research Consortium on Grid Resilience

EERE plans to issue the FOA on or about August 2022 via the EERE eXCHANGE website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding this FOA, they should register in EERE eXCHANGE. When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE eXCHANGE.

The Teaming Partner List has moved to EERE Exchange at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId47252393-c846-4779-9760-86414eddda9f under FOA number DE-FOA-0002792.

DISCLAIMER: This “Notice of Intent” is for informational purposes only; the Department of Energy is not seeking comments on the information in this notice and 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. Applications are not being accepted at this time. Any information contained in this notice is subject to change.

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) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). This funding program seeks to invest in innovative research and development (R&D) as well as research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects that enable continued cost reductions, while developing next-generation solar technologies and boosting American solar manufacturing, especially in cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics. These projects will support the scaling of affordable solar generation and facilitate secure, reliable integration of solar electricity into the nation’s energy grid to ultimately benefit the U.S. economy.

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 develop and demonstrate new technologies enabling fast deployment of large amounts of solar generation into the grid.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office (GDO) is requesting information and feedback from stakeholders on issues related to the development of hydroelectric incentive programs authorized under sections 243 and 247 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) (EPAct 2005), as amended by sections 40332 and 40333 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. See 42 U.S.C. 15882 and 15883.^[1]

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

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to WPTORFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 11:59pm (ET) on Tuesday, September 6, with subject line “Organization/Name: Response to RFI on Hydroelectric Incentive Programs.” Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. In lieu of or in addition to providing written responses to this RFI, respondents may request a 30-minute individual unrecorded discussion with a DOE staff member regarding the content of their written responses to the RFI questions. Requests for an individual discussion must be requested no later than 5:00pm (ET) on Friday, August 19, 2022 .

It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF (.pdf) attachment to the email, and no more than 15 pages in length, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm ET, DOE will hold an informal webinar to discuss general feedback from interested parties regarding the content of this RFI. To register for this informational webinar, please sign up at: https://bit.ly/RFI_HydroIncentiveProgram. Additional webinar information, participant instructions, and information about the capabilities available to webinar participants will be published on https://www.energy.gov/eere/water/hydropower-incentives-funding-bipartisan-infrastructure-law. Participants are responsible for ensuring their systems are compatible with the webinar software.

Please see the full RFI document in the Documents section below.

^[1] Section 243 (Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives Program) and Section 247 (Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Program) will be referred to as the Hydroelectric Incentive Programs.

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) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to invest in innovative research that accelerates the large-scale development and deployment of solar technology to support an equitable transition to a decarbonized electricity system by 2035 and decarbonized energy sector by 2050. Decarbonizing the grid responsibly and equitably requires that wildlife and ecosystems associated with solar energy facilities are well understood. Achieving this goal will support the nationwide effort to meet the threat of climate change and ensure that all Americans as well as the nation’s wildlife and ecosystems benefit from the transition to a clean energy economy. Climate change is a threat not just to human societies but also “presents a growing threat to the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats in profound ways.”[1]

The goal of this funding opportunity is to develop solutions and/or strategies that minimize the adverse impacts of solar energy on wildlife and maximize the ecosystem benefits while enabling the rapid deployment of ground-mounted solar energy. SETO is interested in projects that will produce results with broad relevance to solar stakeholders by establishing methods, technologies, models, best management practices, and/or resources that facilitate solar energy’s pivotal role in achieving a 100% clean electricity system by 2035 and a net-zero energy system by 2050. Successful projects will produce research results that are generalizable to multiple sites, pertinent to multiple stakeholder groups, impactful in a short timeframe (i.e., 3 years or less), and engage local communities most affected by solar energy deployment.

[1] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservation in a Changing Climate. https://www.fws.gov/home/climatechange/

Modification 000003 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000003 are highlighed in blue.

Modification 000002 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000002 are highlighed in green.

Modification 000001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000001 are highlighed in yellow.

This request for information is intended to inform the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by providing input and feedback on the concept of an “energyshed” as well as the benefits of and barriers to energyshed management systems. EERE is seeking input on: 

• the concept and operational bounds of an energyshed,
• the value and uses of tracking the location of energy serving a particular load area for different stakeholders, and specific capabilities and information that would be most useful for that end,
• the development of tools and analyses to define and establish an energyshed and operate an energyshed management system, 
• understanding the impact of more locally derived renewable electricity generation,
• how energyshed managements systems may affect grid operation on a day-to-day basis as well as long term,
• what business models are most appropriate to obtain more locally derived electricity generation, and
• how locally generated electricity will impact the development of a more resilient power system, including microgrids.

This information will inform DOE’s consideration of a potential funding opportunity to develop and deploy an energyshed management system.  EERE is interested in responses from all stakeholders, including representatives of state and cities, academia, national laboratories, non-governmental organizations, interest groups, private sector, and more. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) seeks stakeholder input on factors to consider in relation to defining “an area where there is inadequate electric service”. WPTO proposes to define “an area in which there is inadequate electric service” as follows:

“An area in which there is inadequate electric service means a geographic area that lacks access to an interconnected electrical grid or where a customer may not reasonably access electrical energy services; is subject to frequent electric outages, based on common reliability metrics; or where the cost of electricity is significantly above the typical residential electricity cost.”

The above definition will be applied in accordance with the definition of a qualified hydroelectric facility set in Section 242 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, 42 U.S.C. § 15881 (“Section 242”), as amended by Section 3005(a) of the Energy Act of 2020.

The Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and the Advanced Grid Research and Development Division (AGR&D), within DOE’s Office of Electricity (OE), seeks public comment on its Request for Information (RFI) number DE-FOA-0002528 regarding Integrating Electric Vehicles onto the Electric Grid. The Energy Act of 2020 directs DOE to examine the research, development, and demonstration opportunities, challenges, and standards needed for integrating electric vehicles onto the electric grid.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled “Advancing Wave Energy Technologies through Open Water Testing at PacWave.” 

This FOA supports open water Research and Development (R&D) at the PacWave test site that is needed to advance wave energy converter (WEC) technologies towards commercial viability. This FOA will only fund projects that will advance WEC technologies at the PacWave South test site. Projects that propose testing at the PacWave North test site will not be considered for funding. 

This FOA is focused on advancing WEC systems that vary in size from utility-scale, grid-connected devices, to smaller non-utility, non-grid-connected devices that provide power for Blue Economy applications. Specifically, this FOA aims to support R&D projects across three Topic Areas (TAs). TA1 focuses on testing of WEC system designs intended for remote and microgrid applications as well as open-source WEC system that aim to generate publicly available data and knowledge to benefit the entire WEC industry. TA2 focuses on advancing WEC designs for future deployment at PacWave South. TA3 is an open topic area that will support wave energy R&D projects at PacWave South that advance WECs and supporting technologies.

PacWave is an open ocean wave energy testing facility consisting of two sites, each located just a few miles from the deep-water port of Newport, Oregon on the ever-energetic Pacific Ocean. See the PacWave website and the “PacWave Information and Support” section for additional details - http://pacwaveenergy.org/ 

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 Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO), within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), welcomes input from energy system modelers, geothermal developers and operators, utilities and public utility commissions, as well as from academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other geothermal stakeholders on opportunities to improve geothermal technology cost and performance modeling.As variable renewable energy resources continue declining in cost, and grid operators transition to greater use of what is increasingly cost-competitive energy storage, the energy and capacity value of geothermal generation needs to be accurately represented and captured by resource adequacy planners. GTO is soliciting this Request For Information (RFI) from the broader stakeholder community in order to ensure that geothermal technology costs and performance assumptions are most accurately represented in all grid modeling and planning efforts.  This will ensure that geothermal achieves appropriate market share that can support a reliable, resilient, and decarbonized grid.  With the help of stakeholder feedback from this RFI, GTO aims to improve its understanding of where there may be gaps in existing geothermal technology performance and cost models, and thus where to best focus future potential efforts for eliminating such gaps.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002446. The activities supported by this FOA are authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) Public Law 109-58 (Aug. 5, 2005), Title VIII - HYDROGEN, Sections 801 to 816. These provisions are found in the United States Code at 42 U.S.C. §§ 16151 to 16165. Title VIII authorizes the Secretary of Energy to conduct a program of research, development and demonstration on technologies relating to the production, purification, distribution, storage, and use of hydrogen energy, fuel cells, and related infrastructure.

This FOA supports research and development (R&D) to enable “H2@Scale” − a DOE initiative to achieve large scale production, storage, transport, and utilization of hydrogen across multiple sectors.1 Supporting EERE’s core priorities of energy affordability, integration and storage, H2@Scale research, development and demonstration (RD&D) aims to advance the adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in integrated energy systems across key applications that provide a value proposition as well as reduce emissions. However, a number of challenges remain including cost, performance, durability, manufacturing and scale-up issues, and developing integrated systems that demonstrate the unique technical, economic and environmental benefits of hydrogen and fuel cells.

To address these challenges, HFTO supports a comprehensive RD&D portfolio addressing materials-, component- and systems-level R&D on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies (e.g., MW-scale electrolyzers, fuel cells for heavy-duty transportation applications, hydrogen delivery and fueling infrastructure, among others); and technology acceleration efforts addressing first-of-a-kind demonstrations of integrated energy systems, as well as manufacturing innovations and safety codes and standards. HFTO RD&D relies heavily on collaborations among various industry and university stakeholders and the national laboratories, including through HFTO-managed consortia.

This year, HFTO launched two major collaborative research initiatives leveraging world-class expertise and state-of-the-art equipment at the national laboratories: the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) consortium and the H2NEW consortium.2 Under each consortium, DOE national laboratories are working together in cutting-edge R&D and collaborating with the hydrogen and fuel cell communities to identify innovative ways to make hydrogen and fuel cell technologies more affordable and competitive in today’s market. Each consortium is planned at $50 million over five years, along with a similar level for industry and university FOAs, to advance progress in specific hydrogen production and fuel cell RD&D areas:

• M2FCT includes Los Alamos and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories as co-leads, and focuses on fuel cell durability, performance, and cost to better position fuel cell trucks as a viable option in the long-haul trucking market.
• H2NEW includes National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory as co-leads, and focuses on R&D to enable affordable, durable and efficient large-scale electrolyzers, which produce hydrogen from electricity and water (at both high and low temperatures).

This HFTO FY21 RD&D FOA will provide more than $33,500,000 in Federal funding for topics designed to supplement the current HFTO RD&D portfolio in the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, with an emphasis on incentivizing collaborative progress among industry, university and national laboratory stakeholders, including coordination with the M2FCT and H2NEW Consortia. This FOA includes the following four areas of R&D:

2) Efficient and Innovative Hydrogen Production This topic includes two focus areas aimed at developing sustainable generation technologies to enable low-cost production of clean hydrogen at large scale. The first area, carried out in collaboration with DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), focuses on increasing the production volume of advanced components, stacks, sub-systems, and systems for multi-MW-scale high-temperature electrolyzers to lower hydrogen production costs. This would be coordinated with the H2NEW consortium. The second focus area supports technology development which enables low cost hydrogen production via waste and biomass conversion. Research approaches in this area include microbial conversion technologies viable at large or distributed/community scales, with development of novel systems to bring down cost, improve yield, and enable scale-up.

