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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to Building_America_FOA@EE.Doe.Gov. "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0001395: BUILDING AMERICA INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE HOUSING INNOVATION"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2015-11-19","Eligibility","The FOA announcement in EERE Exchange indicates that, “With this FOA, RBI will select additional building science teams in 2016 for the Building America Research Program.” Does this mean that DOE will only select teams that are not currently funded through Building America?","No, DOE will make selections from all eligible applications as defined in Section III (Eligibility) of the FOA."]
[2,"2015-11-24","Concept Papers / Full Applications","If they are related, can topics from multiple concept papers be combined into a single full application?","While there is nothing in the FOA precluding an applicant from combining multiple related topics into a single application, the resultant application may be of less “Programmatic Interest” and defeat the purpose of the assessment provided by a single concept paper."]
[null,"Update to #2","Concept Papers / Full Applications","If they are related, can topics from multiple concept papers be combined into a single full application?","There is nothing in the FOA precluding an applicant from combining multiple related topics into a single full application. Some integrated topics may be communicated effectively in a combined full application. However, separate full applications may also be effective for many proposals, by providing more focused applications. Either way, applicants should carefully review the FOA to ensure their full applications are compelling and clearly address the evaluation criteria."]
[3,"2015-11-30","Eligibility","I am just curious why NREL has been precluded? Or is the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC entity separate from the NREL entitiy in general?","The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is restricted from applying to this FOA entirely due to its involvement in the FOA development and technical support role.  The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's management and operating contractor."]
[4,"2015-11-30","Concept Papers / Full Applications","Is there a specific outline or template provided for this FOA pertaining to concept paper and full proposal?","As listed in the FOA, section IV.C and section IV.D contain the form and content requirements for Concept Papers and Full Applications.  Section IV.A lists requirements common to both.  Other than the forms identified in section IV.D, there are no templates or outlines provided."]
[5,"2015-11-30","Webinar","Is it possible to view Webinar at a different time?","The  presentation slides can be found on the EERE Exchange website.  A link to a recording of the webinar will be provided when available."]
[6,"2015-11-30","Communications","Do applicants need to schedule any chats with DOE or EERE staff before submitting their concept papers?","No, DOE employees and contractors are prohibited from communicating directly with applicants once a FOA is announced.  "]
[7,"2015-11-30","Eligibility","I wonder if there is another grant program we ought to be pursuing, or if we indeed fall into topic 1?","Please refer to the FOA, sections I and III for topic and eligibility information.  Information on other EERE funding opportunities can be found at: https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov."]
[8,"2015-12-01","General FOA","Could you let me know if DE-FOA-0001426 is on the list or not?","DE-FOA-0001426 is a “Notice of Intent” for DE-FOA-0001395 and not the actual FOA."]
[9,"2015-12-01","General FOA","Are there other lists that DOE has that I may want look over?","All Funding Opportunity Announcements from EERE can be found at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov."]
[10,"2015-12-02","Eligibility","I submitted for assistance under the (RFA) Small Business Vouchers Pilot program, am I able to submit one under DE-FOA-0001395 asking for assistance?","Please refer to the FOA, section III for eligibility information. "]
[11,"2015-12-03","Selection Criteria","Will DOE prioritize proposals using technologies that save more energy (e.g., rankings in terms of $ invested per MMBtu saved), or will all of the roadmap objectives be given the same weighting regardless of their associated energy savings potential?","Please refer to the FOA, section V.A for Selection Criteria information.  To encourage rapid adoption of high performance homes in both the new construction and existing home improvement sectors, we want a portfolio of projects that will collectively achieve both energy savings and non-energy benefits, as described in the FOA and further detailed in the Building America Research to Market Plan.  All compelling proposals that will meet roadmap objectives will be competitive. "]
[12,"2015-12-02","Webinar","We were unable to watch the scheduled webinar and were hoping to view it.  Will it be available soon?","The full transcript of the webinar is available in PDF on the EERE Exchange website. Due to technical difficulties, the webinar audio recording is not available.  "]
[13,"2015-12-02","Webinar","How many attendees at the webinar and how many signed up but did not attend?","149 people registered and 110 attended."]
