EERE Funding Opportunity Announcements

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to assist in further defining the scope and priorities of EERE’s commercialization and entrepreneurship activities. Specifically, this RFI is intended to inform the Commercialization Team’s activities within the Office of Strategic Programs.

 Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to commercialization@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (EST) on October 20, 2013. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.doc) or (.docx) attachment to the email with no more than 3 pages in length for each category section listed in the RFI. Please use 11 point font and .75 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit feedback from utilities (investor-owned, municipal, and electric cooperative), the solar industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the net valuation of solar photovoltaics (PV) and innovative cost-effective distributed solar PV deployment models.  EERE is specifically interested in information on the net benefits and costs of the electricity and services distributed solar PV provides (both internal and external to the transaction), including the benefits and costs distributed solar PV delivers to and receives from the electric grid.  EERE is also interested in information on emerging solar deployment models (e.g., alternative regulatory designs, shared and community solar), which can help expand access to distributed solar PV generation and grow market-based opportunities for solar deployment.  This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).  EERE is not accepting applications.

All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an email message addressed to NetValueSolarRFI@go.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 05:00PM ET on 2/28/14.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed. 

The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks information on mid-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research and development (R&D) needs, market challenges, supply chain challenges and shared facility needs in addressing advanced manufacturing development challenges impacting clean energy manufacturing.  

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on general issues and topics to the establishment of potential Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.  AMO seeks information through this RFI to understand cross-cutting as well as specific manufacturing challenges that if addressed could provide the underlying motivation for the formation of a manufacturing innovation institute, consistent with the mission of the Department of Energy, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE) and AMO.  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 AMOGolden@go.doe.gov  with a subject line “Response to RFI” no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on May 20, 2014.   Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) of no more than 8 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins as an 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.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, SunShot Initiative (SunShot) is proud to announce the Catalyst Program.  Catalyst is a series of contests designed to incentivize the public to address time-sensitive market problems in the solar industry.  For more information on the Catalyst Program and for the official rules please visit http://catalyst.energy.gov. 

Questions regarding the Catalyst competition can be answered by visiting: http://catalyst.energy.gov/ or by sending an e-mail to SunShot.Catalyst@ee.doe.gov.

NOTICE: This is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The FOA number is used for tracking purposes only.

Amendment 000001: Revised the Closing Date to June 9, 2014.  Revised the information regarding the Pre-Solicitation Workshop at the 2014 Annual Merit Review.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed.

The Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) is seeking feedback from the research community and relevant stakeholders to assist in the development of topics for a potential Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for fuel cells and fuel cell systems designed for transportation, stationary, and early market applications as well as cross-cutting stack and balance of plant (BOP) component technology.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback on R&D needs for and technical barriers to the widespread commercialization of fuel cells for transportation, stationary, and early market segments. Feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders is sought. FCTO is specifically interested in information on R&D needs and priorities concerning the development of low-cost fuel cell components and pathways leading to improved fuel cell performance and durability. Input received from this RFI will be considered prior to FCTO issuing a fuel cell FOA (subject to Congressional appropriations).

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to fuelcellresearchneeds@ee.doe.gov  no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on June 9, 2014. Each response must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) document. Institutions providing input on more than one of the above categories should provide a separate document for each category, with the file name containing the category number and the institution name (e.g. if Company X is submitting responses to categories 1 and 2, two separate documents should be submitted with filenames “Category 1 - Company X.docx” and “Category 2 - Company X.docx”). Each response document should be no more than 2 pages in length, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. Total attachment size should be less than 25MB to ensure message delivery. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed.

DESCRIPTION: The Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) seeks information on mid-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research and development (R&D) needs, market challenges, supply chain challenges and shared facility needs in addressing advanced manufacturing development challenges impacting clean energy manufacturing.  AMO is particularly interested in the challenges associated with advanced manufacturing technology which might be overcome by pre-competitive collaborations conducted via a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. AMO recently completed a broad RFI on this topic area. The intent of this RFI is to narrow the focus of a possible Clean Energy Manufacturing Institute and invite discussion on a set of the following specific focus areas. The Topical/Technical Focus Areas under consideration in this RFI are:

•              Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AMM)

•              Advanced Sensing, Control, and Platforms for Manufacturing (ASCPM)

•              High-Efficiency Modular Chemical Processes (HEMCP)

•              High Value Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing (R2R)

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on specific issues and topics related to the establishment of Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institutes through specific Topical/Technical Focus Areas described herein.  AMO seeks information through this RFI to understand cross-cutting as well as specific manufacturing challenges that if addressed could provide the underlying motivation for the formation of a manufacturing innovation institute, consistent with the mission of the Department of Energy (DOE), the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and AMO.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to AMOGolden@ee.doe.gov  with a subject line “Response to RFI” no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on October 3, 2014. Any late responses will not be reviewed.  Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) of no more than 8 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins as an attachment to an email. It is recommended that attachments with file sizes exceeding 25MB be compressed (i.e., zipped) to ensure message delivery. Submission of existing commercial documentation and product literature is NOT an acceptable response. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed. 

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to market opportunities to enhance and expand upon certain AMO system software tools and related assets. At the present time these software tool resources/assets are primarily maintained and managed by the U. S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). This RFI seeks information to assist with the transition of these resources to be primarily or solely managed by a third party (or parties). AMO is particularly interested in business strategies to ensure:

•             The resource content is maintained, improved and enhanced

•             The resources remain available to the industrial sector

•             The current and future market needs for these system assets are addressed

•             Adaptation to rapidly changing and progressing electronic and IT infrastructure is embraced and addressed

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to AMOTools@go.doe.gov  with a subject line “Response to RFI” no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on September 30, 2014.   Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) of no more than 8 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins as an 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.

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

EERE intends to issue, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies, Fiscal Year 2015 (AFFECT 2015).”  This RFI seeks input from interested parties and stakeholders regarding the subject of the anticipated FOA and related details.  If the FOA is issued, it will likely provide grants to Federal agencies for renewable energy projects that are incorporated into a privately financed performance contract, such as an Energy Savings Performance Contract or Utility Energy Service Contract, or as part of a renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).  Applications for renewable energy projects that are financed through appropriations will also be considered.  A key merit review criterion will likely be how much private and/or agency funds are leveraged against the FEMP AFFECT grant funding. Highly leveraging outside funds through performance contracting is important, because it will lead to projects of greater impact. If the FOA is issued, it will be released at some point in Fiscal Year 2015, which began October 1, 2014 and ends September 30, 2015.

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled "Next Generation of Electric Machines" (DE-FOA-0001208).

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of the EERE’s intention to issue this FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this Notice is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE eXCHANGE in February 2015.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

1) The minimum throughput requirements for topic areas as described in "Section I.B - Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest" and "Appendix D – Allowable Feedstock Definitions".

The purposes of Modification 000001 are to clarify the following:

1) The minimum throughput requirements for topic area;
2) The Period of Performance for Phase 1; and
3) The FOA inbox contact information.

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), announces a notice of availability of funding for financial assistance from the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). DOE has funded biorefinery technology development projects since 2002 to meet two EERE performance goals: 1) dramatically reduce dependence on imported oil; and 2) spur the creation of the domestic bio-industry.

This FOA will identify, evaluate, and select applications proposing project development and execution plans for the manufacture of Advanced or Cellulosic Biofuels (“Biofuels”, as defined in the Energy Investment and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) §201), bioproducts, refinery compatible intermediates, or biopower in a domestic pilot or demonstration scale Integrated Biorefinery (IBR). Scale-up and validation of these process technologies is essential to enable the industry to build future pioneer- and commercial-scale facilities. The FOA seeks applications for projects to first design, and then construct and operate IBR facilities. There will be a down-select review between the design phase (Phase 1) and the construction/operation phase (Phase 2). The down-select decision will be made by DOE at the completion of the design phase. Project performance in Phase 1, as well as portfolio balance, availability of funds, and other factors will be considered in the down-select decision process. Only projects selected by DOE as a result of the down-select process will receive additional funding and be permitted to proceed into the construction/operation phase (Phase 2).

The FOA will include three topic areas as follows:

• Topic Area 1: Pilot scale production of Biofuels from high impact cellulosic, algal, or biogas feedstocks. Minimum feedstock throughput must be 1 dry metric ton (DMT) per day or equivalent throughput of algal biomass or biogas. Bioproducts and biopower are only allowed as co-products from the facility.
• Topic Area 2: Demonstration scale production of Biofuels from high impact cellulosic, algal, or biogas feedstocks. Minimum feedstock throughput must be 50 DMT per day or equivalent of algal biomass or biogas. Bioproducts and biopower are only allowed as co-products from the facility.
• Topic Area 3: Production of either biopower or Biofuels from biosolids and other allowable Wet Waste Feedstock streams. Bioproducts are also allowed as co-products from the facility. Minimum feedstock throughput must be 1 DMT per day.

Applications submitted in response to this FOA must address the entire process, from feedstock handling through to biofuel, bio-product, or biopower distribution. Applicants who propose the production of biopower must include a discussion of the costs of combined heat and power or electricity generation in the full application.

All applications must stress articulation of the project’s value proposition, target markets, competitors, and distribution channels for proposed technology, along with known or perceived barriers to market penetration, including mitigation strategies. The value proposition should include a discussion of the current and potential market share, and the economic competitiveness of the proposed process.

Applicants who intend to replicate and commercialize the technology through other than scale-up methods, such as through modular deployment or other mechanisms, must present equivalent information to sufficiently describe their envisioned commercialization strategy.
Recognizing the significant capital investments that have been made through prior BETO FOAs, BETO also encourages innovative reuse and repurposing of capital equipment purchased under prior DOE programs.

A limited amount of preparatory work to support the design of the proposed pilot scale project will be allowed within the scope of the project. Typically up to 10% of the total Phase 1 project budget (total allowable budget) may be proposed for the preparatory R&D, but the amount is subject to negotiation after notification of selection for negotiation of an award. Preparatory work may include limited research and development (R&D) including expenses for equipment, salaries, and supplies. All project costs, including any preparatory R&D work, will be subject to the 50% cost share requirement.

