Funding Opportunity Announcements

This solicitation is being hosted by the DOE on behalf of the IRS. Click here to visit the IRS Website.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Marc Bernabo, IRS, phone: 713-209-3669, fax: 713-209-3964

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

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

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

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

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

The objective of the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI): High Operating Temperature Fluids (“HOT Fluids”) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support research into fluid materials development that will enable Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems to integrate with energy conversion devices capable of thermal to electric conversion efficiencies greater than 50%.   DOE anticipates providing up to $10M in funding for up to 2 awardees to accomplish the goals of this funding opportunity.   This FOA directly supports the goals of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Solar Energy Technologies Program and the SunShot Initiative. 

This FOA will take a MURI approach that ensures awardees bring together researchers from various technical backgrounds in order to achieve the discovery and a development of a liquid that is stable as a liquid from 0°C to 1300°C.  This target must be achieved while also ensuring that the fluid has the necessary properties to be used in current CSP plant designs.  Development of such a fluid will directly enable the achievement of the SunShot target of providing electricity generated by solar power at a cost of 6 cents per kilowatt hour (¢/kWh).   

The U.S. Department of Energy is requesting applications to support outdoor phototrophic algae research and development in two areas: 1) nutrient and water use in algal production systems and 2) the development of algal technology testbed facilities. This research will support the Biomass Program’s goals to model pathways for significant (>1 billion gallons per year) volumes of cost-competitive algal biofuels by 2022.

The objective of this FOA is to develop and implement a variety of activities that deploy U.S. technical expertise in areas such as strategic and policy planning and analysis, energy market analysis, energy modeling, workforce development, and technical analysis to prime markets for increased use of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in Indonesia. Benefits to the U.S. include potentially increased exports of domestic clean energy technologies and services in a rapidly expanding market, as well as access to data on clean energy policy and programs success and challenges that can inform U.S. national and subnational policy development. DOE anticipates providing $1.2M total to one Awardee over a period of up to three years to accomplish the goals of this funding opportunity. This FOA directly supports the goals of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), International Program.

The focus of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to develop specifically-identified technologies for buildings that are cost effective and can have a tremendous impact on energy savings overall and lead to a market-ready solution (e.g. at the commercial prototype phase) within five years of project launch.  Projects must credibly demonstrate how the proposed technologies will meet the targets specified in the sub-topic descriptions. Projects under this FOA must be aimed at more than progress toward identified project goals; the project must be aimed at actual delivery of these project goals.

Topic 1: Energy Saving Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems

Subtopic 1.1: High Performance Air Source Cold Climate Heat Pumps

Subtopic 1.2: Alternative Space-Heating Systems

Subtopic 1.3: Next-Generation Heat Exchangers for Electric Vapor-Compression Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners

Topic 2: Energy Saving Building Envelope Solutions

Subtopic 2.1: High performance thermal insulation

Subtopic 2.2: Advanced Roof/Attic Solutions

Subtopic 2.3: Highly insulating windows

Fuel cells can lead to substantial energy savings and reductions in imported petroleum and carbon emissions.  To realize these benefits, DOE’s FCT Program focuses on funding fuel cell research and development (R&D) and technology validation activities supporting a portfolio of fuel cell technologies and applications.  This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), which specifically supports the Technology Validation program element, will collect, analyze, and validate performance data from light-duty hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) operating in real-world environments. Feedback will be provided to the DOE hydrogen and fuel cell R&D projects and industry partners to help determine what additional R&D is required to move the technology forward.

With this FOA, DOE is accepting new applications for projects seeking to validate light-duty fuel cell electric vehicle performance and durability.  The objective of each proposed project must be to collect and submit dynamometer and real-world vehicle performance data to a DOE-sponsored third-party collection and analysis provider to provide statistically valid projections on key metrics including durability of fuel cell systems.  R&D of these technologies is not the focus of this effort and will not be funded through this announcement.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies (VT) Program, is seeking applications that will lead to computational modeling advances and development of lightweight alloys for lightweighting and propulsion applications. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) includes three (3) Areas of Interest; Area of Interest 3 includes two (2) subtopics. Areas of Interest are indentified below:

Area of Interest 1:  Predictive Engineering Tools for Injection Molded Long Carbon Fiber Thermoplastic Composites

Area of Interest 2:  Integrated Computation Materials Engineering (ICME) Development of Advanced Steel for Lightweight Vehicles

Area of Interest 3:  Advanced Alloy Development for Automotive and Heavy-Duty Engines

3a) Lightweight Cast Alloy Development for Light Duty Automotive Engine Applications

3b) High Strength Cast Alloy Development for Heavy-Duty On-Road Engine Applications

NOTE: The FOA has been updated to incorporate Amendment 001 Amendment 002, Amendment 003, discussed below:

Amendment 001 to this FOA was processed on 04/13/2012. The FOA was revised to include an additional criterion under the Project Approach for Area of Interest 1, Area of Interest 2, and Area of Interest 3, respectively. See Section V, Part A. 2. Merit Review Criteria.