[14,"2015-12-03","General FOA","Is the intention of FOA to achieve projects performing at 2-3kbtu/sf-yr !? or am I referring to the wrong documentation/figures. ","The list on page 3 of the FOA shows Project Performance Metrics, not proposal Evaluation Criteria, which are listed separately in sections V.A.1 and V.A.2 of the FOA. Project Performance Metrics are provided to help applications understand how DOE intends to measure the impact of selected projects. It is prudent to use these metrics in proposals as appropriate to address the potential impacts. For example, when addressing the “Impact of Proposed Innovation” evaluation criteria, applicants should use the Project Performance Metrics as appropriate. The Building America 2010 Benchmark as detailed in the Building America Housing Simulation Protocols is used in building energy simulation to approximate standard practice for new construction in 2010, considering IECC 2009 requirements and appliance standards in effect in 2010. It is in effect the minimum efficiency required by building codes for homes built after 2010 in most of the U.S., while it is significantly more energy efficient than average existing homes. "]
[15,"2015-12-03","General FOA","No single technology or component can get a building to improve 40%-50%. A more viable approach is to propose a “technology cocktail” entailing several components working on unison to achieve improvement. Is submitting such combined strategy acceptable?","Nothing in the FOA states that individual technologies or innovations will be expected to meet Building America program goals in isolation. DOE expects a variety of proven technologies and “packages” will be necessary. Individual projects are expected to contribute towards meeting these goals, and applicants are expected to explain how, using quantifiable metrics as appropriate."]
[16,"2015-12-01","General FOA","Can your group explain why the BA FOA lists a two-fold increase in the energy loss for residential windows?  Also, I would like to obtain the specific references to the EPS studies on infiltration.","The FOA lists that EPA studies indicate “infiltration accounts for 25-40% of the heating and cooling loads”.  This would be a residential structure as a system and does not call out windows specifically.  The source for “infiltration accounts for 25-40% of the heating and cooling loads” is  http://www.energystar.gov/ia/ home_improvement/home_sealing/AirSealingFS_2005.pdf.  \n\nAdditionally, these sources may prove useful:\n\nJ.W. Hanford, Y.J. Huang, “Residential Heating and Cooling Loads Component Analysis.” Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Report, LBL-33101, October 1992. (http://simulationresearch.lbl.gov/dirpubs/44636.pdf)\n\nAir infiltration through building envelopes: A review By: Younes, Chadi; Shdid, Caesar Abi; Bitsuamlak, Girma\n\nJOURNAL OF BUILDING PHYSICS   Volume: 35   Issue: 3   Pages: 267-302   Published: JAN 2012\n\nThermal coupling of leakage flows and heating load of buildings By: Kohonen, R; Virtanen, M. ASHRAE Transactions Volume: 93 Pages: 2303-2318 Published: 1987\n\nBHATTACHARYYA, S; CLARIDGE, DE. The energy impact of air leakage through insulated walls. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. 117, 167-172, Aug. 1995. ISSN: 01996231.\n"]
[17,"2015-12-07","Cost Sharing","Is there a cost match requirement?","Yes, Cost Sharing information can be found in Section III.B of the FOA."]
[18,"2015-12-07","General FOA","What the timeline is?","Key dates for the application process are found on the cover page of the FOA."]
[19,"2015-12-04","General FOA","In past Building America funding rounds, “single family” included structures up to four stories. This allowed for the inclusion of some small multifamily buildings. Is this the working definition used for this year’s FOA as well?","Yes. The FOA targets “single family homes”, which can be interpreted to include attached single-family dwellings, such as (but not limited to) townhouses, row-houses and duplexes. Ensure you address in your proposal how the proposed project “can help reduce the energy use intensity (EUI) of new or existing single-family homes”, considering each of the evaluation criteria described in the FOA."]
[20,"2015-12-05","General FOA","Could the proposed pilot project be a full home (or small multi-residential/ community) positive energy design? ","Yes, one or more homes may be included in a successful project, and net positive energy outcomes are acceptable, but not required."]
[21,"2015-12-05","General FOA","Can the proposed project be applicable to more than one of the Road Map categories?","Yes, roadmap integration is encouraged, but not required."]
[22,"2015-12-05","General FOA","Must we have the property of the proposed plan purchased prior to the concept paper and/or full application?","Nothing in the FOA requires or implies that test houses must be acquired or committed prior to award. Please note that NO funds from this FOA may be used to purchase real property. This is not a housing demonstration grant program. Please read the FOA carefully to fully understand the objectives and limitations of this funding opportunity."]