All applicants must clearly establish that sufficient work at prior scale has been completed to justify that the proposed IBR meets either Technology Readiness Level 6 criteria for pilot scale applications or Technology Readiness Level 7 criteria for demonstration scale applications. 

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “State Energy Program 2015 Competitive Awards”.  NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE.  Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA.  It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in 2015.  Please do not respond or submit questions in response to this Notice of Intent.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled, “SunShot Incubator Round 10, SolarMat Round 3, SunPath Round 2”.

This FOA will enable the widespread market penetration of highly impactful solar technologies and solutions through technology research, development, and demonstration to overcome technical, institutional and market challenges.  Historically, annual funding opportunities have been separated by stage of technology development (Incubator, SolarMat, and SUNPATH). In the interest of optimizing the application and selection process, these funding opportunities have been combined into a single FOA, with the goal of bringing disruptive innovation to the solar industry in the near term that will take root in the U.S.  The total federal funding will be approximately $45M with a 20% to 50% awardee cost share required depending on the project Tier.  Projects are expected to be funded with a maximum award level of $500,000 to $10M depending on project Tier. This FOA has 5 Tiers based on the type of product (hardware or non-hardware) and product maturity.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Technology-to-Market Team in the Office of Strategic Programs, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP)”, Number DE-FOA-0001271. The full Notice of Intent document is posted in the "FOA Documents" section below.

The Cleantech UP program seeks to catalyze clean energy start-up formation on college campuses, support novel training and educational opportunities that equip the next generation of energy entrepreneurs and innovators across the country, establish a national-level training program and competition for America’s top clean energy student entrepreneurs, and create a sustained and diverse community to support student entrepreneurs.The mission of EERE’s Technology-to-Market Team is to aid EERE technology offices and American energy innovation stakeholders in addressing the technological and financial barriers to bring new intellectual property to market.  To advance this mission, the Technology-to-Market Sub-Program supports a variety of commercialization and entrepreneurship activities in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations around the country.  Existing activities include the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition (DOE NCEBPC), National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy, Lab-Corps, and Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR); past activities include the Innovation Ecosystem Development Initiative, i6 Green Challenge, Technology Commercialization Fund, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and other initiatives. 

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. DOE plans to issue the FOA around mid-February 2015. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

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.

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

For this RFI, the DOE Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) seeks input on ideas in three (3) categories to encourage increased development of geothermal resources through recovery of dissolved critical materials.

The first category is to explore the opportunities to conduct extensive engineering validation testing of feasible technologies or processes that can efficiently and cost-effectively capture, concentrate, and/or purify high-value materials, that may be contained in geothermal fluids and process streams. GTO seeks to broaden the assessment of available or possible approaches by exploring methodologies that may be adaptable from extractive industries such as oil and gas, mining, and other industries that may utilize chemicals, resins or other approaches to remove, purify or process a material.

The second category is to query concepts and approaches for leveraging methods in use or being considered for commercial applications in the geothermal and mining industries. Ideas are sought for combined drilling technologies, rock stimulation technologies such as those used in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and mineral extraction technologies as currently applied in solution mining.

The third category is to broaden the database of knowledge about the existence and concentration of the high-value materials in U.S. geothermal fluids or low-temperature process streams from other operations, such as oil and gas production. The information sought may be site-specific mineral content and/or an overall assessment of the U.S. mineral resource base in geothermal and other produced fluids.

The full RFI can be accessed under the "FOA Documents" heading below.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to LowTValidation@hq.doe.gov no later than 5pm ET on Monday, June 8th. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking information on risk quantification and management in geothermal exploration, especially as it pertains to decision making in late stage exploration activities such as drilling and advanced geophysical surveys.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues of cost and risk reduction related to geothermal exploration. This is due in part to the lack of response to the 2014 Play Fairway Analysis Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) by Geothermal Industry operators and developers.  DOE's Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) is specifically interested in information on current opportunities to develop, test, and validate risk and uncertainty models for prospects that have already been identified by industry.

This is solely a request for information and not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. DOE will not respond to questions related to this RFI.

The full RFI document can be accessed under the "FOA Documents" heading below.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to playfairway@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm ET on 4/24/2015. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) seeks to understand how local governments obtain and use information about energy consumption in their communities and within their government operations.

Consistent with existing DOE and Administration initiatives to work with local governments such as the Better Buildings Challenge, Clean Cities Coalition, and Climate Action Champions, EERE seeks to continue to help cities make important progress in meeting their climate and energy goals. The Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP) project is investigating complementary ways to support cities (or other local governments) in their efforts to include energy analysis and data into their strategic decision-making.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather feedback from stakeholders prior to DOE potentially issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an e-mail message addressed to Cities.LEAP@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00 PM EDT on May 29, 2015. 

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled Industrial Assessment Centers Technical Field Manager (DE-FOA-0001679).

This FOA supports EERE AMO technical assistance activities.

As background, the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is a resource conservation and workforce development initiative of AMO based in the engineering departments of universities nationwide. IACs conduct assessments and provide site-specific recommendations to small manufacturers on opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and save energy. The program also provides engineering students with invaluable hands-on experience in energy engineering and energy management.

Through the FOA referenced above, EERE intends to fund the activities for an IAC Technical Field Manager. The IAC Technical Field Manager plays a critical role in the IAC program. The Technical Field Manager is a liaison between the AMO Technology Manager and the individual IACs, provides technical assistance and outreach to individual centers, and is the principle mechanism for ensuring the 28 individual IACs and their associated satellite centers perform at the highest possible level and that their activities support the achievement of AMO goals. The Technical Field Manager’s core responsibilities include the following:

• Providing technical assistance for quality control of Center operations, assessments, and outreach activities;
• Providing technical reviews and feedback on all of the IAC assessment reports;
• Integrating DOE priorities around practices and technologies into IAC operations;
• Providing training and technical assistance to the IAC staff and students and external stakeholders;
• Maintaining and upgrading the IAC websites and databases;
• Developing technical and informational resources for IAC clients and small and medium-sized manufacturers nationwide;
• Advancing the deployment of an accredited energy efficiency engineering degree; and
• Extending IAC program impacts beyond manufacturers and students immediately engaged by the Centers.

Through this announcement, DOE is seeking detailed applications for a Technical Field Manager who will provide these core activities, as well as respond to new program innovations and priorities from DOE. Examples of the Technical Field Manager’s potential new or expanded activities include:

• Training IACs on cybersecurity improvements, water sector assessments, energy management systems and smart manufacturing;
• Coordinating IAC student and alumni activities, including social media, to highlight career achievements;
• Moving to online reporting for assessments;
• Developing readily accessible resources around critical energy areas relevant to small and medium manufacturers, especially those not receiving IAC assessments; and
• Developing online best practice resources for industrial sector-specific energy saving and productivity improvements.

EERE envisions awarding one financial assistance award in the form of a cooperative agreement. The estimated period of performance for the award will be five years.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

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

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in December 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) No. DE-FOA-0001349 titled "Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Powertrain Electrification and Dual Fuel Fleet Demonstration."  PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOI. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in August 2015.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gauge the issues and opportunities that the research and industrial communities find most important in reducing the levelized cost of energy associated with photovoltaic power generation.

Manufacturing costs associated with photovoltaic module production have decreased dramatically over the past decade, but further improvements are still needed. Cell and module developments that maximize efficiency, service lifetime, and total energy output while minimizing installation material and labor costs are critical to the future of commercial photovoltaic technologies. Continued innovation in these areas will play a vital role in achieving a levelized cost of energy that is low enough to drive widespread deployment for decades to come. 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 PVRD@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on July 15th, 2015. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

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 “Photovoltaics Research and Development (PVRD)." EERE plans to issue the FOA on or about September 8th, 2015 via the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). 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.

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.

* The purpose of Modification 0002 is to correct the page limit for the Technical Volume from 20 pages to 10 pages, as stated in Section IV.D.ii of the FOA.

*The purpose of Modification 0001 is to revise the following dates: Full Application submission deadline, expected submission deadline for replies to reviewer comments, expected date for EERE selection notifications, and expected timeframe for award negotiations.*

Q&A from the March 31st Webinar may be found in the FOA FAQ's Question & Answer Log under the Documents section.

The intent of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support the development and piloting of data-driven decision frameworks by local and tribal governments. These frameworks should advance model practices and processes that improve the ability of local and tribal governments to integrate, analyze, and understand varied datasets, in order to pursue opportunities across all clean energy sectors such as sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, and renewable power.

To develop and pilot such data-driven efforts, this FOA strongly encourages partnerships between local or tribal governments and entities such as academic institutions, technology companies, utilities, regional planning bodies, and non-governmental organizations.

An informational webinar was held March 31, 2016 at 2:30 pm ET. Below is the link to view the presentation:

This Funding Opportunity Announcement has been modified. Please access Modification 0001 under the "Documents" heading below. Note the table of changes on the second page.

The purpose of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support the full-scale testing of marine hydrokinetic (MHK) wave energy devices. The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Program intends to fund one project that will design, permit, and construct an open-water, grid-connected, fully energetic national wave testing facility within U.S. Federal (territorial sea or contiguous zone) or state waters.

It is expected that a viable wave test facility will be capable of testing up to full-scale (utility-scale) wave energy conversion (WEC) devices in order to develop reliable, low cost, renewable energy alternatives. Prototype testing is essential to advance existing wave technologies, validate performance against analytic models, demonstrate compliance with applicable design standards and thereby mitigate the technical and financial risk of developing and deploying mass-produced wave energy devices, plants, technologies and related products. Construction and operation of a full-scale domestic wave test facility will assist the U.S. industry by identifying design and manufacturing deficiencies early in the development cycle and validating modifications and improvements prior to commercial deployment. Ultimately, this new testing capability will improve the country’s competitiveness in MHK energy technology, encourage domestic manufacturing, create jobs, and provide a new technology that uses an untapped renewable resource to help achieve the nation’s energy goals.