Amendment 002 to this FOA was processed on 04/23/2012. The FOA was revised to remove the section entitled "Subrecipient Effort" contained in Part III, Section C, Other Eligibility Requirements.

Amendment 003 to the FOA was processed on 05/04/2012. The FOA was revised to further define, clarify, and update specific clauses in the FOA. 

The full Funding Opportunity Announcement 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 can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. 

*The Slides used during the 05-30-2012 Webinar have been posted below.* 

*The Webinar is now available at the following link*

https://solarhighpen.energy.gov/noaa_capabilities_relevant_to_doe_solar_forecasting_foa_de_foa_0000649

**Please note extentions for both Letter of Intent and Application Deadlines** 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued by DOE to solicit applications for improving accuracy of solar forecasting in the short-term (0-6 hours) and day-ahead timeframes. This FOA is part of the DOE “SunShot   Initiative” and addresses the EERE performance metric of increasing the viability and deployment of renewable energy technologies.  Launched in 2011, the SunShot Initiative aims to reduce the cost of solar energy systems by about 75% between 2010 and 2020. Achieving this target could result in solar meeting roughly 14% of U.S. electricity needs by 2030 and 27% by 2050.  Advancements in generation (conventional as well as solar) and transmission technology, improved accuracy in solar resource forecasting, the evolution of operational practices, and the adoption of consistent codes, standards, and regulatory procedures will collectively enable the successful integration of high levels of solar penetration on the grid. Specifically, there is a significant need for strong leadership and a clear way forward in: (a) establishing a standard set of metrics for solar forecast accuracy assessment, (b) development of new methods/algorithms/processes for solar forecasting, and (c) a rigorous estimation of the various value streams (including economic and reliability aspects) due to improved accuracy solar forecasting.

To further address these issues and encourage stakeholders to participate in improving the accuracy of solar forecasting, and to establish American leadership in cutting-edge solar resource forecasting techniques, the DOE, through this announcement, is planning to fund specific activities in foundational and applied research to improve the accuracy of solar forecasting, and demonstrating the application of more accuracy solar forecasts in power system operations. These activities are expected to enable significant, sustainable, and measurable progress in achieving accurate solar forecasting that is developed through foundational research, meet accuracy targets on a set of metrics developed by stakeholder consensus, validate the improved forecasts through data from existing and new instrumentation, and result in benefits shown through incorporating the forecasts into real-time power system operations and assessing the resulting impacts.

Through the Plug and Play Photovoltaics Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Department of Energy will invest up to $25 million over five years to advance the development of a commercial plug-and-play photovoltaic system, which is envisioned as an off-the-shelf product that is fully inclusive with little need for individual customization. Homeowners can install the system without special training or tools. The homeowner simply plugs the system into a PV-ready circuit and an automatic PV discovery process initiates communication between the system and the utility.

The plug-and-play concept has been implemented very successfully in the computer and automotive industries. The Department of Energy believes that these same innovations can be applied to the PV industry to reduce costs and simplify installations. This funding opportunity seeks to fundamentally change the design and installation of residential PV systems and help automate utility interconnection and permitting processes.

Universities, industry, utilities, local authorities having jurisdiction, national laboratories, and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit letters of intent by May 16, 2012 and full applications by June 18, 2012. For more information, download the full text of the FOA below.

**As per Amendment 003, the Letter of Intent to Apply for this FOA is OPTIONAL. ** 

 Bridging Research Interactions through Collaborative Development Grants in Energy (BRIDGE) is a new program that intends to support the SunShot Initiative by increasing the depth and breadth of expertise being applied to PV and CSP technology challenges. The BRIDGE program will employ a two-part linking approach to effectively develop U.S. capability in PV and CSP device and system design. First, BRIDGE will support the development of new Collaborative Research Teams (CRTs) of researchers who share coherent scientific goals and diverse but complementary theoretical, computational and/or experimental approaches. In addition, BRIDGE will encourage CRTs to explore opportunities to leverage existing DOE assets and expertise housed within the DOE Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Scientific User Facilities, the DOE Biological and Environmental Sciences (BER) Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) and Advanced Scientific Computing Research facilities (ASCR).

*Applicants are asked to submit an OPTIONAL Letter of Intent to Apply, as described in Section IV.B of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) as soon as possible.  The Letter of Intent can be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE website.*

**PLEASE REGISTER AT HTTP://WWW.GRANTS.GOV  TO RECEIVE AUTOMATIC UPDATES WHEN AMENDMENTS TO THIS FOA ARE POSTED.  PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED THROUGH GRANTS.GOV.**

 Webinars for Potential Applicants

These webinars are intended to help potential applicants understand the scope and purpose of this FOA, in order to increase the quality of applications received.  All webinars will be recorded and made available online at www.solar.energy.gov/sunshot/past_workshops.html for the duration of the application period.

Webinar Dates/Time 

• Wednesday, April 4th, 11:00am-12:30pm ET 
• Tuesday, April 24th, 11:00am-12:30pm ET

Please register at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/940236608

This webinar will provide an overview of the Funding Opportunity for DOE’s SunShot Initiative: Bridging Research Interactions through Collaborative Development Grants in Energy (BRIDGE), including:

• Summary of SC Facilities
• Eligibility requirements
• Funding details
• Application process
• Evaluation criteria

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

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

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

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

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

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

The U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, on behalf of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Office of Vehicle Technologies Program, is seeking applications for grants up to $10 million DOE funding to accelerate the introduction and penetration of electric transportation technology into the cargo transport sector.