3) High-flow Fueling Applications This topic includes two focus areas for development of novel hydrogen fueling technologies and processes that can increase hydrogen dispensing rates to facilitate rapid fueling of heavy-duty vehicles. The first topic area focuses on low-cost, reliable, domestically supplied hydrogen fueling station components to enable high-flow hydrogen fueling of heavy-duty trucks. The second focus area supports R&D necessary to develop a high-flow gaseous fueling model and ultimately a standard protocol which can achieve targeted fill rates.

4) Analysis This topic includes three focus areas for the development of a comprehensive set of cost analyses involving all aspects of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Projects would define the current state-of-the-art in key areas, develop and refine system configurations and designs, provide guidance on R&D gaps, and help to direct future R&D priorities in fuel cell, hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage technologies.

***NOTICE: New Application System Launched***

EERE issued this FOA in December of 2020 via the new EERE Program Information Center (EPIC) website https://epic.ee.doe.gov/

*******HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE, the FOA has been moved to the Exchange website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Applications, for those that submitted an eligible Conept Paper under this FOA in EPIC, must be submitted through Exchange by the deadline listed below.

In addition, all questions pertaining to this FOA must now be submitted to HFTOFOA@ee.doe.gov. The list of Q&A's from EPIC, to date, is posted below.

This FOA intends to support research and development of grid forming inverters, DER controls and to accelerate commercialization of innovative product ideas that can substantively increase U.S. domestic manufacturing and expand private investment across the solar industry supply chain (photovoltaics, power electronics, systems integration, concentrating solar thermal power, and more).

Modification 000003 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000003 are highlighted in blue.

Modification 000002 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000002 are highlighted in green.

Modification 000001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. Changes from modification 000001 are highlighted in yellow.

Informational Webinar

An informational webinar was held to provide information on the FOA to potential applicants on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 1:00pm ET. Please see link below to access the slides for this webinar.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/funding-opportunity-announcement-solar-energy-technologies-office-fiscal-year-2021

A Connected Community (CC) is a group of grid-interactive efficient buildings GEB with diverse, flexible end use equipment and other distributed energy resources (DERs) that collectively work to maximize building, community, and grid efficiency. Under this FOA, DOE will select a portfolio of “Connected Community” projects totaling up to $65 million in varying climates, geographies, building types, building vintages, DERs utility/grid/regulatory structures and resource bases. Through funding these projects, DOE hopes to find and share technical and market solutions that will increase demand flexibility and energy efficiency.

Modification 0001: The purpose of this modification was to add Section I.C.: Teaming List, to page 18 of the FOA.

Modification 0002: The purposes of this modification were to:
1. Remove the down select language under section II.A.i. Award Information, Estimated Funding on page 20;
2. Clarify language around the Open Source Software Distribution Plan on page 46 to make it encouraged but not required;
3. Replace Appendix H - Project Evaluation.

Modification 0003: The purposes of this modification were to:
1. Extend the Concept Paper submission due date to be March 3, 2021;
2. Extend the Full Application submission due date to be March 17, 2021.

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

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

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

https://doe.webex.com/doe/lsr.php?RCID=aaf39766b42540d3bfe7feca62a3ff94

Passcode: 65mG7mHK

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

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.

The Building Technologies Proving Ground – Public Sector Field Validation funding opportunity will invest up to $10 million to allow state, local, and tribal government entities to compete for funding designed to meet U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) goals via field validation of high impact commercial building technologies. Projects under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will be funded by the EERE’s Building Technologies Office and administered in partnership with EERE’s Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office’s State Energy Program. The objective of this funding is to generate and disseminate data on the field performance of novel approaches to integrate advanced building technologies, that can inform commercial and multi-family building efficiency, demand flexibility, and building-to-grid programs. Projects funded through this FOA will have the potential to significantly reduce energy use in U.S. commercial buildings, develop new value streams for commercial building owners, and provide the end use flexibility required to dynamically balance the distribution grid.

An informational FOA webinar was held on June 30, 2020 at 12:00pm ET. The slides to the presentation are accessible in the Documents section of the FOA posting. 

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

Answers to the questions will be posted to an excel spreadsheet found in the annoucement 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.

MODIFICATION 0004: The purpose of this modification is to correct Modification 0003 and clarify:

(1) the use of coal and coal-based sources is specifically not of interest under Topic Area 2 on page 19:

Proposed projects must not include coal or coal-based resources (see Section I.C of the FOA).

(2) the use of coal and coal-based sources is specifically not of interest under all Topic Areas of the FOA on page 21:

For applications under all Topic Areas of the FOA, proposed projects must not include coal or coal-based resources. Applicants may see Section I.E for additional details for related opportunities.

3) the submission deadlines are extended on page i.

Submission Deadline for Concept Papers:

6/29/20 5:00pm ET

Submission Deadline for Full Applications:

8/19/20 5:00pm ET

Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments:

9/17/20 5:00pm ET

MODIFICATION 0003: The purpose of this modification is to clarify the restrictions on the use of coal and coal-based sources in Topic Area 2 of the FOA on page 19 and page 21:

"For all Areas of Interest under Topic 2 of the FOA, flexible or mixed raw materials sources are of interest, but cannot include greater than 49% coal or coal-based sources by weight. Proposed projects to Topic Area 2 of this FOA must not be duplicative of existing efforts of the Feasibility of Recovery Rare Earth Elements Program at the National Energy Technology Laboratory."