[23,"2015-12-09","General FOA","Would technologies based on expanding residential renewable energy technologies qualify for the funding?","No. The focus of this FOA is on improving the performance of homes, thereby reducing home energy use - not energy generation technologies. However, please note that renewable energy applications are perfectly compatible with high performance homes and Building America program objectives.  See DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes, addressed in this FOA and in more detail in the Building America Research to Market Plan mentioned in the FOA.  http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home"]
[24,"2015-12-10","Concept Papers / Full Applications","Can I withdraw my Concept Paper and after I withdraw that one, can I submit a new concept Paper under the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001395, only if I would file before the 2/8/2016 05:00 PM ET - FA DEADLINE. The DE-FOA-0001395 only require a cost sharing of 20% of the funding on my part. I believe that all of the other information in the new Concept Pager would meet the requirements of DE-FOA-0001395","Concept Papers simply provide a method by which applicants can have their ideas previewed for interest by DOE and are not binding on either party.  If you wish to stop the application process, simply do not submit a full application.  You may submit a new concept paper for DE-FOA-0001395 without withdrawing the concept paper for DE-FOA-0001385.  Please note that the deadline for DE-FOA-0001395 Concept Papers is 12/21/2016 05:00 PM ET, not 2/8/2016 05:00 PM ET, which is the deadline for full applications.  Concept Papers are a eligibility prerequisite for full applications. "]
[25,"2015-12-11","Eligibility","Are waivers to NREL exclusion granted?","No waivers to the eligibility requirements will be considered."]
[26,"2015-12-15","General FOA","Are we correct in interpreting the FOA such that a successful response to Topic 2 (Home Improvement RD&D projects) could propose the development and implementation of business practices, rather than the development of new technologies or new technical methods?","Yes.   "]
[27,"2015-12-18","General FOA","Would new technology for the implementation and installation of highly efficient geothermal systems into homes which were previously impossible to retrofit, qualify?","Yes. Nothing in the FOA states that such innovations do not qualify."]
[28,"2015-12-16","Concept Papers / Full Applications","Could you give me some guidance as to what is expected in the addendum portion of the application.","The addendum is part of the concept paper.  Please review section IV.C.1 of the FOA."]
[29,"2015-12-14","Eligibility","Is this open to architecture firms? ","Please refer to the FOA, section III for eligibility information. "]
[30,"2015-12-11","General FOA","The FOA states \"Awardees will conduct applied research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in real world houses…” on page 2 under FOA Purpose and Objectives. How far along the R&D path does a potential project need to be to to be considered applied research? Would projects be considered that incorporate some of the early stages of product development?","The FOA refers to “applied research” in general terms because the program is focused on strategically moving research results into the market. But there is no specific limitation on R&D phases for this FOA. Early stage research, including product development, may be appropriate for this FOA if the proposed research will have significant impact on the market and will fill a research gap related to either of the 2 topics described in the FOA or the Building America Research to Market Plan."]
[31,"2016-01-14","General FOA","Will some required form templates be provided?","The template documents to applicants they can be found in the “Required Application Documents” section of the DE-FOA-0001395 funding opportunity announcement on the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange website: http://EERE-Exchange.energy.gov.  "]
[32,"2016-01-14","Cost Sharing","If a team proposes to work with a national lab/FFRDC  for a proposal, even if money is allocated directly to the FFRDC from DOE and not through the project teams proposal, the project teams cost share must cover this funding share as well?","Please see Section III.E.1.iv Cost Share, which states \"Although the FFRDC portion of the work is usually excluded from the award to a successful\napplicant, the applicant’s cost share requirement will be based on the total cost of the project, including the applicant’s and the FFRDC’s portions of the project.\""]
[33,"2016-01-14","Full Applications","In Section IV.D.4 SF-424, it refers to “the list of certifications and assurances in Field 21”  of the SF-424.  Can you please clarify which tab of the SF-424?  Also, just double checking that you are requesting the 424 and not the 424A?","In the SF-424, \"the list of certifications and assurances in Field 21” refer to the assurances within the document on this website, http://energy.gov/management/downloads/certifications-and-assurances-use-sf-424.  Yes, the SF-424 is a required document. "]
[34,"2016-01-14","General FOA","Could you direct me to the section of the FOA that clarifies how real property is defined?","According to 2 CRF 200.85, Real Property means \"Land, including land improvements, structures, and appurtenances thereto, but excludes moveable machinery and equipment. "]
[35,"2016-01-14","Full Applications","Do applicants submitting a Full Proposal need to include the Data Management Plan as part of their submission?","Please see Section IV.D.14. Data Management Plan, which states \"Applicants whose Full Applications are selected for award negotiations will be required to\nsubmit a Data Management Plan during the award negotiations phase.\""]
[36,"2016-01-21","Full Applications","In the application is the same \"Summary of the Project Objectives\" information being required in the technical volume under the \"WorkPlan and Market Transformation\" section as well as a stand-alone file Summary of the Project Objectives (SOPO).","As stated in the FOA, Section IV. D. 2 and 3: “The Workplan should include a summary of the Project Objectives, Technical Scope, Work Breakdown Structure, Milestones, Go/No-Go Decision Points, and Project Schedule.  A detailed Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) is separately requested.”  The Statement of Project Objectives is to be submitted in Microsoft Word format, 12 page limit."]