DOE anticipate up to 2 awards in Fiscal Year 2012, with the potential for additional selections in Fiscal Year 2013 if additional funding is recommended through the appropriations process.

Eligibility is restricted to local governments, ports, metropolitan transportation authorities, air pollution control districts, or combinations thereof operating in and/or governing either the Los Angeles South Coast Air basin (8-hour ozone) nonattainment area or the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria nonattainment area.

A minimum of 50% cost share is required.

Amendment 001 to DE-FOA-0000669 was issued on 05/01/2012; see FOA DOCUMENTS below.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is intended for research and development (R&D) at either (1) Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 2 through 3 in Topic Area 1 or (2) TRL 4 through 6 in Topic Area 2, that will accelerate the development of thermochemical liquefaction technologies to produce a bio-oil feedstock from biomass considered to be a high-impact feedstock or from algal biomass.  The bio-oil feedstock produced must be utilized within a petroleum refinery and leverage its existing capital for further processing to final fuels (such as renewable: gasoline, diesel, jet fuel) that will contribute to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Renewable Fuels Standard volumetric goals for advanced biofuels. 

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind and Water Power Program, is seeking applications from hydropower professionals to participate in the Hydropower Advancement Project (HAP) standard assessments activity.

The HAP standard assessments will identify opportunities to increase generation and value at existing hydropower facilities.  Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOE will select teams to perform these standard assessments. 

The selected teams will perform HAP standardized assessments as described herein and per the HAP documents associated with the standard assessments. The HAP documents are available at http://hydropower.ornl.gov/HAP/ and include the following:
1. Hydropower Technology Taxonomy (HTT)
2. Best Practices Catalog (BPC)
3. Assessment Manual

The selected teams will receive financial assistance in the form of a cooperative agreement and will complete HAP standardized assessments at five (5) or more hydropower facilities.

Assessment teams that are selected will be required to attend the HAP standard assessment training planned for October, 2012, and then to perform multiple HAP standard assessments as described in the FOA and per the HAP documents.

NOTE: Letters of Intent are requested, but not required. Please select "Apply"  to submit a Letter of Intent.

Important: As of May 2012 the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) along with several other Federal procurement systems is being incorporated into a single website called the System for Award Management (SAM).  The SAM site is located at  https://www.sam.gov/sam/.  As the migration of CCR into the SAM website is currently in process, should you be unable to find the CCR website (https://www.ccr.gov/) at its previous location, please use the SAM website in this paragraph. 

The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice of a proposed upcoming FOA initially titled “In-Water Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) Device Testing Support.”  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 FY12.  Please do not respond or submit questions in response to this Notice of Intent.

On behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Wind and Water Power Program (WWPP) intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement titled “In-Water Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) Device Testing Support.”

DOE intends to fund one industry-led project that will deploy a long-term (one year) in-water WEC device.  The device will be deployed at the Navy Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) facility in Kaneohe Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. 

The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind and Water Power Program (WWPP), is issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “In-Water Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) Device Testing Support.”

The DOE is working closely with The Department of Navy (Navy) to support and promote wave energy technologies. This FOA will support the testing of one WEC device at the Navy’s existing 30m Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) located at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Only WEC buoy (point-absorber) device types are being considered for funding at this time.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking applications that address and assist in reducing multiple barriers to alternative fuel vehicle adoption and use.  Overall, this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued on behalf of EERE by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), aims to decrease the nation’s dependence on petroleum and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating the deployment of alternative fuels.  Efforts should focus only on the alternative fuels defined by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and further augmented by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. 

The expanded use of alternative fuel vehicles and domestically produced alternative transportation fuels can create and retain jobs, stimulate and support domestic economies, and help protect the environment. The Clean Cities program has identified the following four critical areas that provide significant obstacles to alternative fuel vehicle use: 1) Policies, 2) Barrier Reduction, 3) Safety and Training, and 4) Market Development/Outreach.  The U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program wishes to fund projects that target and remedy these specific obstacles to alternative fuel vehicle adoption and use in local, regional and/or statewide sectors and niche markets. 

The goal of this solicitation is to increase the viability and deployment of renewable energy technologies through research, development, and tools that lead to clean and efficient biomass cookstoves. This solicitation seeks to develop cookstove technologies that:

·   Are low-cost and affordable in regions that currently rely predominantly on biomass fuels for household energy;

·   Are durable and safe, address the conditions, use the biomass fuels, and meet the needs of the people in geographical areas in which the stoves will be ultimately deployed;

·   Aim to meet or exceed the highest level of stove performance for total and indoor emissions, efficiency, and safety; and

·   Achieve field performance that is comparable to stove performance in laboratory testing.

These goals are intended to drive technology developments that can support the widespread adoption of affordable, user-desirable stoves that provide significant health benefits, labor and financial savings, and soil and forestry benefits.   