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

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

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

A webinar for this FOA was held on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. Please click the link below to view the recorded webinar. Note that you will still be asked to register.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2585111642602179076

The U.S. Department of Energy is proposing a new initiative to significantly accelerate adoption of sustainable clean and energy efficiency strategies in remote rural Alaskan communities. For the purposes of this initiative, ”remote or rural areas” include communities with a population of 5,500 or less that are not connected by an all-weather road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks, or with a population of 1,500 or less that are connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks. Through the proposed competitive process, the Remote Alaskan Communities Energy Efficiency Competition is being designed to empower Alaskan communities to develop solutions for effectively advancing the use of reliable, affordable, and energy efficient solutions that are applicable throughout rural communities in Alaska and potentially in other Arctic regions. It is anticipated that DOE may have up to $4 million in technical assistance and other support through this initiative. The RFI will gather input from Alaskan stakeholders as well as others to help shape the design of the competition and ensure the goals and activities of the initiative are relevant to remote rural Alaskan communities.

The purpose of this RFI is to gather feedback from stakeholders prior to DOE potentially issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) electronically to: AlaskaCompetition@hq.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm ET on October 30, 2015.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Strategic Programs Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP)”. As part of the Cities-LEAP project, EERE’s Office of Strategic Programs, through its Policy and Analysis and Technology-to-Market Teams, intends to solicit applications to advance data-driven decision-making by local governments in support of their climate and energy goals. This anticipated funding opportunity is intended for local and tribal governments as prime applicants and strongly encourages partnerships between local and tribal governments and entities such as academic institutions, technology companies, utilities, regional planning bodies, and non-governmental organizations to develop and pilot data-driven decision frameworks that strengthen the analytical underpinning of energy-impacting actions by local governments across the United States.

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Office of Strategic Programs, on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled, “Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP)”. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in March 2016.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels”.

This FOA supports BETO’s goal of meeting its 2022 cost target of $3/gallon gasoline equivalent (gge) for the production of hydrocarbon fuels from lignocellulosic biomass. One approach BETO has taken previously to achieve this goal is to focus on conversion pathways that produce biofuels, with little or no emphasis on coproducing bioproducts. As BETO increasingly focuses on hydrocarbon fuels, it is examining strategies that capitalize on revenue from bioproducts as part of cost-competitive biofuel production.

A variety of technology pathways can be used to produce hydrocarbon biofuels, but many of them require the production of value-added chemicals and products in the near-term to achieve an attractive rate of return on cost-competitive fuels. Value-added chemicals and products can also incentivize the de-risking of “front end” processes (from feedstock logistics through to deconstruction) which are also necessary for fuel production. It is important to note that while bioproducts are seen as a valuable strategy for enabling fuels, the BETO is not interested in pursuing R&D solely on bioproducts, without a fuels component.

The intent of this FOA, therefore, is to identify R&D projects that develop biomass to hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and products based on external factors, such as market demand. These pathways could consist of a route to a platform chemical that could be converted to products or fuels or a route that coproduces chemicals and fuels. Successful applications will include a clear justification for producing the target molecule(s) from biomass, a compelling narrative explaining how the target product(s) will enable biofuels, and supporting technoeconomic analysis and life cycle analysis.

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

Area of Interest 1: R&D to optimize one unit operation of the proposed conversion pathway

Area of Interest 2: R&D to optimize and integrate multiple unit operations of the proposed conversion pathway
EERE envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements. The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately three years.

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.

EERE plans to issue the FOA in or about January, 2016 via the EERE Exchange website https://eereexchange.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 deadline for submissions to this RFI has been extended to November 30, 2015.**

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on what is being called the PV Lifetime Project. EERE seeks to expand the data set available to the public, with measurements taken over shorter intervals and using repeatable test methods. The data is expected to enable an increase in the accuracy and precision of degradation profiles calculated for representative PV modules and systems. 

The objectives of the PV Lifetime Project are:
1. Determine and communicate module differentiation with respect to service lifetime.
2. Determine and communicate degradation profiles; and their uncertainty.

EERE is specifically interested in information on results that better inform calculations of the return on investment of existing and future PV installations. 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 PVReliability@EE.Doe.Gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 30, 2015. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.

Modification 000002: Clarify expectations and procedure for Installed Capital Cost (ICC) and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) analysis in Topic Area 1.

The overall objective of this FOA is to further the development of non-powered dams (NPD) and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) resources by reducing capital costs and deployment timelines. These objectives will be achieved by funding projects in two topic areas.

Projects awarded under Topic Area 1 will develop low-head, modular, and standard turbine/generation technologies for NPD applications that can reduce civil works activities and can operate over a range of flows.

Under Topic Area 2, recipients will prove the concept feasibility of innovative closed-loop PSH systems than can reduce development costs and timelines by applying concepts of modularity and creatively producing head differentials (e.g. pressurizing water using compressed air or weights).

The complete FOA can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

The FOA FAQs for this specific FOA can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

Required application forms and templates can be accessed under the "Required Application Documents" heading below.

DE-FOA-0001455 HydroNEXT Informational Webinar was held on Aug 2, 2016. The webinar presentation can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants. Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by the stated deadline in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

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

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) are seeking stakeholder input on its Optima initiative, a DOE sponsored program focused on the development of new fuels and engine architectures that are co-optimized—designed in tandem to maximize performance and carbon efficiency. DOE is specifically interested in stakeholder input on 1) perspectives and interest in co-optimization of fuels and engines, 2) technical aspects of fuel and advanced compression ignition (ACI) engine interactions and 3) barriers to market acceptance and deployment of co-optimized fuels and engines.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the Optima initiative. EERE is specifically interested in information regarding additional areas of research that universities and others are interested in contributing to and collaborating on. This RFI will help BETO and VTO understand the additional areas of research, capabilities, and yet to be addressed barriers and opportunities for stakeholder engagement relative to the co-optimization of engines and fuels. This is solely a request for information and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications.

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.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to OptimaRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on January 8, 2016. 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 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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

The purposes of this modification are to:

1. Extend the Submission Deadline for Full Applications from 10/16/2016 to 10/17/2016; and

2. Change the Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments from 11/11/2016 to 11/10/2016.

MODIFICATION 000001:

The purposes of this modification are to:

1. Extend the date of the Informational Webinar from 8/8/2016 to 8/17/2016;

2. Extend the Submission Deadline for Concept Papers from 8/15/2016 to 8/29/2016;

3. Extend the Submission Deadline for Full Applications from 9/18/2016 to 10/16/2016;

4. Change the Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments from 10/14/2016 to 11/11/2016;

5. Change the Expected Date for EERE Selection Notifications from 11/18/2016 to 1/15/2017;

6. Change the Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations to March 2017;

7. Remove references to FFRDC involvement in Sections III.B and IV.D to align with Section III.A of the FOA; and

8. Clarify in Section IV.C.i. that concept papers can address multiple sub-topics as described in Section I.B of the FOA.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) announce a joint funding opportunity in support of the Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative. Eligibility for this FOA is restricted to U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1001, in accordance with 2 C.F.R § 200.55), and non-profit research institutions that operate as a division under the U.S. Institutions of Higher Education. This restricted eligibility applies to both Prime Recipients and Subrecipients.

The Co-Optima initiative seeks to accelerate the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable high performance fuels for use in high-efficiency, low-emission engines. This first-of-its-kind effort brings together multiple DOE offices, DOE National Laboratories, and industry stakeholders to simultaneously conduct tandem fuel and engine research and development (R&D) and deployment assessment in order to maximize energy savings and on-road vehicle performance, while dramatically reducing transportation-related petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

An Informational Webinar was held on August 17, 2016 at 1:00 PM ET. You can download a copy of the presentation slides below. To view a recorded copy, visit the following link: https://youtu.be/kWpNq85XBmE

The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), number DE-FOA-0001384 entitled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement."

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the January 2016 timeframe.
 

To enhance the responsiveness of the roadmap approach, EERE is issuing Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) within its existing Offices and programs to support innovative technologies and solutions that could help meet existing goals but are not represented in a significant way in the Offices' existing Multi-Year Program Plans (MYPPs) or current portfolios. These FOAs and resulting projects will allow EERE to assess new technologies for their potential to be “on ramped” to future MYPPs, and encourage contributions from new partners. Successful projects will reduce the risk associated with potential breakthrough approaches and technologies so that they can be viable candidates for inclusion in future program roadmaps.

This funding opportunity addresses three topic areas from the Advanced Manufacturing Office. Each topic area consists of multiple subtopics. DOE intends to fund the applications with the greatest chance of helping achieve the goals and mission of EERE. EERE may award an entire application or any part of an application at a funding level that will be negotiated with the applicant. The topic areas are:

Topic Area 1: Advanced Materials. The Advanced Materials Topic Area focuses on advances in innovative materials and the devices and systems that incorporate them for energy-saving opportunities and improved functionality.

Topic Area 2: Advanced Processes. The Advanced Processes Topic Area focuses on advancing transformational next-generation processes and technologies not bound by limitations of current processes.

Topic Area 3: Modeling and Analysis Tools for Materials and Manufacturing. The Modeling and Analysis Tools for Materials and Manufacturing Topic Area focuses on optimization of energy and materials usage across the lifecycle of manufactured products through the use of information technology.

The Applicants’ technologies may be at different levels of maturity; proposed funding levels and project durations should be commensurate with the work scope necessary to advance the technology to the proposed readiness level. Applications to this FOA will be accepted in the following categories:

Tier 1 (Concept Definition, expected TRL 2-3): DOE Federal Funding Share Range of $250,000 - $1,000,000. The project would conduct early stage research needed to explore and define technical concepts. Activities would focus on thoroughly understanding and describing the capabilities of the technology. Research may include laboratory scale experiments, exploration of fundamental scientific concepts associated with the technology, data generation and analysis, and other exploratory methods.

Tier 2 (Proof of Concept, expected TRL 3-5): DOE Federal Funding Share Range of $750,000 - $2,500,000. The project would conduct research, development and testing of prototype technology or processes. Work may include analytical studies and laboratory studies to physically validate analytical predictions of separate elements of the technology, predictive modeling or simulation of performance, engineering studies to assess scale-up, and testing of concept feasibility at the prototype or bench scale.

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

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

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA was held on January 5, 2017 at 1:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Attendance was 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 were discussed. No new information was presented during the webinar and EERE did not answer any attendee questions during the webinar.