MODIFICATION 0002: The purposes of this modification are to clarify:

(1) the definition of "raw materials" under this FOA on page 11:

"For the purposes of all topics in the FOA, "raw materials" refer to materials or minerals extracted from the natural environment and any associated waste streams, but do NOT include end-of-life products."; and

(2) which materials (raw materials vs. end-of-life products) are of interest for separation and processing under Topic 1 Area of Interest 2 on page 15:

Topic 1, Area of Interest 2, seeks projects to improve industrial beneficiation (froth flotation, magnetic separation, or gravity flotation), separation (solvent extraction) and/or processing (molten salt electrolysis and metallothermic reduction) of REEs. In addition to the Topic 1, Area of Interest 2, specific requirements below, improvements to REE separation and processing should be able to handle flexible feedstocks (Figure 3). Of particular interest are technologies that can handle both raw materials and end-of-life products. Proposed technologies cannot solely target end-of-life products, or propose end-of-life products as the material choice for demonstration of the proposed technology.

Battery Critical Materials

For Topic 1 Area of Interest 2, proposed improvements to separation and processing of cobalt, lithium, manganese, and synthetic graphite may include the ability to handle flexible feedstocks, i.e. technologies that can handle both raw materials.

MODIFICATION 0001: The purpose of this modification is to add general authorities that were transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Mines to the Department of Energy, on page 8 of the FOA:

“In addition, the Department of Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1996 generally supports DOE research and development activities related to extraction, separation, and processing technologies. When the United States Bureau of Mines (BoM) was closed in 1996, Congress transferred certain BoM functions to DOE including research of the extraction, processing, use and disposal of mineral substances, and functions pertaining to mineral reclamation industries and the development of methods for the disposal, control, prevention, and reclamation of mineral waste products. See Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321-167 (1996).”

ORIGINAL ANNOUNCMENT:

Through this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks to address gaps in domestic supply chains for key critical materials for clean energy technologies to:

- Enable domestic manufacturing of high energy efficiency and high energy density clean energy technologies;

- Diversify the domestic supply of critical materials; and

- Validate and demonstrate domestic innovative technologies to support the transition to U.S. manufacturing.

This will be accomplished through development of alternative next-generation technologies and field validation and demonstration of technologies that improve extraction, separation and processing. Key critical materials for energy technologies as defined in this FOA include: rare earth elements: neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb), and samarium (Sm) used in permanent magnets for electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators and high temperature applications; cobalt (Co) used in batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and grid storage and high temperature permanent magnets; and lithium (Li), manganese (Mn) and natural graphite used in batteries (see table below).This FOA seeks to leverage the technology and capabilities developed at the Critical Materials Institute (CMI), an Energy Innovation Hub led by Ames Laboratory and managed by DOE.

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0002322 AMO 2020 FAQ Log at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To respond, please email your response to SETO.RFI.SI@ee.doe.gov no later than 12:00pm (ET) on August 30, 2019. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically and provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than ten (10) pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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

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

Request for Information Categories:

Category 1: Multi-Functional Wireless Sensor Networks

Category 2: Advanced Monitoring and Data Analytics

Category 3: Adaptive and Autonomous Controls

Category 4: Occupant-Centric Controls

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

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to sensor and control technologies for optimizing building energy management. This information will be used by BTO to update its Sensors and Controls R&D strategy and supporting energy savings and cost reduction goals, as well as to inform future strategic planning and adjustments to its R&D portfolio. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to BTO_SensorsControls_RDO@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on June 3, 2019. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than 10 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) advances the H2@Scale concept. The focus of H2@Scale is to enable affordable and reliable large-scale hydrogen generation, transport, storage, and utilization in the United States across multiple sectors.

By producing hydrogen when power generation exceeds load, electrolyzers can reduce curtailment of renewables and contribute to grid stability. Hydrogen produced from existing baseload (e.g., nuclear power) assets can also be stored, distributed, and used as a fuel for multiple applications. Such applications include transportation, stationary power, process or building heat, and industrial sectors such as steel manufacturing, ammonia production and petroleum refining. Key challenges to the H2@Scale concept include affordability, reliability, and performance of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Topics under this FOA to advance H2@Scale include:

Topic 1: Advanced hydrogen storage and infrastructure R&D including novel materials or hydrogen carriers for transporting and storing hydrogen, and materials for hydrogen infrastructure components.

Topic 2: Innovative concepts for hydrogen production and utilization including advanced water splitting materials, affordable domestic hydrogen production technologies, co-production of hydrogen for additional sources of revenue, and reversible fuel cell technologies.

Topic 3: H2@Scale Pilot - integrated production, storage, and fueling systems including innovative approaches that successfully integrate and optimize the complete system encompassing hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and use.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Request for Information Categories:

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

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

Category 3: Building Energy Modeling for Load Flexibility

Category 4: The Value of Flexible Building Loads

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, building owners and operators, builders, utilities, and other stakeholders on key issues related to the energy flexibility that building technologies can provide. This information will be used by BTO for strategic planning of the broader grid-interactive efficient building technologies R&D portfolio. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to RFI_GEB2019@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 pm (ET) on March 1st, 2019. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, and no more than five (5) pages in length per category of questions, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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

Modification 0001: EERE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the widest possible national participation in the formation of applicant teams for Topic 3. Information about the Topic 3 Teaming Partner List is included in the full text of the NOI. The Topic 3 Teaming Partner List is available in the Documents section below.

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The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO), Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002022 entitled “Fiscal Year 2019 H2@Scale Funding Opportunity Announcement.”

Hydrogen is one part of DOE’s all-of-the-above energy portfolio, and can offer options for affordable and secure energy for transportation, as well as for stationary and industrial applications. The United States produces over 10 million metric tons of hydrogen per year, used primarily for petroleum refining and fertilizer production, but there are a number of opportunities to increase hydrogen generation and utilization across the country.