This FOA marks the first time that the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued three Phase I solicitations in a single year.  This “Release 3” is intended to give small businesses more topics and more opportunities to apply for SBIR/STTR Phase I grants in a given year.  It includes 8 broad topics and 30 subtopics aligned with EERE programs (see below).  Detailed application instructions, including eligibility requirements, can be found on DOE’s SBIR Funding opportunities website under Reference Number DE-FOA-0000715.

EERE leads the Federal government’s research and development (R&D) efforts in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It invests in clean energy R&D designed to reduce the cost of technologies that enable the efficient use of energy and/or the generation of renewable energy. EERE’s SBIR/STTR efforts are part of an integrated portfolio that will lead to economic and environmental benefits. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) EERE program is interested in receiving proposals for research and development projects that offer potential for achieving EERE technology cost and performance targets.  This FOA seeks Applications to select and fund SBIR Phase I research and development (R&D) projects in the follow topics and subtopics:

1. Advanced Manufacturing:  a. Manufacturing Process  b. Advanced Materials

2. Biomass: a. Cellulosic and Algal Biofuels b. Biobased Products

3. Buildings: a. Solid State Lighting (SSL) Devices and Packages;

b. Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pumps

c. High COP Electric Water Heaters

d. GSHP Ground Loop Cost Reduction

e. Fast Payback Solar Hot Water 

f. Building Envelope Materials

g. Building Controls and

h. Commercial Building Power Meters

4. Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies a. Transportation Fuel Cells b. Hydrogen Storage

5. Solar: a. PV module b. Power Electronics & Balance of System (Hardware)

c. Balance of System (Non-Hardware) and

d. Concentrating Solar Power

6. Vehicles: a. Electric Drive Vehicle Batteries; b. Exhaust Aftertreatment Materials

c. Innovative Engine Boosting Technologies

d. Differential Compression and Expansion Technologies

e. Subsystem Component Technologies

f. Thermoelectric Technologies

g. Materials for Traction Drive Motor Laminations, Cores, or Structures and

h. Engine Friction Reduction

7. Water: a. Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy b. Hydropower Applications

8. Wind: a. Logistics for Land-Based Wind Power

The Biomass Program has recently developed Critical Technology Goals (CTG) related to a) converting biomass into processable sugars or other fractionation products and b) upgrading those processable sugars or biomass fractions into products such as advanced biofuels.  These are new program elements which seek to continue the work of the previous Biochemical Platform. The new advances in biotechnology that are facilitating innovative improvements in the biomedical (and similar) fields have not been fully applied to the efforts to develop biotechnology for fuels and products. Synthetic biology technologies hold promise for addressing critical barriers in the biological and chemical production of important advanced biofuels and products, including such barriers as product inhibition, tolerance to inhibitors, process robustness in the face of complex pretreatment processes and low yields, and productivity of conversion processes.  This FOA invites the R&D community to apply these newer techniques to enhance and enable the development in biological or hybrid systems for producing advanced biofuels and high energy impact biobased  products.  

The focus of this FOA is found in these two topic areas:

1.      Topic Area 1- Intermediate Production:  Innovative synthetic biological approaches to the cost-effective fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass, both terrestrial and aquatic, into processable components such as fermentable sugars, modified lignin suitable for conversion to higher value materials, and oligomeric sugar fractions or biopolymers that are more easily converted to monomers for further processing.

2.      Topic Area 2 – Intermediate Transformations:  Innovative synthetic biological approaches to the cost-effective and high yield conversion of processable component fractions into advanced biofuels and high-energy impact bioproducts. 

Please note, the RFI submission deadline has been extended to June 1, 2012.
 

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only, issued solely for information and program planning purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your response to this notice will be treated as information only. DOE will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that DOE 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 DOE to any further actions related to this topic.

The DOE solicits input from all parties regarding how DOE can best support the expansion of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) businesses into residential whole-house energy efficiency services through new initiatives or by building upon existing “HVACR to Home Performance” efforts underway within the industry.  DOE may release a competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in Fiscal Year 2012 to support effort(s) that facilitate HVACR contactor expansion into home performance.  DOE invites comments on any or all of the Potential Topic Areas and Proposed Activities outlined in the Request. Of particular interest is information that would assist DOE in focusing its resources on activities with the highest potential for sustained market transformation in the HVACR industry beyond the scope of the potential grant period.

Please send your response (one attachment only) via email, with the subject line and title, "RFI Response" to HVACRHomePerformance@go.doe.gov. Your response should be limited to 5 pages, submitted in  Microsoft Word as an email attachment to the address above and received no later than 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on 6/1/2012. 

***Note deadline extended to 6/1/2012*** 

The Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking applications that support the Vehicles Technology Program’s (VTP) general goal to develop technologies that enable cars and trucks to become highly efficient through affordable and improved drivetrain, lightweighting technologies, and cleaner domestic fuels. Specific goals of the VTP Hybrid and Electric Systems Team include enabling the use of advanced electric drive technologies in vehicle systems by developing low-cost batteries, advanced power electronics and electric motor components, and the development and validation of models and simulation tools to predict the performance, fuel economy, and emissions of advanced conventional and electric-drive vehicle systems.