A copy of the Webinar Slides and Webinar Transcript are available to download in the “DOCUMENTS” section below.

Please click or copy and paste this link in your browser to register to access the audio recording of this webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1644335412315086084

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Industrial Assessment Centers" (DE-FOA-0001513).

This FOA supports EERE AMO technical assistance activities. The goal of the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program is twofold: first, to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), currently defined as having gross annual sales below $100 million, fewer than 500 employees, and annual energy bills between $100,000 and $2.5 million, to increase their energy efficiency, productivity, sustainability and competitiveness; and second, to help address a growing shortage of engineering professionals with applied energy-related skills.

Prospective IACs can demonstrate their capabilities and describe their approach to serve small and medium-sized manufacturers by analyzing the operating characteristics, productivity, and energy, water and waste usage of manufacturing facilities; identifying, quantifying, and recommending specific opportunities to improve energy and water efficiency, reduce waste, and improve productivity; including potential enhancements to cyber security and related information technologies; and reporting the findings to the facility, together with estimates of the energy savings opportunities, implementation costs, and payback periods.

Each IAC will provide extensive training for undergraduate and graduate engineering students in industrial processes, energy assessment procedures, and energy management systems. IAC Applicants should define how they will maximize the student experience; increase student technical knowledge and business sense; and develop their understanding of key industrial concepts, including industrial supply chains, sustainability issues, and management systems.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

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

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in March 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The purpose of this announcement is to initiate a Notice of Intent to issue Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number DE-FOA-0001415 entitled State Energy Program 2016 Competitive Awards. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in 2016.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy intends to issue, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement, number DE-FOA-0001447 entitled Advanced Systems Level Technology Development, Integration and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTruck II).

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the March 2016 timeframe.

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)

The purpose of Modification 000002 is to change the RFI Deadline to 04/10/2016, 5:00pm (ET).

The purpose of Modification 000001 is to extend the RFI Deadline to 04/15/2016, 5:00pm (ET).

The Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) is seeking feedback from the research community, relevant stakeholders, and industry on technical and economic barriers for fuel cell-related technologies. In particular, FCTO seeks information regarding:

• Research and development (R&D) needs to improve performance and reduce cost of bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs);
• The high startup cost for hydrogen refueling stations, which may be caused by extensive installation and permitting efforts or low equipment utilization; and
• Innovative research topics that may not currently be part of the FCTO portfolio but could potentially be appropriate for future efforts or funding opportunity announcements.

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 FY16FCTONeedsandStrategies@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on April 10, 2016. 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 4 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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

This FOA builds off of current laboratory and simulation analysis of technology packages by investing in real building demonstrations led by strategically structured teams who will identify and verify multi-system energy efficiency packages (groups of technologies that improve efficiency across two building systems: envelope, lighting/electrical, plug, process, heating, ventilation, cooling, refrigeration, energy management and information, sensors and controls). Projects selected through this funding opportunity will prime the market for the adoption of emerging and underutilized technology packages and create new synergies between building stakeholder groups, and/or, ultimately help utilities develop and release or expand more aggressive and ambitious Energy Efficiency (EE) program offerings. This FOA also supports the critical function of evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) by using existing DOE tools and resources to: 1) identify the most impactful multi-system packages, 2) develop the preliminary savings calculations, 3) collect data to verify package performance along with other market factors in real buildings, and 4) foster more consistent energy efficiency programs across the country.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA was held on November 2, 2016 at 12:00PM Eastern Standard Time. Please see documents below in the "Documents" section for the powerpoint presentation and transcript.

EERE compiled a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of new project teams for this FOA. The Teaming Partner List is available below under "Documents".

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

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

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

The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled "Next Generation of Electric Machines: Enabling Technologies" (DE-FOA-0001467).

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

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

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in March 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to the EERE Exchange website in the June 2016 timeframe.

***Amendment 000003 to DE-FOA-0001535***

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), this FOA entitled “Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Vehicle Technologies Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement”.

This FOA will include three (3) areas of interest: 1) Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle Program, 2) Direct Injection Propane Engine and 3) Alternative Fuel Vehicle Community Partner Projects. These topics will be detailed in later sections of this FOA.

This FOA supports DOE’s strategic goal of protecting the U.S. national and economic security by reducing imports and promoting a diverse supply of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy. More specifically this FOA helps to achieve, by 2020, U.S. petroleum reduction of over 2.5 billion gallons per year through voluntary adoption of alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure.

This goal will be achieved by reducing petroleum consumption through vehicle efficiency technologies; replacing petroleum fuels with alternative fuels, non-petroleum fuel blends, and electric drive technology vehicles; and reducing petroleum consumption through idle reduction technologies as well as through reduction in personal vehicle miles traveled or other means.

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Join us for a Webinar on Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Title: DE-FOA-0001535, "Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Vehicle Technologies Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement"

Date: June 15, 2016

Time: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM ET

Please register prior to the webinar using the following link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6432621685191300098

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

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The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) invites input from the public regarding a potential funding opportunity to advance the readiness of technologies intended to reduce eagle mortalities at operational wind turbines or wind facilities. EERE seeks input on the focus and structure of a potential funding opportunity to support both technology field testing and validation activities and focused research and development to advance eagle impact minimization technologies towards commercialization, and on how to prioritize funding for research within this framework. Additionally, EERE is seeking input on the conditions under which technology vendors or developers would consider participating in a campaign to field test and validate their technologies and the conditions under which wind farm owner/operators would consider hosting field testing and validation activities at their operational facilities.

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.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement has been modified. Please access Modification 0001 under the "Documents" heading below. Note the table of changes on the second page.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement is soliciting applications that propose projects supporting eagle detection, classification, and impact minimization technologies in three Topic Areas.

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

The complete Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

FOA FAQs for this Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

A webinar was held for this FOA on Monday, June 27, 2016. The slide presentation from the webinar can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

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

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance - EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov  

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) seeks feedback from stakeholders regarding the construction and benefits of a National Hydrogen Technology Showcase and Training station (HyTeST). The station would serve as a tool for research and development, testing, safety training, and outreach for community and commercial early adopters, including station developers, owners, code officials, first responders, operators, investors, and insurers.

The purpose of this RFI is to seek input from stakeholders on a potential model hydrogen station, and in particular what features, trainings, technologies, etc. should be present to maximize use and utility of the station. In this RFI we seek feedback on the proposal for the first phase of HyTeST station, as well as subsequent phases. The input will help DOE prioritize features and activities at the demonstration station, to best serve stakeholders’ needs. 

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only and not a Funding Opportunity Announcement. 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. DOE will not respond to questions related to this FOA.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FY16FCTONeedsandStrategies@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (EDT) on July 22, 2016. Responses must be provided as a Microsoft Word (.docx) attachment to the email, of no more than 4 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted. Respondents may answer as many or as few questions as they wish.

An Informational Webinar for this FOA was held on Thursday 6-9-16. The link to the recording is listed below and PPT from the Webinar is available in the Documents Section.

RACEE FOA Webinar Recording 6-9-16 

This is a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Phase 3 of the Remote Alaska Communities Energy Efficiency (RACEE) Competition. This Funding Opportunity Announcement is open to the 13 Community Efficiency Champion (CEC) communities that received technical assistance through Phase 2 of the RACEE Competition through the Notice of Technical Assistance DE-FOA-0001479.

DOE is seeking applications from these 13 CEC communities to implement their energy efficiency plans with one or more energy strategies to help these communities meet their pledge of a 15 percent energy use reduction by 2020. Communities can achieve the total pledged energy reduction by implementing energy efficiency and renewable integration projects, in any combination of size and number- so long as the applications demonstrate through feasibility, economic, engineering and other analysis that with implementation the community will make substantial progress toward the pledged 15 percent energy use reduction.

The RACEE Competition is focused on developing and implementing effective, reliable solutions that fit the community’s needs, not necessarily deploying new technology for the sake of the technology’s innovative qualities. For the purposes of this FOA, innovation is based on the process and potential for transformative and sustainable impacts on how the community currently uses energy, and/or the potential for replication in other Alaskan communities. For example, communities that develop and implement effective strategies not currently in practice, strategies that engage the entire community to implement the energy plan, demand or supply-side projects to achieve the pledged targets, could be considered innovative.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking input from stakeholders on development of a national Marine and Hydrokinetic Program strategy.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on how the Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) Program strategy that looks ahead from present through the next 20 years can be most impactful to the nation. DOE EERE is specifically interested in information on core challenges and approaches DOE has proposed to achieve MHK commercialization in the US. 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 MHKRFI1570@ee.doe.gov no later than 11:59pm (ET) on September 30, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Please see the complete Request for Information under the "Documents" heading below.

NOTICE:  The submission deadline for Full Applications has been extended to 08/04/2016, 5:00pm ET.  Please see updated Modification 00001 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement below for additional changes.

As part of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) works with key individuals to accomplish energy change within Federal agencies. By bringing expertise from all levels of project and policy implementation, FEMP assists Federal agencies to meet energy-related goals and provide energy leadership to the country. The Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) 2016 will provide direct funding to Federal agencies for the development of an institutionalized process to initiate, supplement, improve or otherwise increase the viability and deployment of energy efficiency at U.S. Federal government-owned facilities through use of the ENABLE Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC). Through the AFFECT FOA, FEMP intends to facilitate the wider adoption of the ENABLE process at all Federal facilities. Using authority provided in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, P.L. 102-486, Section 152(f), codified at 42 U.S.C. 8256(b), funding awarded under the AFFECT FOA will implement FEMP’s continuing efforts to promote widespread energy efficiency and renewable energy technology deployment in the Federal sector.

This FOA will have only one topic area: establishing a program that provides an effective agency process to utilize the ENABLE-ESPC in six months or less and subsequently applying the process to identified energy savings projects.

There are two mandatory parts to the application process:

- Letter of Intent (Submission deadline: June 27, 2016 5:00pm ET )

- Full Application (Updated submission deadline: August 04, 2016 5:00pm ET )

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Modular Chemical Process Intensification”.