“H2@Scale” is an initiative to enable affordable and reliable largescale hydrogen generation, transport, storage, and utilization in the United States across sectors. For example, electrolyzers can produce hydrogen by splitting water when power generation exceeds demand. This can reduce or prevent curtailment of renewables, optimize baseload (e.g., nuclear power) assets, and enable grid stability and resiliency, while also producing hydrogen as a fuel or feedstock for end users. In addition, hydrogen produced from existing baseload assets can be stored, distributed, and used as a fuel for transportation, stationary power, process or building heat, and industrial sectors (e.g. steel manufacturing), creating an additional revenue stream for those assets.

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

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

EERE plans to issue the FOA in February of 2019 via the EERE Exchange website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. If applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding this FOA, they should register in EERE Exchange. When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange.

The Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather insights about priority research and development needs across the solar industry. The goal of this RFI is to achieve a better understanding of the problems facing solar stakeholders including researchers, analysts, and manufacturers supporting the technological advancement and wide-scale adoption of solar technology. This information will help inform the office’s planning efforts.

The RFI covers four topic areas:

Photovoltaics: The office seeks feedback on issues related to high-priority areas within photovoltaics (PV) research, such as advanced PV manufacturing science, high efficiency tandem cell and module development, and reliability of module-level power electronics. Specifically, SETO is interested in and identifying any new major research areas and potential projects or collaborations that would have a lasting impact for the U.S. PV industry.

PV stakeholders are asked to send responses to SETO.RFI.PV@ee.doe.gov and can find a template for responses in the “DOCUMENTS” section below.

Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power: The office seeks input from the industrial and research communities in several areas that may help enable concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems to achieve high operating temperatures and lower costs. Those areas include: long-term thermal energy storage, pumped thermal storage materials, and autonomous solar collector fields.

CSP stakeholders are asked to send responses to SETO.RFI.CSP@ee.doe.gov and can find a template for responses in the “DOCUMENTS” section below.

Systems Integration: The office seeks input from relevant stakeholders on a number of interest areas related to the cost-effective, performance-enhancing integration of solar systems onto the electric grid, particularly at high penetration level. These include: addressing early stage research and development gaps with adaptive protection, smart inverter dynamic models, behind-the-meter grid services, grid-forming inverter controls, utilization of PV inverters as grid sensors, and cyber-secure PV plants.

System Integration stakeholders are asked to send responses to SETO.RFI.SI@ee.doe.gov and can find a template for responses in the “DOCUMENTS” section below.

Balance of Systems Soft Cost Reduction: The office seeks feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other solar stakeholders on research gaps associated with permitting, inspection, interconnection, and financing for solar.

Balance of System stakeholders are asked to send responses to SETO.RFI.BOS@ee.doe.gov and can find a template for responses in the “DOCUMENTS” Section below.

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

Additional Information

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to the topic-specific email addresses no later than 12:00pm (ET) on January 7, 2019. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email and no more than 20 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Please identify answers by responding to a specific question or topic, as applicable. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they deem appropriate.

EERE will not respond to individual submissions or publicly publish a compendium of responses. A response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue a project or idea.

Respondents are requested to provide the following information at the start of their response to the topic:

Company / institution name;

Company / institution contact;

The RFI has been modified to extend the deadline for responses to September 5, 2018.

The purpose of this RFI is to address the growing Research and Development (R&D) Interest in the use of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) facilities for renewable energy, energy storage, and grid integration technology development and testing.

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

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to NWTC_EERE_RFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on September 5, 2018.

This is solely a Request for Information and NOT a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications and will not respond to questions.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Program (referred to herein as the “Program”) which includes coordinated activities across all offices within DOE that are engaged in hydrogen and fuel cell activities. The Program seeks input on priority research and development (R&D) areas for reducing regulatory barriers to deployment of hydrogen technologies, with a particular focus on hydrogen infrastructure. In addition to a focus on transportation and streamlining private sector roll out of hydrogen fueling stations, the Program seeks input relating to large-scale hydrogen deployments for applications such as energy storage, grid services, hydrogen transport, natural gas blending or other end uses.

The goals of this RFI, in the context of developing and using hydrogen as an energy carrier across sectors and for diverse applications, are to: (a) Understand the effects of regulations imposed on industry, particularly the parts of industry responsible for hydrogen infrastructure; (b) Identify Federal regulations, codes, and state/local laws and identify the related compliance costs; and (c) Recommend actions to reduce the burdens of regulatory requirements. FCTO seeks feedback on (1) Infrastructure for Near-Term Transportation Applications; (2) Large-scale Applications; (3) Large-scale Hydrogen Delivery and Storage; (4) Grid Support (H2@Scale); and on topics related to the issues within this RFI that could be considered for future prizes.

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

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

Because information received in response to this RFI may be used to structure future programs and FOAs and/or otherwise be made available to the public, respondents are strongly advised to NOT include any information in their responses that might be considered business sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential. If, however, a respondent chooses to submit business sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, it must be clearly and conspicuously marked as such in the response.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FY18FCTOBARRIERSRFI@EE.DOE.GOV no later than 5:00pm (ET) on August 10, 2018. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, with 12 point font, and 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Please identify your answers by responding to specific questions and/or topics listed in the full RFI, as applicable. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.

Modification 00001:

The purpose of this modification is to update the following:

1) Section I.B.ii – Topic 2A - Integrated Energy Production and Hydrogen Fueling R&D:

Edited: Applicants should clearly describe plans for early-stage and applied R&D and for system performance verification testing, explaining the innovation, and must include a 20% industry cost share.