The energy storage goals will be accomplished through the funding of research and development (R&D) ranging from focused, long-term research to more applied R&D.  Most of the longer term research will be done in universities and the national laboratories, but much of the more applied work will be done within the domestic battery industry.  In order to ensure that this R&D is relevant and responsive to the needs of the manufacturers of electric drive vehicles VTP believes that it is important to be able to work with and through a consortium that brings together a significant fraction of the major manufacturers of electric drive vehicles in the US.  One of the goals of this consortium would be to engage the battery manufacturers and other key stakeholders, such as universities, National Laboratories, and manufacturers and developers that supply critical materials and components to the battery industry. The research and development to be carried out under this Funding Opportunity Announcements will be an integral part of the DOE’s effort to develop advanced transportation technologies that will significantly reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, specifically by supporting R&D in the energy storage area for vehicles using electric drive components, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs).

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.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only, issued solely for information and program planning purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts.  Your response to this notice will be treated as information only.  DOE will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI.  Respondents are advised that DOE 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.  Reponses to this RFI do not bind DOE to any further actions related to this topic.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Fuel Cell Technologies Program, is issuing a RFI seeking input from stakeholders on proposed technical and cost targets for fuel cells designed for backup power and material handling applications.  Feedback on proposed performance, durability and cost targets, as well as on current status, for these two early market fuel cell applications is sought from developers, manufacturers, end users, and other stakeholders.   The targets are intended to meet end user expectations, and are not driven by the operating parameters or constraints of specific technologies. 

 Please send your response (one attachment only) via email, with the subject line and title, "RFI Response" to MHBPtargets@go.doe.gov. Your response should be limited to 5 pages, submitted in  Microsoft Word as an email attachment to the address above and received no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on 6/30/2012. 

The intent of this FOA is to identify, evaluate, and select innovative pilot- or demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries that can produce hydrocarbon fuels that meet military specifications for JP-5 (jet fuel primarily for the Navy), JP-8 (jet fuel primarily for the Air Force), or F-76 (diesel).  Integrated biorefineries proposed for this funding opportunity may employ various combinations of feedstocks and conversion technologies to produce a variety of products, but the primary focus must be on producing biofuels.  Novel and highly innovative technologies are strongly encouraged.  Topic Area 1 requests applicants to design, construct and/or operate an integrated pilot- or demonstration-scale integrated biorefinery in order to validate the proposed technology using an acceptable lignocellulosic or waste-based feedstock, to produce an acceptable biofuel.  Processes are also eligible under this topic that can utilize advanced technology approaches for the efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) (rather than direct conversion of lignocellulosic biomass) directly to liquid transportation fuels.  Topic Area 2 requests applicants to design, construct and/or operate an integrated pilot- or demonstration-scale integrated biorefinery in order to validate the proposed technology using an acceptable algal type feedstock, to produce an acceptable biofuel.

Through the Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Department of Energy will invest up to $9 million over three years to support research on solar energy innovation dynamics and technology adoption patterns. SEEDS supports the development of a diversity of analytical, numerical, and conceptual tools and methods; implementation of pilot test strategies for modifying current business and policy practices; and assessment of pilot tests outcomes for impact and scalability. Through SEEDS, the Department of Energy seeks to launch a series of systematic investigations that will result in viable methods for dramatically transforming the operations of solar researchers, manufacturers, developers, installers, and policymakers. Selected research efforts will be performed in tandem with industry partners to ensure that results can be applied, tested, and modified in real time.

The purpose of this request for information (RFI) is solely to solicit input for DOE consideration in the development of future algal biofuels research, development, and deployment (RD&D) programs. Information obtained in response to this RFI will be used by DOE on a non-attribution basis. Although DOE may determine as the result of this RFI to issue a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), there is no guarantee that future funding opportunities or other activities will be undertaken as a result of this RFI.

This RFI provides algae stakeholders with an opportunity to contribute their views to help inform the development of OBP’s strategic plans, requirements, and metrics for a potential research and development (R&D) program focused on enhancing the yield of algal biofuel intermediates.  DOE is interested in stakeholders’ input regarding multiple types of algae, including microalgae, cyanobacteria, and macroalgae.  Specifically, the OBP requests information from algal biofuel developers to help establish appropriate scope, scale, and metrics for consideration in developing two topics: 1) Reductions in Downstream Processing Costs; and 2) Improved Algal Biomass Productivity.

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. DOE MAY decide at a later date to issue a FOA based on consideration of the input received from this RFI, but there is no guarantee that future funding opportunities or other activities will be undertaken as a result of this RFI.

DOE invites input from the public regarding currently lacking data and technologies for characterization of marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) and offshore wind energy resources in support of deployment of wind and MHK technologies. For MHK power, comments regarding the advancement of wave and tidal resource characterization and data gathering for characterization of far-field hydrological and wave environment interactions with MHK energy devices are specifically requested. For wind power, comments regarding research and observation activities and partnerships for offshore wind energy resource characterization to complement, augment, or expand upon ongoing and planned offshore wind meteorological and oceanographic (metocean) data activities are specifically requested.