This FOA supports the establishment of a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute on Modular Chemical Process Intensification. Modular chemical process intensification represents an emerging opportunity for processing industries in the U.S. manufacturing sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce feedstock waste, increase scalability and improve productivity by merging and integrating separate unit processes (mixing, reactions, separation) into single modular hardware elements of reduced size, higher efficiency and scalability.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

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

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in May 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

Modification 0001: The purpose of this modification is to clarify units of measurement and definitions in Section I.B and technical goals in Section I.C. Correct the compliance criteria for Concept Papers and Full Applications in Sections IV.C.i and IV.D.i respectively. Update content requirements for Full Applications in Section IV.D.ii, and update and clarify the Full Application Merit Review Criteria in Section V.A.ii.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), invests in cutting-edge research, development, and demonstration activities focused on sustainable transportation, renewable power, and energy efficiency. A core element of EERE’s mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness in innovation and manufacturing in emerging clean energy industries. To address this core element, EERE launched its Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI) in 2013 with the goal of significantly increasing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness in the production of clean energy products and in domestic manufacturing across the board by increasing industrial energy productivity. EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) plays a key role in executing the mission for CEMI by supporting research and development projects, shared research facilities and technical consortia, and technical assistance programs.

AMO partners with private and public stakeholders to support the research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of innovative technologies that can improve U.S. competitiveness, save energy, and ensure global leadership in manufacturing of clean energy technologies as well as improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in manufacturing. Specifically, AMO invests in cost‐shared RD&D activities in support of cross-cutting next generation materials and manufacturing processes that hold high potential to significantly improve energy efficiency and reduce energy-related emissions, industrial waste, and the life‐cycle energy consumption of manufactured products.

EERE’s AMO establishes Manufacturing Innovation Institutes in the President’s National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) as shared research, development, and demonstration facilities to overcome cross-cutting challenges related to the manufacturing of clean energy and energy efficiency products, in addition to challenges associated with improving the energy efficiency of the manufacturing sector across the board. This FOA supports the establishment of a Manufacturing Innovation Institute on Modular Chemical Process Intensification for Clean Energy Manufacturing. Modular chemical process intensification represents an emerging opportunity for processing industries in the U.S. manufacturing sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce feedstock waste, and improve productivity by merging and integrating separate unit processes (mixing, reactions, separation) into single modular hardware elements of reduced size, with higher efficiency and providing inherent scalability.

Please click "FOA FAQs" under the "FOA 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 Concept Paper.

Attendance is not mandatory and will not positively or negatively impact the overall review of any Applicant submissions. Specific dates for the webinar can be found on the cover page of the FOA. The informational Webinar will be held May 11, 2016 at 3:00pm EDT. Standard application questions regarding the EERE Office and FOA procedures will be discussed. No new information will be presented during the webinar.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8943953521415379203

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

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

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

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue DE-FOA-0001419: “Wave Energy Test Facility” 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.

To support the full-scale testing of MHK wave energy devices, the Water Power Program intends to fund the building and commissioning of an open-water, grid-connected, fully energetic domestic wave energy test facility. This Funding Opportunity Announcement would be for the development, and construction of such a facility. 

It is anticipated that the FOA will include the following area of interest.

The overall objective of the FOA is to fund the construction of a national wave energy test facility within U.S. federal (territorial sea or contiguous zone) or state waters. Up to $40 million in federal funding, depending on appropriations, will be provided to fund development and construction activities for a U.S. based grid-connected wave test facility. The facility should have at least three test berths in order to test wave energy devices simultaneously and independently, up to 1 MW each in size. The site should be located in U.S. federal or state waters, subject to full (unprotected) oceanic wave regimes with wave average annual power density ≥ 30 kW/m, and with testing berth water depths ≥ 60m. An industry survey of desired test site conditions should be used to support the site location choice, in terms of water depth and wave power density. The facility should incorporate features to accommodate all wave energy converter types that operate at the test site depth. The site should provide a capability to deploy environmental instrumentation for monitoring and measuring wave energy testing effects.

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.

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue DE-FOA-0001554: “Wind Energy – Eagle Impact Minimization Technologies and Field Testing Opportunities” 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.

This FOA will solicit applications that propose projects supporting eagle detection, classification, and impact minimization technologies in three Topic Areas.

• Topic Area 1 will intend to support research on eagle ability to sense and respond to stimuli, in an effort to identify signals that will serve as optimal deterrents.
• Topic Area 2 will intend to further the technical readiness of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-6 detect and deter and informed curtailment systems through technical improvement and testing activities.
• Topic area 3 will intend to support the demonstration of a proposed TRL 7+ detection and/or minimization technology at an operational wind facility at a scale sufficient to provide an accurate demonstration of efficacy through a statistically significant reduction of impact at a reasonable cost.

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 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Reducing EMbodied-energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) in Materials Manufacturing”.

This FOA supports the establishment of a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Reducing EMbodied-energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) in Materials Manufacturing. This Institute will enable the development and widespread deployment of key industrial platform technologies that will dramatically reduce life-cycle energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing through the development of technologies for reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of materials. Solving this enormous and currently unmet challenge could significantly reduce U.S. primary energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector, which represents a particularly challenging sector to decarbonize, and improve U.S. manufacturing competiveness in the process. Analysis shows that the development and deployment of cost effective new technologies to enable significant reductions in the life-cycle embodied energy and carbon emissions for materials production in the US economy relative to the use of primary feedstocks could offer energy savings on the order of 1.6 quadrillion BTU (quads) annually across four classes of waste materials - metals, fibers, polymers, and e-waste.

The resulting Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute is expected to be a Department of Energy supported Institute participating in the interagency National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) program.

This NOI is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue a FOA in the near term. All of the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. EERE may issue a FOA as described herein, may issue a FOA that is significantly different than the FOA described herein, or DOE may not issue a FOA at all.

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

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this NOI. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. It is anticipated that this FOA will be posted to EERE Exchange in June 2016.

The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE Exchange website. A User Guide for the EERE Exchange can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), invests in cutting-edge research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities focused on sustainable transportation, renewable power, and energy efficiency. In 2013, EERE launched its Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI) with the goal of significantly increasing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness in the production of clean energy products and in domestic manufacturing across the board by increasing industrial energy productivity. EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) plays a key role in executing the mission for CEMI by supporting research and development projects, shared research facilities and technical consortia, and technical assistance programs.

AMO establishes Manufacturing Innovation Institutes in the Administration’s National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) as shared research, development, and demonstration facilities to overcome cross-cutting challenges related to the manufacturing of clean energy and energy efficiency products, in addition to challenges associated with improving the energy efficiency of the manufacturing sector across the board. This FOA supports the establishment of a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Reducing EMbodied-energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) in Materials Manufacturing. This Institute will enable the development and widespread deployment of key industrial platform technologies that will dramatically reduce life-cycle energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing through the development of technologies for reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of materials. Solving this enormous and currently unmet challenge could significantly reduce U.S. primary energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing sector, which represents a particularly challenging sector to decarbonize, and improve U.S. manufacturing competiveness in the process.

Please click "FOA FAQs" under the "FOA 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 Concept Paper.

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.

The informational Webinar was held June 29, 2016 at 3:00pm EDT.  A recording of the webinar can be found at the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3019594656354916356

The slides as well as a transcript of the webinar is also available for download in the FOA Documents section below.

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

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

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

Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0001518

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Building Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Scaling up the Next Generation of Building Efficiency Packages”.

The anticipated funding opportunity will seek innovative partnerships to significantly and rapidly increase the uptake of emerging and underutilized energy efficient and cost-effective building technology packages. The Commercial Buildings Integration (CBI) program, working in cooperation with the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Green Proving Ground program , will invest funds towards this competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement. EERE will seek applications that drive innovation in real building technology demonstrations while also fostering the collaboration of dynamic teams including deployment entities (states, local governments or Regional Energy Efficiency Organizations), efficient building hubs (such as Innovation or Incubator hubs), utilities, technology providers and/or building energy analysis professionals.

This anticipated FOA builds from the outcomes of existing demonstration projects, laboratory testing and simulation analysis of technology packages. Successful applicants to this FOA will propose high impact real building demonstrations led by strategically structured teams who will identify and verify the cost and energy performance of multi-system energy efficiency packages. Multi-system packages are groups of technologies that improve efficiency across two or more building systems: envelope, lighting/electrical, plug, process, heating, ventilation, cooling, refrigeration, energy management and information, sensors and controls. Applications selected for award negotiations through this funding opportunity will create new synergies between building stakeholder groups and ultimately leverage the $8 billion in annual Energy Efficiency (EE) program expenditures and/or support development of more aggressive and ambitious EE program offerings.

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Buildings Technologies Office, on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), intends to issue a FOA titled, DE-FOA-0001518: “Scaling up the Next Generation of Building Efficiency Packages”. 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 on or about October 2016.

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

This Funding Opportunity Announcement is soliciting applications that propose projects conducting feasibility studies of large-scale, low-temperature deep-well geothermal systems coupled with advanced direct-use applications and cascaded surface technologies whose applications will extend the reach of geothermal into geologically distinct parts of the country beyond the western U.S. These systems are referred to herein as deep direct-use or DDU.

This FOA will solicit applications that propose projects supporting DDU feasibility studies in two Topic Areas:

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

The complete Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

FOA FAQs for this Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

A webinar was held for this FOA on Tuesday, November 22, 2016. The slide presentation and transcript from the webinar can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

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

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the Exchange helpdesk for assistance - EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov  

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) seeks feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to mobilizing biomass resources to support a “billion-ton bioeconomy.” Existing feedstock supply systems are not adequate to reliably provide high-quality feedstock at the increasing volumes demanded over the next few decades by a growing bioeconomy. Current systems and technologies have limitations in providing uniform feedstocks with specified composition, shape, size, and moisture characteristics. New logistics and processing technologies and systems are needed to address these challenges to support a growing biomass derived industry and bioeconomy. Advanced systems in the future may involve central processing and distribution centers such as feedstock depots or be stand-alone operations.

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. If a FOA is subsequently issued, 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 BETOAFSS@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on June 30, 2016. 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 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The purpose of this notice is to inform potential applicants that EERE intends to issue DE-FOA-0001455 “HydroNEXT FOA: Innovative Technologies to Advance Non-Powered Dam and Pumped-Storage Hydropower Development."