2) Section IV.D.ii – Technical Volume:

Edited: Workplan and Market Transformation Plan (This section should constitute approximately 40% of the Technical Volume)

3) Section V.A.ii – Full Applications:

Edited: Criterion 2: Project Research and Market Transformation Plan (30%)

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

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

The FOA topics include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WPTO will not respond to questions related to this RFI.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Access Code: 664-621-984

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Modification 000001: The purpose of this modification is to revise Section II.A.i. Estimated Funding to clarify funding amounts for Topic Area 1 and optional Topic Area 2; revise Section IV.C.ii Technical Volume to clarify that the annual budget must include a budget for each region if proposing to cover multiple regions provide; and revise IV.C.iv Budget Justification Workbook (EERE 335) to clarify that if the application is proposing to cover multiple regions (see Section I.B.i) applicants must complete the budget justification workbook for the primary region and identify in the Technical Volume the additional amount of funds needed to cover each secondary region.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks to further the installation of cost-effective, highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP). CHP is a suite of commercially available, predominately gas-fired distributed generation technologies that produce both electricity and thermal energy onsite, thereby reducing line losses and strain on grid infrastructure while also increasing site reliability and energy security. The promotion of CHP is part of the EERE mission to create and sustain American leadership in the transition to a strong and prosperous America powered by clean, domestic, affordable and secure energy for the industrial, manufacturing, commercial and multifamily sectors. Within AMO, CHP is the focus of both R&D and deployment activities, with R&D activities focused on new CHP technologies including hybrid and also grid reactive controls. On the deployment side, the CHP Deployment Program conducts technical assistance activities that promote the use of combined heat and power to support U.S. economic competitive advantage, promote economic development, instill resiliency in businesses and communities, create and maintain local energy-related jobs, and provide sustainable solutions for modernizing energy generation and delivery. Today’s energy environment and technology solutions present an opportunity for continued deployment of CHP. The goal of this FOA is to solicit proposals from interested parties to become regional CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs) who will assist the CHP Deployment Program in the development of strategies to maximize CHP exposure to potential end-users and key stakeholders, and to locally promote best practices in CHP technology policies and installation. (For more information about the DOE/EERE CHP Deployment Program, visit https://energy.gov/eere/amo/chp-deployment).

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

EERE will conduct one informational webinar during the FOA process. It will be held after the initial FOA release but before the due date for the Letter of Intent.

Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions. Standard application questions regarding the EERE Office and FOA procedures will be discussed. No new information will be presented during the webinar and EERE will not answer any attendee questions during the webinar.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA will be held on January 26, 2017 at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions. Standard application questions regarding the EERE Office and FOA procedures will be discussed. No new information will be presented during the webinar and EERE will not answer any attendee questions during the webinar.

**UPDATE -- Below is the link to the recording of the informational webinar:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/3417803687918345731

Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: The Exchange system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applications. In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). 

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit feedback from industry, electric utilities, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the continuation and expansion of the GEARED program and power systems engineering education for a rapidly modernizing electricity grid.

PLEASE NOTE THE EXTENSION BELOW

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to GEARED2@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on March 31, 2017.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Informational Webinar:

The Solar Energy Technologies Office will be hosting a webinar on May 19, 2016, beginning at 2:00 PM to 4PM (EST). Use the following link to register for attendance:

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6320151540541849857
Webinar ID: 108-591-155

(PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS LINK WAS UPDATED 6 MAY 2016)

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) aims to reduce the soft costs of solar deployment through two approaches, referred to as Topic 1 and Topic 2 in the FOA. The first topic, “Topic 1” is targeted at increasing our foundational understanding of technology evolution, soft costs, and barriers to solar deployment in the US. By combining cutting edge research tools with the creation, analysis and functionalization of data and information, this second round of the Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program will examine how solar technologies, the electric grid system, and the institutions that create the solar business marketplace support or impede the evolution and diffusion of solar by partnering researchers with data and energy practitioners. “Topic 2” will directly tackle soft costs and market barrier challenges at the state and regional level by maximizing the benefits of solar electricity through energy and economic strategic planning. This program targets partnerships between states and utilities/electricity sector entities that look to increase solar deployment in their region. This will be achieved through analytical support to develop and implement strategies to: determine or expand renewable energy and other goals, such as: maximizing emissions reductions; hedging against fuel price volatility; creating jobs; expanding access to electricity; and/or increasing grid resiliency, among others.

To view questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please find the DE-FOA-0001496 FOA FAQs document in the "FOA Documents" section below.

Informational Webinar:

The Solar Energy Technologies Office will be hosting a webinar on February 11, 2016, beginning at 2:00 PM (EST). Use the following link to register for attendance:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8675297748629652993

Full Application Webinar:

Monday, April 4, 2016 12:00 - 1:00 PM (MST): Use the following link to register for attendance:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7067108062457525763

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies II – State Energy Strategies.”

EERE will issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement for approximately $20.9 million to cover two distinct topics. “Topic 1” is targeted at increasing our foundational understanding of technology evolution, soft costs, and barriers to solar deployment in the US. By combining cutting edge research tools with the creation, analysis and functionalization of data and information, this second round of the Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program will examine how solar technologies, the electric grid system, and the institutions that create the solar business marketplace support or inhibit the evolution and diffusion of solar by partnering researchers with data and energy practitioners. “Topic 2” will directly tackle soft costs and market barrier challenges at the state and regional level by maximizing the benefits of solar electricity through energy and economic strategic planning. This program targets partnerships between states and utilities that look to develop and implement strategies to: determine or expand renewable energy targets, maximize emissions reductions, hedge against fuel price volatility, create jobs, expand energy access, and increase grid resiliency, etc.