The sole purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gain input from industry, academia, local, state and federal government agencies, and other offshore wind and marine and hydrokinetic power stakeholders.  The information gathered with this RFI will be used to help inform future strategic considerations and will inform the Wind and Water Power Program’s research and development portfolio with regards to offshore wind and marine and hydrokinetic resource characterization efforts. This does not constitute a request for specific project proposals.  DOE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and there is no guarantee that future funding opportunities or other activities will be undertaken as a result of this RFI.

Responses to this RFI should be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format to Resource.Characterization@go.doe.gov by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on October 1, 2012.  Responses should include:  cover page, 1 page executive summary, and up to a 5 page full response. 

With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the DOE through the Fuel Cell Technologies (FCT) Program seeks to fund hydrogen pathway analyses to determine the most promising paths forward for the production and delivery of hydrogen, while also defining the key remaining challenges. The DOE will only accept applications that are responsive to the scope and topic area described below.

System-level analyses of hydrogen production and delivery technologies are needed to support selection of portfolio priorities through evaluations of technical progress and hydrogen cost status, as well as projections of technology timelines and benefits, and evaluation of the potential of production and delivery pathways to meet the FCT threshold cost goal of $2-$4/gge delivered and dispensed hydrogen by 2020.  This effort will include annual cost analyses of key remaining challenges for technology pathways within the Hydrogen P&D sub-program portfolio using, primarily, the Hydrogen Analysis (H2A) model to determine status improvements resulting from technology advancements. For example, production pathways that may be considered under the direction of the FCT Program include, but are not limited to: reforming of biomass-derived renewable liquids for distributed production of hydrogen; distributed, semi-central and central water electrolysis; solar high-temperature water splitting; photoelectrochemical water splitting; and biological processes using micro-organisms for photolytic, fermentation, and microbial electrolysis for large-scale central hydrogen production. 

An initial cost model validation by the recipient may be required. The validation will be done by defining a baseline cost based largely on data from a current industry accepted hydrogen production pathway which will be selected and approved by DOE’s P&D Team.

The recipient will be responsible for vetting all user-input values used in the H2A analysis and for clearly and precisely presenting the results and sensitivity analyses of the technologies/pathways analyzed. The recipient’s project will be subject to evaluation by system developers, independent peer review, and the DOE Annual Peer Review and Merit Evaluation process.  Results of the evaluation will be used to determine whether the project will continue through the following years. The recipient will also be required to present results as needed to USDrive technology teams e.g., the Hydrogen Production Technology Team (HPTT). Project deliverables will include:

1. Cost estimates and analyses, and their updates of hydrogen technology pathways as directed by DOE (with power point slides and written reports when requested) for distributed and central hydrogen production and delivery technologies/pathways
2. Validation of  cost model based on data from current industry accepted hydrogen production technologies and processes
3. Final report documenting the results of the analyses including sensitivity analyses along with standard tornado charts to demonstrate critical correlation cost drivers 

This FOA was Amended on 11/6/2012, as shown in the file below.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only, issued solely for information and program planning purposes; this RFI does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts.  Your response to this notice will be treated as information only.  The Department of Energy (DOE) will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred in responding to this RFI.  Respondents are advised that DOE 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.  Reponses to this RFI do not bind DOE to any further actions related to this topic. Through this RFI, the DOE seeks feedback from interested parties on the current and near-term status and availability of high-accuracy meters that can perform under hydrogen fueling conditions and meet measurement accuracy requirements.

Specifically, this RFI requests information for three (3) areas of interest:

Area of Interest 1: Current meter status

Area of Interest 2: Accuracy status

Area of Interest 3: Market demand and availability

All responses to this RFI must be provided as an attachment (in Microsoft Word or PDF format) to an e-mail message addressed to h2meters@go.doe.gov. Please specify the Area of Interest in your response and submit separate responses for each Area of Interest addressed, and include the name of the organization responding. The response should be limited to two (2) pages; however, the Fuel Cell Technologies Program encourages respondents to include references, tables and figures, which will not count toward the two-page limit.  Additionally, the form provided for Area of Interest 1 will not count toward the two-page limit. DOE discourages the inclusion of proprietary or confidential information; however, if provided, it should be clearly marked as such.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative aims to make subsidy-free solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of energy by the end of the decade. SunShot drives American innovation in manufacturing, engineering, and business through a series of programs designed to spark and promote market solutions to solar energy development and clean energy growth.

The global average wholesale price for photovoltaic (PV) modules fell from $4.10 per watt (W) in 2007 to $2.40/W in 2010. The average spot price of solar modules has continued to fall and is below $1/W in 2012, while the capacity-weighted average of behind-the-meter U.S. PV system prices declined from $7.90/W to $6.20/W over the same period. Despite unprecedented cost reductions for solar hardware over recent years, the total price to install and commission residential and small-commercial scale solar energy systems remains high. Designing and implementing practices that enable dramatic reductions in the associated non-hardware costs — deemed the "soft costs" — of solar is now the greatest challenge to achieving national targets for attaining cost-competitive solar by 2020.  The SunShot Prize will motivate a new class of solar innovators, directing their efforts at solving the soft cost challenge.