The overall objective of this FOA is to further the development of non-powered dams (NPD) and pumped storage hydropower (PSH) resources by reducing capital costs and deployment timelines. These objectives will be achieved by funding projects in two topic areas.

Projects awarded under Topic Area 1 will develop low-head, modular, and standard turbine/generation technologies for NPD applications that can reduce civil works activities and can operate efficiently over a range of flows. Civil works includes the infrastructure of a hydropower project, such as dams, conduits, powerhouses, tunnels, and penstocks.

Under Topic Area 2, recipients will demonstrate the concept feasibility of innovative closed-loop PSH systems that can reduce development costs and timelines by applying concepts of modularity and creatively producing head differentials (e.g. pressurizing water using compressed air or weights).

The complete Notice of Intent can be accessed 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 than the FOA described, or EERE may not issue a FOA at all.

EERE will not respond to questions concerning this Notice. Once the FOA has been released, EERE will provide an avenue for potential Applicants to submit questions.

The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Maximize the energy-efficiency of SSL products in the marketplace;
• Remove market barriers through improvements to lifetime, color quality, and lighting system performance;
• Reduce costs of SSL sources and luminaires;
• Improve product consistency while maintaining high quality products; and
• Encourage the growth, leadership, and sustainability of domestic U.S. manufacturing within the SSL industry.

The Topic Areas of Interest for this Announcement include topics for LED and OLED technologies:

Topic Area 1: LED Core Technology Research

Topic Area 2: OLED Core Technology Research

Topic Area 3: LED Product Development

Topic Area 4: OLED Product Development

Topic Area 5: LED Manufacturing Research and Development

Topic Area 6: OLED Manufacturing Research and Development

An informational webinar took place on October 25, 2016. The slide presentation from that webinar can be located under the Documents portion of this announcement.

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

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

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

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback and comments on the structure, prizes, timelines, and the evaluation process of a community solar challenge. Comments will be accepted from the public, and more specifically from all interested potential contestants of such a competition.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to assess the level of interest among teams that would participate to bring community solar programs to their communities. The goals of the challenge are to enable the expansion of the solar market to a diverse array of new consumers, including low and moderate-income customers. Competing teams will be eligible for cash prizes and technical assistance from DOE and a myriad of experts nationwide. As a result of the challenge, local teams in every state will have built knowledge, expertise, and experience around innovative community solar approaches.

Modification Information:

Modification 000002 updates this RFI removing all deadline submission dates.

Modification 000001 updates the deadline for submissions to September 9, 2016 at 5:00 P.M. ET  

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks input from industry, academia, national laboratories and other biofuels and bioproducts stakeholders to identify existing capabilities to produce lignocellulosic sugars and lignin for use by the research community. Please note: It is DOE’s intent to make all information submitted in response to this RFI publicly available to other interested parties. Thus, respondents are specifically directed to NOT include ANY proprietary, business sensitive or otherwise confidential information in their responses. DOE will consider all information submitted in response to this RFI to be non-proprietary.

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.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to sugarandlignin@ee.doe.gov. 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 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

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

Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes (including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations) and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations to:

(1) Conduct energy options analyses (Topic Area 1);

(2) Establish baseline energy use and efficiency options (Topic Area 2);

(3) Develop energy organizations (Topic Area 3);

(4) Conduct climate resiliency planning (Topic Area 4);

(5) Establish policy, regulations, and codes to reduce energy use or promote energy development (Topic Area 5); and,

(6) Obtain skills and training related to energy use and development (Topic Area 6).

It is expected that proposed activities will result in specific outcomes (measureable results or end-products) that will lead to the development and deployment of strategic energy solutions, and/or build knowledge or skills necessary to implement successful energy solutions.

Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement, required cost share must be at least 10% of the total allowable costs of the project (i.e., the sum of the Government share, and the Recipient share of allowable costs equals the total allowable cost of the project). All cost share must come from non-Federal sources, unless otherwise allowed by law. Cost share may include cash or in-kind contributions (e.g., contribution of time, unrecovered indirect costs, unrecovered facilities and administrative costs, rental value of buildings or equipment, and the value of a service, other resource, or third party in-kind contribution) made during the period of performance of the grant.

DOE expects to make approximately $2 million to $3 million of Federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

DOE anticipates making approximately eight (8) to twenty (20) grant awards with DOE funding per individual award varying between ranging from $50,000 to $250,000, and to not exceed $250,000. DOE will not consider applications proposing DOE funds of less than $50,000. DOE anticipates making awards with period of performances of approximately one (1) to two (2) years, but no longer than three (3) years. DOE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the topic areas.

See the Funding Opportunity Announcement for definitions and eligibility.

Informational Webinar

The DOE Office of Indian Energy webinar, hosted on September 6, 2016 can be accessed at the following link. The webinar is intended for those interested in applying under this FOA and will describe the FOA, discuss who is eligible to apply, what the application needs to include, cost share and other requirements, how to ask questions, and how applications will be selected for funding.

First Steps Webinar

Other eXCHANGE Information

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

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

In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

The full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. 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. A User Guide for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere- exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of the announcement and where to submit questions regarding submission of applications is found in the full FOA posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) seeks input on priority areas that will advance deployment of hydrogen fueling stations and delivery infrastructure and input on barriers and activities to pursue in both the near and longer-term.

FCTO is a key component of the DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) portfolio. EERE seeks to provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy from diverse domestic resources, along with benefits of increased energy security, reduced criteria pollutants, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions; hydrogen and fuel cells are an important part of EERE’s portfolio. FCTO funds activities addressing the barriers hydrogen fueling stations face today, including renewable hydrogen fuel cost, station and equipment cost, station reliability and performance, codes and standards development, manufacturing needs, and outreach and training needs.

This is a critical time for the hydrogen market in the United States, as we are in the early commercial phases for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), hydrogen fueling stations and delivery infrastructure, and renewable production technologies. With independent data from over 6 million miles of driving FCEVs and over 163,000 kg of hydrogen dispensed, FCTO is obtaining important information to help identify key areas for further research and development and has identified specific challenges facing hydrogen infrastructure and fueling station components.

FCTO is committed to enabling successful initial commercial deployment of hydrogen fueling stations. In the recent past, FCTO has focused on increasing public-private partnerships to address immediate technical challenges, an effort that will continue through the Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure Research and Station Technology (H2FIRST) project. H2FIRST leverages capabilities at the national laboratories to address the technology challenges related to hydrogen fueling stations. Outside of infrastructure projects funded through H2FIRST, FCTO is looking to identify other strategic research, development, and demonstration pathways to lower station costs and increase the overall utilization of hydrogen in the market.

FCTO wants to address some of the barriers facing hydrogen infrastructure research, development, and deployment in the near and longer-term, listed below. Note that the following list does not include all of the barriers, but it does include many identified by both FCTO and stakeholders during an Annual Merit Review Session. Barriers to be addressed through this RFI include:
• Station and equipment cost
• Station footprint
• Station reliability and performance
• Station availability
• Lack of a domestic supply chain for equipment parts, and
• Lack of real-world business cases for FCEVs and hydrogen stations.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on the research, development, and demonstration topics.

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.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to FY16FCTONeedsandStrategies@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on August 26, 2016. 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 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

Through this FOA, DOE will support multidisciplinary biological innovation to deliver strains, tools, data, and techniques to enhance algal biofuel potential and enable accelerated future innovation in algal biofuels and bioproducts.

This FOA will fund a variety of projects and approaches that overcome species-specific, ecological, and practical challenges to achieving improved algal areal productivity and to fuel yield (i.e. biomass composition).

This FOA has two topic areas:

1) Topic Area 1: Strain Improvement

This topic area is for small teams to develop enhanced algal strains with increased areal productivity and biofuel yield, along with improved or novel algal toolkits and/or methods. Strain improvement methods may include gene discovery and biological pathway analysis, directed evolution, breeding, and/or genetic engineering of novel algal strains that can reproducibly out-perform the current best available strains in outdoor conditions, where “performance” is represented by productivity, robustness, and composition. Applicants must include a detailed discussion of the reasoning behind their proposed strategy or strategies, strain choice, and why the proposed strain improvement approach has/have the highest
probability of success.

2) Topic Area 2: Cultivation Biology Improvement

This topic area is for small teams to develop increased areal productivity and biofuel yield through enhanced management of ecological or abiotic contributions to cultivation biology, along with improved or novel algal toolkits and/or methods. Cultivation biology development improvements may include leveraging natural or designed microbial assemblages of the algal culture ecosystem to boost performance and resist pathogens, and understanding species-specific cultivation conditions.

This topic area is about improving management of a current cultivation system. Abiotic contributions, including nutrient and stochastic climatological variables, can have a profound effect on outdoor performance. Topic Area 2 supports improving the understanding of physiology and performance under fluctuating and uncontrollable abiotic conditions. Applicants must include a detailed discussion of the reasoning behind their proposed strategy or strategies and why the proposed cultivation improvement approach has/have the highest probability of success.

The FOA will require selected projects to participate in a cultivation readiness validation and benchmarking, or friendly “challenge”, the PEAK Challenge. In the PEAK Challenge, project performers will, after passing an interim Go/No-Go decision point to validate seasonal areal productivity and biomass composition, and towards the conclusion of their development efforts, cultivate their organism(s) in an outdoor relevant environment – a field-based campaign with adequate controls and duration. Utilizing the growing season and cultivation equipment of their choice, each team will demonstrate their peak productivity potential over the course of their culture’s growth curve during this field challenge.

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).

The eXCHANGE helpdesk &/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of and with the Applicant’s concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the Exchange helpdesk for assistance, and c) has submitted the application through Exchange within 24 hours of the FOA’s posted deadline.

Informational Webinar

DOE's Productivity Enhanced Algae and Tool-Kits FOA Informational Webinar was held on Dec 20, 2016 12:00 PM EST. The slides and transcript have been posted.

****Amendment 000001******

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “FY 2017 Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement.”

This FOA supports a broad portfolio of advanced highway transportation technologies that reduce petroleum consumption and improve energy efficiency while meeting or exceeding performance and cost expectations.