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

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.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) specifically targets soft cost reduction by increasing data accessibility, quality and interoperability in the U.S. The Solar Bankability Data to Advance Transactions and Access FOA (SB-DATA) will facilitate the growth and expansion of the solar industry by creating a standardized data landscape for distributed solar. As the solar market continues to rapidly grow, it’s critical that the collection, management, and exchange of solar datasets, especially those that affect the bankability of solar assets – across the value chain from project origination to grid integration, operations, and decommissioning – are coordinated and streamlined to protect consumers, increase efficient pricing, and to support new and existing businesses entering the solar marketplace (e.g. new financial, underwriting products, operations and maintenance services).

The goal of SB-DATA is to support the creation and adoption of industry-led de facto open data standards for rapid and seamless data exchange across the value chain from origination to decommissioning. SunShot defines success of this program as the wide adoption of data standards by stakeholders representing at least 60% of the U.S. solar industry, in terms of deployed/managed residential and non-residential distributed solar assets in 2015. This includes solar companies, developers, utilities, state governments, inverter manufactures, financial institutions, investors, underwriters, real estate entities, and others.

Informational Webinar was held June 4, 2015 at 4pm-5pm ET

Slides available for download below.

This RFI is being modified to extend the date for response to May 27, 2015, 5:00 PM EDT.

Through a balanced portfolio approach, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind and Water Power Technologies Office’s (WWPTO’s) Wind Power Program, herein referred to as the “Wind Program”, makes strategic investments in the Power Systems Integration subprogram, including transformational technology innovations that seek to maximize generation from wind power resources while addressing key grid level integration, operations, and planning challenges. The Wind Program addresses technology needs and opportunities in wind integration, which would otherwise not be addressed by the private sector on its own.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit feedback from industry, utilities (investor-owned, municipal, and electric cooperative), academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the use of controllable grid simulators to perform full scale wind-grid system research, development, and testing. Such research, development, and testing could include the application of Power Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) testing capabilities to the wind technology market and the associated grid integration impacts.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to GridSimRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on May 27, 2015. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

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

This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications through this RFI. DOE will not respond to questions regarding this RFI.

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

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

Defining distributed wind by technology application, rather than size, has shifted the Research and Development (R&D) paradigm to include all wind technologies used in distributed applications (small, medium, and large), not just small wind turbines. DOE invites input from the public regarding this shift in perspective and the Wind Program’s present research and development focus areas, which include Wind Resource Characterization & Assessment; Turbine Technology; Distributed Grid Integration; and Soft Cost Reduction. Comments that can be used to evaluate DOE’s new perspective on distributed wind and research and development focus areas will help inform future activities and priorities.  

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

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to DistributedGenerationRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (EST) on September 25, 2014.  Responses must be provided as .pdf or Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Please review Modification 0002 to the FOA, under "FOA Documents" below.

The objective of the Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) Research and Development (R&D) University Consortium FOA is to leverage the field R&D expertise and intellectual capital of domestic universities to advance MHK technology in the U.S. in the following strategic opportunity areas:

· Device and/or array operation and maintenance (O&M) logistics development

· High-fidelity resource characterization and/or modeling technique development and validation

· Distributed application device development and techno-economic studies

· Array-specific component technology development (e.g. moorings and foundations, transmission, and other offshore grid components)

· Array performance testing and evaluation

· Novel cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation testing and evaluation

This FOA intends to fund a consortium of two or more domestic universities.  The Prime Applicant must be either a domestic university or a consortium where one (1) domestic university is designated as the Lead.

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 (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

An Informational Webinar was held on April 24. Please click this link to access:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/337127936

(Please note that there is a delay of approximately 30 seconds before the recording starts.)  

This anticipated FOA is to support a university consortium to leverage existing in-situ Research and Development (R&D) expertise to advance U.S. Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) technology, while developing intellectual capital for a globally-competitive workforce.  The individual consortium-defined R&D activities pursued in the overall university consortium project will address strategic opportunities in DOE’s MHK technology development portfolio.

In applying, an eligible university consortium must demonstrate capabilities and expertise in R&D to fill strategic opportunities within the Water Power Program’s portfolio including:

•     Logistics development for operations and maintenance (O&M) of devices and arrays in energetic marine environments.

•     Development and validation of efficient high-fidelity resource characterization and/or modeling techniques.

•     Development and techno-economic studies of devices for distributed applications.

•     Component technology development necessary for enabling arrays: e.g. moorings and foundations, transmission, and other offshore grid components.

•     Array performance testing and evaluation.

•     In-water testing and evaluation of new, cost-effective environmental monitoring techniques and instrumentation in energetic marine environments.   

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

 **PLEASE NOTE THE EXTENSION TO THE APPLICATION DEADLINE** 

Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment (GEARED)

The Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment (GEARED) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking applications that help to support the increased power system research, development, and analytical capacity while simultaneously growing the expertise and preparedness of current and incoming electric utility sector professionals for high penetrations of solar and other distributed energy technologies. In order to achieve this joint capability and human capacity development, Grid Engineering for Accelerated Renewable Energy Deployment (GEARED) will support two activities: training consortia that focus on quickly bringing their findings into training and educational initiatives; and a national coordination network that will link these consortia to one another and other relevant power system R&D and training activities.

Under this Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide technical assistance to the photovoltaic (PV) industry and other stakeholders in the form of validation testing and systems monitoring through DOE Regional Test Centers (RTCs).  While the primary mission of the RTCs is to develop standards and establish the technical basis for bankability, the RTCs will also function as test beds for large-scale systems and provide independent validation of PV performance and reliability.  Recipients of technical assistance will install PV modules and/or systems at all three RTC sites, if appropriate.  Technologies may include photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) applications. The DOE/RTCs would provide the land, the grid tie, and the testing / data monitoring required to support an assessment of product/system performance, consistency of PV module quality, degradation rates, and/or PV system reliability issues. 