The $10 million SunShot Prize challenges the ingenuity of America’s businesses and communities to make it faster, easier, and cheaper to install rooftop solar energy systems. Successful competitors will deploy domestically and in two phases, at least 6,000 new rooftop photovoltaic installations at an average pre-subsidy non-hardware cost of $1 per watt.  Winners will break this significant price barrier, considered to be unachievable a decade ago, and prove that they can repeatedly achieve a $1 per watt non-hardware cost using innovative, verifiable processes and business practices. 

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) seeks information from the public on the design and implementation of a potential multi-stakeholder solar designation program, and to investigate the possible effectiveness of such a program to incentivize positive changes that eliminate market inefficiencies, lower costs, and increase solar deployment. DOE is looking for general feedback from all relevant stakeholders and from specific categories of stakeholders, as identified in this RFI.    Please note that this RFI is not intended to gather information regarding the development of a designation program for solar hardware products (e.g., photovoltaic modules, racking systems), but rather is meant to investigate a possible designation for communities, installers, property owners, businesses, financial institutions, and utilities.

The full Request for Information (RFI) is posted on the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.  

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. DOE 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 may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI.

Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of this RFI and where to submit questions regarding submission of responses can be found in the full RFI posted on the EERE Exchange website.

All responses to this RFI must be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format as an attachment in an email sent to: SolarDesignation@go.doe.gov by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 4, 2013.  Emails should have the subject line “Solar Designation RFI Response”.

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

 **When submitting your Letter of Intent please be sure that your team is in compliance with Section IV.B, Application and Submission Information of the FOA.  In addition please confirm your status is registering as submitted, so as to avoid any issues during the review process. **

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative seeks to fund Research, Development and Demonstrations (RD&D) to create highly disruptive Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies that will meet the SunShot installed system cost target of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (6¢/kWh) or lower by the end of this decade. Reaching this goal will make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity without subsidies and enable widespread deployment across the United States.  The CSP Heat Integration for Baseload Renewable Energy Development Funding Opportunity Announcement (CSP HIBRED FOA) intends to support advancement of the hybridization of CSP technologies with existing fossil fuel plants.  CSP hybridization is defined as thermal and or chemical energy from a CSP system being combined with the thermal and or chemical energy in a fossil fueled power generation system for the production of electricity. A goal of the CSP HIBRED FOA is to catalyze wider CSP hybrid deployment in the power industry.

The Rooftop Solar Challenge II (RSC II) is a program intended to deploy, at the regional and national scale innovative, local government-level solutions towards eliminating market barriers and lowering the non-hardware balance of system costs (“soft costs”) of grid-tied solar photovoltaics (PV).  Applicants will be expected to have already demonstrated exceptional progress towards achieving soft cost reductions in specific geographic areas, and must present a credible plan to build on these successes by rapidly deploying techniques and tools to achieve larger-scale impact on solar PV markets.  In addition to receiving a rigorous qualitative evaluation, Applicants will be quantitatively assessed and scored during and at the end of the project period according to the DOE Solar Market Maturity Model (SM³).  Applicants are expected to propose a means for achieving the widespread process standardization that is critical to achieving rapid scale-up of PV markets.

Applicants may apply for one of two Topic Areas of awards:

1.      Topic Area A: Wide-Impact Awards:   These awards are intended to fund unique and innovative approaches to local solar PV market transformation, with particular focus on approaches with wide geographic and large population impacts.

2.      Topic Area B: State and Regional-Impact Awards:  These awards are intended to fund efforts to streamline and standardize processes at the state and regional level. 

In accordance with 10 CFR 600.6(b), eligibility for award is restricted to Applicants:

·         Located in the United States; and

·         State or territorial governments; or

·         Local governments; or

·         Consortia, made up of regional or statewide teams of local, governments, large single jurisdictions, or Tribal governments; or

·         Non-profit or for-profit entities authorized to act on behalf of a consortia of state and/or local governments, and 

·         The total population represented or impacted by an Applicant for this FOA must be 1,000,000 or greater as defined by the 2010 report of the U.S. Census Bureau.

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 http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/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.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. DOE 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 may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking comments and information from interested parties to assist DOE in understanding practices and policies to reduce the non-hardware balance of system costs (“soft costs”) of utility-scale solar installations and to empower solar developers and industry to increase development of utility scale-solar installations. Soft costs may be reduced through increased access to information and strategies about utility-based solar program design, siting, permitting, and strategies for environmental mitigation on public lands. This request for information (RFI) asks interested parties, including industry, consumer groups, and state and local governments to report on:

·         Efforts to streamline permitting processes and enhance environmental monitoring and mitigation;

·         Which policies and practices should guide policymakers in facilitating solar development, while also best protecting cultural, environmental, and other natural resources; and

·         How to collect and/or disseminate data for solar stakeholders to determine where development is best suited.