VTO seeks projects that accelerate the development of advanced batteries, lightweight materials, and emissions control systems, as well as the development of technologies and systems that enable significant improvements in the energy efficient mobility of people and goods.

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Please join us for an applicant webinar!

Date and Time

Tues, Jan 10, 2017 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST

Audio

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

United States: +1 (562) 247-8321
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the webinar

Access Code: 742-761-135

Invite Your Attendees

Must Register PRIOR to Webinar

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3407203295318519298
Webinar ID: 307-826-531

The Building America Program is RBI’s premier applied research, development, & demonstration (RD&D) program, responsible for over 40 housing innovations to date that have enabled technology and market advancements in residential energy efficiency. Since 1994, the rigor of the national energy code has increased over 40% by applying high performance building envelope innovations proven with Building America research and demonstration. To support RBI’s current program goals, Building America is focused on the following RBI performance goal: by 2020, demonstrate cost effective technologies and practices that can reduce the energy use intensity (EUI) of new homes by at least 60% and existing homes by at least 40%, relative to the average homes in each of the seven climate zones in 2010, with a focus on reducing heating, cooling, and water heating loads.

With this FOA, RBI will select additional Building America project teams in 2017 to accelerate energy performance improvements in existing and new residential buildings using an integrated building systems approach. These Building America teams will work with industry partners and real world homes to help housing industry participants achieve optimal energy and cost performance, while effectively managing related risks (i.e., indoor air quality and moisture durability). This FOA builds on work begun in the 2015 and 2016 Building America FOAs, and is focused primarily on addressing remaining gaps and objectives in the Building America Research-to-Market Plan.

Building America seeks to fund projects with a high potential for significant impact. Successful applicants will present a relevant problem statement, compelling hypothesis and/or solution, and effective research question(s). Successful applications will also include a well-developed plan, demonstrating not only an innovative idea of a technology/practice, but also a clear and rational way of executing the idea and enabling wide-scale adoption by the industry. Teams should have strong partnerships with builders and/or manufacturers in the industry.

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

Topic 1: Building America Technology to Market Roadmaps: Selected Objectives
Topic 2: Baseline Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Field Study in Occupied New US Homes

For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001630 Building America 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.

Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA will be held on November 7, 2016 at 3:00PM Eastern Standard Time. Please click or copy and paste this link in your browser for registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/834576982742086660

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Department of Energy (DOE) funds university-led traineeship programs that strategically address workforce training needs in key technical focus areas.The following objectives guide DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office’s (AMO) traineeship efforts:

In July 2015, EERE released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to address emerging needs in graduate training enabling preparedness for the field of advanced Power Electronics Engineering careers beyond those in academia. As a result, EERE made two competitively-selected awards supporting five-year graduate-level programs in Power Electronics Engineering, leveraging existing DOE assets including the wide band gap National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) Institute, PowerAmerica.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to future EERE-funded and AMO-funded graduate-level Traineeships. This RFI is not a FOA; therefore, DOE is not accepting applications at this time. All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word format) to an e-mail message addressed to AMOTraineeship@ee.doe.gov. Responses must be received no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 10^th, 2016. The full content of the RFI can be found below.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Vehicle Technologies Deployment Funding Opportunity Announcement.”

This FOA supports a broad portfolio of advanced highway transportation technologies that reduce petroleum consumption and improve energy efficiency while meeting or exceeding performance and cost expectations.

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

Please join us for an Applicant webinar!

Date and Time

Jan 12, 2017 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST

Audio

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

United States: +1 (415) 930-5321

Access Code: 349-408-461

Audio PIN: Shown after joining the webinar

Invite Your Attendees!

Must Register PRIOR to Webinar!

The mission of the Solar Energy Technology Office's Tech-to-Market sub-program is to enable the widespread market penetration of highly impactful solar technologies and solutions through technology research, development and demonstration to overcome technical, institutional and market challenges. The FOA is divided into Tiers that are based on the technology type, hardware or software, as well as its stage in the development cycle, e.g. prototype refinement, manufacturing tooling, beta testing, etc. In addition to achieving rigorous technical milestones, awardees are expected to deliver on business development and commercial metrics that de-risk the technology/solution and enable its progression to the next phase of commercial development. Successful awardees will be well positioned for investment from the private sector and have a path to market impact.

This FOA will be separated into Tiers based on the stage and type of technology development:

Hardware Tiers:

Tier 0: SunShot Incubator Program Round 12 - 20% cost share, up to $1M in funding, up to 24 month project periods - Accelerate transition from a proof-of-concept of all critical components to an early stage functional prototype.

Tier 1: SunShot Incubator Program Round 12 - 20% cost share, up to $2M in funding, up to 24 month project period- Accelerate transition of an early stage functional prototype to a lab made, manufacturing- and commercially-relevant prototype whose full functionality has been proven in all possible commercial use cases.

Tier 2: SunShot Incubator Program Round 12 - 50% cost share, up to $3M in funding, up to 24 months project periods – Accelerate transition of a lab-made, manufacturing and commercially relevant prototype to a full developed prototype whose initial reliability and certification testing has been passed and is ready to begin/develop pilot manufacture.

Tier 3: Solar Manufacturing Technology (SolarMat) Round 5 - 50% cost share, up to $5 in funding, up to 24 months project periods - Develop and demonstrate innovative manufacturing technology, step process(es), or equipment that enable a globally best-in class cost advantage.

Soft cost (Non-Hardware) Tiers:

Tier 1S: SunShot Incubator Round 12 - 20% cost share, up to $800k in funding, 24 month project periods - Accelerate the transition of a proof-of-concept or business plan to alpha capability and early customer trials.

Tier 2S: SunShot Incubator program Round 12 - 50% cost share, up to $2M in funding, 24 month project periods - Transition alpha software capability through beta launch and full commercialization.

11/22/16 Webinar link:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4370144583210082563

This Notice is issued so that interested parties are aware of EERE’s intention to issue DE-FOA-0001601: “Geothermal Deep Direct-Use Feasibility Studies” 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 Geothermal Technologies Office seeks to conduct feasibility studies of large-scale, low-temperature deep-well geothermal systems coupled with advanced direct-use applications and cascaded surface technologies whose applications will extend the reach of geothermal into geologically distinct parts of the country beyond the western U.S. These systems are referred to herein as Deep Direct-Use or DDU.

This FOA will solicit applications that propose projects supporting DDU feasibility studies in two Topic Areas:

• Topic Area 1 “DDU Feasibility Studies” will focus on the initial site selection, resource assessment, and feasibility study of DDU technology(s).
• Topic Area 2 “DDU Community of Practice Administration and Techno-Economic Validation of DDU Projects” seeks to convene and establish a DDU Community of Practice (COP).

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.

This FOA is for the research and development of low-cost hydrogen production, onboard hydrogen storage, and proton exchange membrane fuel cells to advance the widespread commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles. Selected projects will leverage national lab consortia launched under DOE’s Energy Materials Network (EMN) this past year, in support of DOE’s materials research and advanced manufacturing priorities.

The fuel cells market is growing rapidly, and has seen an annual growth rate of 30% every year since 2010 as well as $2 billion annual revenue in 2014. Light duty vehicles are an emerging application for fuel cells that already enable 95% lower petroleum consumption per mile than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles.

Applicants to this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will collaborate with national lab consortia launched within the EMN. 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.

The FOA topics include:

Topic 1: PGM-free Catalyst and Electrode R&D – this topic will leverage the Electrocatalysis Consortium (ElectroCat) to accelerate the development of catalysts made without platinum group metals (PGM-free) for use in fuel cells for transportation.

Topic 2: Advanced Water Splitting Materials – this topic will leverage the HydroGEN Consortium to accelerate the development of advanced water splitting materials for hydrogen production, with an initial focus on advanced electrolytic, photoelectrochemical, and solar thermochemical pathways.

Topic 3: Hydrogen Storage Materials Discovery – this topic will leverage the Hydrogen Materials—Advanced Research Consortium (HyMARC) to address unsolved scientific challenges in the development of viable solid-state materials for hydrogen storage onboard fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Topic 4: Precursor Development for Low-Cost, High-Strength Carbon Fiber for Use in Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel Applications – this topic will aim to reduce the cost of onboard hydrogen storage necessary for FCEVs. Applicants for this topic will be encouraged to collaborate with LightMAT, a consortium launched by the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office to enable light-weighting of vehicles through the development of high-strength steels and carbon fiber.

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).

The eXCHANGE helpdesk &/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@ee.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of and with the Applicant’s concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the Exchange helpdesk for assistance, and c) has submitted the application through Exchange within 24 hours of the FOA’s posted deadline.

The overarching goal of this FOA is to support the development of capabilities that will allow increased deployment of solar power generation at optimal cost. Better solar forecasting will allow the reduction of balancing, dispatch, and unit commitment costs associated with errors in the prediction of solar power generation. These costs scale with solar penetration, therefore it is important to keep them in check with advancements in the forecasting science, implementations of forecasting models with rapid execution, and seamless integration of forecasting tools in the electric system operations.

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

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

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

The Solar Energy Technologies Office held an Informational Concept Paper Phase Webinar (Relevant to All Topic Areas) on November 21, 2016.  The script and slides are included in the FOA Documents, below.

Topic Area 1: Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS):

This topic area intends to fund focused projects in novel and emerging areas of photovoltaics research which have the potential to produce dramatic progress towards a solar LCOE of $0.03/kWh by 2030 through improvements in any combination of the areas represented in Figure 1 (cost, reliability and efficiency/performance). Applications of interest will propose targeted, well-defined projects that can produce motivating results within the first year of performance. If successful, the outcomes will open up new avenues for continued study.

Topic Area 2: Module Design, Fabrication, and Characterization:

Topic Area 2A. Advanced Module Design and Fabrication.

This Topic Area intends to fund projects that will develop new module technologies with the potential to significantly improve the performance, fielded energy output, reliability, and manufacturability of completed PV modules.

Topic Area 2B: Module Characterization, Modeling, and Analysis.

This Topic Area intends to fund projects that advance the knowledge base for advanced PV modules and systems through the use of new and unique characterization, diagnostic, and modeling methods.