Through this effort, the RTCs will develop standards and guidelines for validating the performance and operation of PV modules and systems. Recipients will benefit by acquiring third-party validation of the module or system performance which they may then compare with their prediction of performance.  Recipients may also propose to ask the RTCs to develop models for predicting module or system performance instead of asking for verification of their own predictions.

Technical assistance will not be provided for research, development, or early-stage testing and evaluation.  The focus of the RTCs is to accelerate adoption of renewable energy generation sources by helping U.S. PV manufacturers validate new commercially ready technologies.

DOE will not purchase hardware or otherwise provide direct funding to organizations selected from this Notice.  Agreements are comprised of Technical Assistance only.

Applicants are requested to submit a Letter of Intent via email to RTC@go.doe.gov 30 days before the submission due date (See Section III.C of the NOTA).  Letters of Intent and accompanying abstracts will be used by DOE to organize and expedite the merit review process.  Failure to submit such letters will not negatively affect a responsive application submitted in a timely fashion.  

Full applications must be submitted through the EERE Exchange website to be considered for award. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. The Users' guide for applying to Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Announcements through the Exchange website can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx. 

The U.S Department of Energy seeks to provide support for regionally-diverse Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects through collaborative partnerships.  By providing funding, technical assistance, and government coordination to accelerate deployment of these demonstration projects, DOE can help eliminate uncertainties, mitigate risks, and help create a robust U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Industry.

The primary goals of the Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects are to:

1.  Install innovative offshore wind systems in U.S. waters in the most rapid and responsible manner possible, and

2.  Expedite the development and deployment of innovative offshore wind energy systems with a credible potential for lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) below 10 ¢/kWh or the local "hurdle" price at which offshore wind can compete with other regional generation sources without subsidies.

With over 4,000 GW of gross potential that is relatively close to key load centers, offshore wind energy can help the nation reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, diversify its energy supply, provide cost-competitive electricity to key coastal regions, and stimulate economic revitalization of key sectors of the economy.  However, if the nation is to realize these benefits, key challenges to the development and deployment of offshore wind technology must be overcome, including the relatively high current cost of energy, technical challenges surrounding installation and grid interconnection, and the untested permitting or approval processes. DOE seeks technology demonstration projects that combine innovation with pathways for substantial cost reduction opportunities. 

This is a Request for Information (RFI). DOE may issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein or DOE may issue no FOA at all.

The SunShot Initiative is investigating the development of transformational Plug and Play technologies and systems to reduce the so-called soft costs of the Balance of System, which include permitting, inspection, and grid interconnection.  When installing a PV system is as simple as plugging an appliance into a wall outlet, the residential PV market will grow at an accelerated rate, both due to the simplicity of installation and the associated reduction in cost of the overall system. The potential funding opportunity will address the process-related issues and barriers by taking a fresh look at the grid and distributed PV systems as a whole and exploring new technology pathways to reduce total system costs and ease installation. The topic areas cover, but are not limited to, PV module technology, power electronics design, grid integration approaches, racking hardware design, and system installation process. Respondents are asked to comment on the questions in the RFI (see document under "FOA Documents" below).  Respondents are also encouraged to comment on the value of the anticipated Plug and Play PV systems, as well as your organization’s anticipated interest in participating in such an opportunity.

All responses to this RFI must be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format as an attachment to an email sent to the following email address: PlugandPlayRFI@go.doe.gov. 

This is a Request for Information (RFI). DOE may issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein or DOE may issue no FOA at all.

With the integration of high penetrations of variable renewable energy sources quickly becoming a reality for many utilities, and increases in roof-top and distribution solar energy systems the SunShot Initiative is examining how to improve the accuracy of solar forecasting models.  Accurate solar forecasts are essential for the power system operator to ensure grid reliability, and also important for solar power plant owners to minimize deviations from bids made in the power market and reduce operating costs.  In addition, the SunShot Initiative is looking to establish by consensus, uniform and comprehensive metrics to measure the accuracy of solar forecasting.   Respondents are asked to comment on the questions in the RFI (see document under "FOA Documents" below).  Respondents are also encouraged to comment on the importance of accurate forecasting and universal metrics, as well as your organization’s anticipated interest in participating in a possible FOA opportunity.

All responses to this RFI must be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format as an attachment to an email sent to the following email address:  SolarForecasting@go.doe.gov

Note:  Full Application review has been completed and selections have been announced.  Applicants can now check their selection status and view consensus merit review strengths and weaknesses in Exchange.

The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to fund projects that develop technologies in power electronics that reduce the overall photovoltaic (PV) system costs, allow high penetrations of solar technologies onto the grid (e.g. reactive power, energy storage, advanced functionalities), and enhance the performance, reliability, and safety of the PV system.  In addition, projects funded under this FOA will demonstrate the feasibility of these technologies in the field and will directly support the objectives of the SunShot Initiative, which has a goal to reduce the total costs (including installer margin) of solar energy systems by about 75 percent before the end of the decade and to make solar competitive with conventional fossil-fuel sourced generation.

DOE has identified several major areas where significant cost reductions in power electronics can be made including:  1) economies of scale; 2) advanced components; 3) reliability; 4) smart grid integration and 5) understanding of system implications.  The DOE also is considering how changes in power electronics impact the cost of the PV system as a whole.

DOE anticipates that the U.S. Solar Industry can reach the aggressive SunShot targets by focusing on both power electronics research and in technologies more specific to grid-connected, photovoltaic systems. 

There are two topics to which an application may be submitted under this FOA:

• Topic 1: Smart-Grid Functionality
• Topic 2: Using Power Electronics to Address Balance of System Costs