[37,"2016-01-20","Full Applications","In the budget worksheet can you use GSA approved rates in Tab a. Personnel which incorporate Fringe and Indirect and not fill in Tabs b. Fringe, and Tab i. Indirect?\n\nOr do we need to fill in actual paid wage rates in a. Personnel, b. Fringe, and i. Indirect?\n","Enter the organizations actual detailed cost for all estimated category line items. Ensure all entered costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with the administrative requirements prescribed in 2 CFR 200, and the applicable cost principles for each entity type: FAR Part 31 for For-Profit entities; and 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles for all other non-federal entities.\n\nIf the accounting method used in the specific organization uses a “loaded” fringe rate as part of the personnel cost, fringe can be included as part of each employee listed in (a.) personnel, only if this is the method used currently and in the future.  If this is the case please describe in detail what is included in the fringe base and the arrived rate in the notes on (a.) personnel or the fringe section.\n"]
[38,"2016-01-26","Full Applications","Does the sub-recipient complete the personnel section of the EERE_335_Justificaton?  Should it include cost share for salary?\nAre there any other Tabs on the EERE_335_Budget_Justification that the sub-recipient needs to complete, i.e. Tab B Fringe, Tab E Supplies, Tab H Indirect Costs, Tab J Cost Share, etc. or all on Tab F Contractual?\n\n","Please see the “Application and Submission Information” Section IV. Part D.8 and the EERE 335 Budget Justification header for each tab for full requirements. \n\nAll completed budget justifications should include total project dollars (federal and cost share) in each relevant cost category.  If the subrecipient is required to complete a separate EERE 335 Budget Justification (see requirements in FOA), each cost category tab should be completed if cost is spent.  The Prime applicant is required to use Tab F. Contractual to report the totals of subrecipients and vendors to the dollar.  If a subrecipient meets the requirements for a separate EERE 335 form and would foresee contractual work, it might be that the subrecipient also uses Tab f.  \n"]
[39,"2016-01-21","Full Applications","Our understanding is that an expense must be allowable whether included in grant or match; these are expenses which are necessary to do the project, such as retrofits to HVAC systems or materials and labor for envelope improvements.\n \nAre costs related to retrofits that become permanent fixtures of an existing home allowable expenses?  \n","Please see Topic area 2. HOME IMPROVEMENT RD&D PROJECTS starting on Page 6 of the FOA. Retrofit and system upgrades as defined in this section are allowable as project cost.  However, the purpose of these system upgrades and retro fits are specifically for Research/Development and Demonstration (RD&D) to address innovative energy efficiency upgrade opportunities for trade contractors during home improvements.  Therefore EERE will accept applications with these costs as part of Research/Development and Demonstration but the costs should be minimal."]
[40,"2016-01-27","Full Applications","Where would I find past Building America Grant and Cooperative Agreement recipients?","The Building America website contains a list of currently funded teams and projects: http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-america-research-teams.\nThis page lists the previous award cycle funded teams: http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/past-building-america-projects. \n"]
[41,"2016-01-04","Full Applications","Does the Project Title in the full application need to remain identical to the title used in the Concept Paper?","The title to the Project should be consistent throughout all application documents. "]

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["Pick List"]
[]
["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]