Topic Area 3: Rapid PV System Deployment:

This Topic Area intends to fund projects that will increase the speed and ease of PV system deployment, including permitting, inspection, and interconnection. Automated or mechanized installation methods, system designs that require reduced on-site assembly (i.e. partially pre-fabricated arrays), and other strategies to enhance installation speed and quality control while reducing manual on-site operations are appropriate for this Topic Area.

Informational Webinars:

The Solar Energy Technologies Office will be hosting an Informational Full Application and Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS) Application Webinar (Relevant to All Topic Areas) on February 7, 2017, beginning at 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (EST). Use the following link to register for attendance:

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6350503563278504708

The Solar Energy Technologies Office hosted an Informational Concept Paper Phase Webinar (Relevant to All Topic Areas) on November 21, 2016.  Slides from that webinar are found below.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks input on priority RD&D areas to enable deep decarbonization of industrial, transportation, and power generation sectors through wide-scale deployment of hydrogen. The potential of hydrogen to deeply decarbonize a multitude of sectors was identified by the DOE national laboratories in a proposal termed H2@Scale in 2016. The preliminary analysis performed by the national laboratories on the H2@Scale concept indicated that nearly a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is possible by 2050. Research in several relevant areas is currently addressed by many different DOE Offices, including the Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Fossil Energy (FE), Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), and Science (OS), along with the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E). Given the broad scope of H2@Scale, and the need to engage many stakeholders to ensure the proposal’s success, the U.S. DOE is soliciting feedback on activities to advance the H2@Scale proposal in both the near and longer-term.

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback, project ideas, and other guidance on the topic areas described below and through responses to questions (as applicable). Note stakeholders should feel free to respond only to those topics relevant to their expertise; it is not necessary to respond to all topics.

1. Concept of H2 at Scale
2. Integration of Hydrogen Production with the Electricity Grid, and with Storage and Pipeline Infrastructure
3. Integration of Hydrogen Production with Process Heat, such as from Nuclear Generation, Industrial Waste Heat Sources, or Concentrated Solar Power
4. Leveraging Stranded Renewables, and Value-Added Applications for Hydrogen
5. Hydrogen from Fossil Fuels
6. Other

This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, the U.S. DOE is not accepting applications at this time. The U.S. DOE may issue a FOA in the future based on or related to the content and responses to this RFI; however, the U.S. DOE may also elect not to issue a FOA.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to H2Scale@ee.doe.gov with the subject line "DE-FOA-0001655 - RFI" no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 4, 2016. 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 5 pages in length, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Only electronic responses will be accepted.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “SunShot Technology to Market: Incubator Round 12, SolarMat Round 5”.

This FOA will enable the widespread market penetration of highly impactful solar technologies and solutions through technology research, development, and demonstration to overcome technical, institutional and market challenges. The FOA is divided into 6 Tiers that are based on the technology type, hardware or software, as well as its stage in the development cycle, e.g. prototype refinement, manufacturing tooling, beta testing, etc. The total federal funding will be approximately $30M with a 20% to 50% awardee cost share required depending on the project Tier. Projects are expected to be funded with a maximum award level of $500,000 to $5M depending on project Tier. In addition to achieving rigorous technical milestones, awardees are expected to deliver on business development and commercial metrics that de-risk the technology/solution and enable its progression to the next phase of commercial development. Successful awardees will be well positioned for investment from the private sector and have a path to market impact.

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.

The planned FOA supports improvements in module design as well as approaches to reduce installation and interconnection time, which represent important development avenues for reducing the cost of PV electricity and energizing the future growth of the U.S. PV industry. This funding opportunity encourages project teams to optimize the completed product by considering the holistic module and system architecture rather than focusing on individual components.

Applicant eligibility is anticipated to follow the same criteria as provided in the previous PVRD funding opportunity, which was released in September, 2015. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government-Owned Government Operated institutions (GOGOs) are not expected to be eligible to apply as primary applicants, but may be included as sub-recipients on proposals to this funding opportunity. Comprehensive details on eligibility will be released in the funding opportunity announcement.

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.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) is charged by Congress under the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self Determination Act of 2005 (Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005)), Title V, § 502, codified at 42 USC § 7144e and 25 USC § 3501 et seq.) , to “provide, direct, foster, coordinate, and implement energy planning, education, management, conservation, and delivery programs that –

(1) Promote Indian tribal energy development, efficiency, and use;
(2) Reduce and stabilize energy costs;
(3) Enhance and strengthen Indian tribal energy and economic infrastructure relating to natural resource development and electrification; and
(4) Bring electric power and service to Indian land and homes for tribal members located on Indian lands or acquired, constructed, or improved (in whole or in part) with Federal funds.” 42 USC § 7144e(b).

Through this planned Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Office of Indian Energy will be continuing its efforts to maximize the development and deployment of energy solutions for the benefit of American Indians and Alaska Natives and help build the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to implement those energy solutions.

Specifically, the Office of Indian Energy intends to solicit applications from Indian Tribes (including Alaska Native Regional Corporations and Village Corporations) and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations to:

(1) Install clean energy and energy efficiency retrofit projects for tribal buildings (Area of Interest 1); and,

(2) Deploy clean energy systems on a community-scale (Area of Interest 2).

DOE envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of grants. The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately from one (1) to two (2) years, but no longer than three (3) years (including the 12-month energy savings verification period for Area of Interest 1).

DOE anticipates making awards that range from $50,000 to $500,000 for Area of Interest 1 (Tribal Building Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Retrofits) and from $250,000 to $1,000,000 for Area of Interest 2 (Community-Scale Clean Energy Deployment).

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

The Office of Indian Energy plans to issue the FOA, DE-FOA-0001660: “Deployment of Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects on Indian Lands – 2016” November 2016 via the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information regarding this FOA, they should register in EERE Exchange. When the FOA is released, applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE.

(1) Install energy efficiency measures and clean energy systems on tribal buildings (Topic Area 1) through:

a. Deep energy retrofits (Topic Area 1.a.), or

b. Energy efficiency measures and clean energy systems (Topic Area 1.b.),

and/or,

(2) Deploy clean energy systems on a community-scale (Topic Area 2).

For purposes of this FOA, an eligible “Indian Tribe” (including Alaska Native villages, but not Alaska Native Regional Corporations or Village Corporations), must be federally recognized as listed in Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Applications may also be submitted on behalf of an Indian Tribe(s) by an authorized Tribal Organization or Inter-Tribal Organization, provided evidence of that authority is provided as part of the application.

Under Topic Area 1, DOE is seeking applications for the installation in tribal buildings of (a) deep energy retrofits (multiple energy efficiency measures) to meet at least a 15% reduction in the total of all energy and fuel sources used; and (b) energy efficiency measures and clean energy systems (renewable energy power systems or combined heat and power systems) of at least 10kW or equivalent for heating and/or cooling to meet at least a 20% reduction in the total of all energy and fuel sources used.

Under Topic Area 2, DOE is soliciting applications for the deployment on a community-scale of at least 250 kW (or equivalent for heating and/or cooling) of clean energy systems on Indian lands to provide electricity and/or heating or cooling too many buildings or to an entire tribal community. Any technology proposed must be commercially-proven and warrantied, and the projects proposed under Topic Area 1 must be based on a prior energy audit or industrial energy assessment.

The intended results of the 50% cost shared projects selected under this Funding Opportunity Announcement are immediate cost savings, reduced energy use, and increased energy security for Indian Tribes, Alaskan Native villages, and tribal members.

DOE expects to make approximately $4 million to $6 million of Federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The actual level of funding, if any, depends on Congressional appropriations. DOE anticipates making approximately 6 to 10 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the topic areas.

Informational Webinar

The DOE Office of Indian Energy will conduct an informational webinar on December 1, 2016 (3:00 Eastern) to provide information on the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to potential applicants. In addition to describing the FOA in detail, information will be provided on who is eligible to apply, what an application needs to include, cost share and other requirements, how to ask questions, and how applications will be selected for funding. If you are unable to attend the webinar, it will be recorded and posted for later viewing.

Register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3954444524942948612

Other eXCHANGE Information

The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for 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).

Modification No. 001 - See the Modification table in the FOA. All changes are highlighted in yellow.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement is soliciting applications that support research, testing, and development of innovative technologies capable of generating renewable, environmentally responsible and cost-effective electricity from U.S. water resources. These include marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies that harness the energy from waves and ocean/tidal/river currents. The MHK sub-program of the Water Power Technologies Office has the opportunity to focus on the technologies that can be deployed in early-adopter markets (i.e., wave and current resources with high energy costs) in the near-term while supporting next generation technologies that have the potential to be cost competitive with other energy generation technologies in large utility scale markets in the longer term. This Funding Opportunity Announcement targets technologies aiming for economic competitiveness in either early-adopter or large utility scale markets.

This FOA will solicit applications that propose projects supporting MHK research and development projects in two Topic Areas:

Topic Area 1 “Wave Energy Converters System Advancement” will focus on advancing the design of wave energy converters from prototypes to full systems.

Topic Area 2 “Open Topic – MHK Technology Development” seeks to develop innovative technologies that have the potential to significantly advance MHK technologies and the state of the MHK industry.

Please note the "Submission Deadlines" below. The EERE Exchange system is designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.

The complete Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

FOA FAQs for this Funding Opportunity Announcement can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below.

A webinar was held for this FOA on Tuesday, December 20, 2016. The presentation from the webinar can be accessed under the "Documents" heading below. A recorded version of the webinar will be also available at the following link through January 17, 2017 (Please note that you will be asked to register if you have not done so already): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4373534378175507716

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  

There are three topic areas to which an application may be submitted under this FOA: (1) Combined Heat and Power (CHP), (2) Renewable Energy and (3) Energy Efficiency Deep Retrofits.

There are two mandatory parts to the application process:

- Letter of Intent (Submission deadline: December 22, 2016 5:00pm ET )

- Full Application (Submission deadline: January 30, 2017 5:00pm ET)

Please find the registration link for the AFFECT 2017 FOA Informational Webinar (Tuesday, December 13, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. EST) here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6587696808867412226.