This RFI does not seek comments on policies and practices specific to utility-scale transmission, transmission siting, or energy distribution. DOE recognizes the interdependency between electric transmission and solar energy generation; however, the scope of this RFI is directed towards utility-scale solar installations as it pertains to business models and best practices for development on federal public lands.

Although the DOE may determine as the result of this RFI to issue a formal Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), there is no guarantee that future funding opportunities or other activities will be undertaken as a result of this RFI.

Information on where to submit questions regarding the content of the announcement and where to submit questions regarding submission of responses can be found in the full RFI posted on the EERE Exchange website.

All responses to this RFI must be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format as an attachment in an email sent to: UtilityScaleSolarRFI@go.doe.gov by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 15, 2013.  Emails should have the subject line “Solar Technologies RFI: Utility-Scale Solar”.

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

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only.  DOE 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 may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI. 

DOE is issuing this RFI to obtain input from all interested stakeholders and the research community regarding efficient strategies and technologies for reducing the delivered cost of lignocellulosic biomass, increasing industry-accessible biomass volumes, and ensuring input quality specifications required by a variety of biorefinery processes are met.  This area is considered extremely important to achieving the 2022 biofuels goals for the Biomass Program under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, 2007).

Responses to this RFI must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format and attached to an email addressed to Logistics_RFI@go.doe.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on November 21, 2012.

The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to achieve cost reduction of solid-state lighting (SSL) for general illumination through improvements in manufacturing equipment, processes, or techniques.  It is anticipated that success will lead to a more rapid adoption/installation of high-quality SSL products resulting in a significant reduction of energy use and a corresponding reduction of environmental pollutants.  A secondary objective is to maintain, in the case of light emitting diodes (LEDs), or establish, in the case of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), the manufacturing and technology base within the US.

The Program Areas of Interest for this Announcement include topics for LED and OLED technologies.  Improvements to cost-influencing metrics through the proposed approach shall not come at the expense of product performance metrics such as efficacy or color quality. 

Program Area of Interest 1:  LED Luminaire/Module Manufacturing

Program Area of Interest 2:  LED Test and Inspection Equipment

Program Area of Interest 3:  OLED Deposition Equipment

Program Area of Interest 4:  OLED Materials Manufacturing

For additional information regarding Solid-State Lighting Research and Development, please see the 2012 Manufacturing Roadmap which can be found at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/ssl_manuf-roadmap_august2012.pdf

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 http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchangeExchange/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 mission of the Vehicle Technology Program (VTP) is to develop more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for highway transportation vehicles (cars and trucks) that will meet or exceed performance expectations and environmental requirements, and enable America to use significantly less petroleum and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  The VTP focuses on highway vehicles, which account for 55 percent of total U.S. oil use ─ more than all U.S. domestic oil production.  Cost-competitive, more energy-efficient and fuel diverse vehicles will enable individuals and businesses to accomplish their daily tasks while reducing consumption of gasoline and diesel fuels. This will reduce U.S. demand for petroleum, lower carbon emissions, and decrease energy expenditures.

The VTP funds the advanced technology Research & Development (R&D) needed to achieve these goals. In the near to mid-term, transportation energy use can be reduced through improved vehicle energy efficiency from more efficient advanced combustion engines, Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (HEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), and Electric Vehicle (EV) powertrains, and through reduced vehicle weight and ancillary load requirements.

This FOA supports the President’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge with the goal of enabling U.S. companies to be the first in the world to produce electric vehicles that are as affordable for the average American family as today’s gas-powered vehicles within the next 10 years (by 2022).

Electric drive vehicles such as HEVs, PHEVs, and EVs have been identified as one important way to address the challenges of the nation’s dependence on imported oil and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  VTP’s specific goals in this area include enabling the use of advanced electric drive technologies in vehicles by developing low-cost batteries, advanced power electronics and electric motors, along with the development and validation of models and simulation tools to predict the performance of advanced conventional and electric-drive vehicle systems. 

Advanced materials are essential for reducing vehicle weight to boost the fuel economy of modern automobiles, while maintaining safety and performance. Replacing cast iron and traditional steel components with lightweight materials such as high-strength steel, magnesium, aluminum, and polymer composites allows vehicles to carry advanced emissions-control equipment, safety devices, and integrated electronic systems, without an associated weight penalty. Using lighter materials also reduces a vehicle’s fuel consumption, because it takes less energy to accelerate a lighter object. For example, a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can yield a 6%–8% fuel-economy improvement.

Increasing the electric operating range of electric-drive vehicles is one of the keys to achieving mass market adoption in the U.S.  High efficiency occupant heating and cooling systems have the potential to significantly increase vehicle electric driving range while providing superior occupant comfort. Because of the higher efficiency of electric-drive vehicles, auxiliary loads such as passenger cabin heating, cooling, and window defrosting/defogging have a more significant impact on efficiency than in vehicles using internal combustion engines as their primary source of power.  Improving heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems is an essential component in the development of widely-accepted electric-drive vehicles.

As reflected in the FOA document, this FOA contains a total of 11 areas of interest in the general areas of advanced lightweighting and propulsion materials; advanced battery development; power electronics; advanced heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems; and fuels and lubricants.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) only.  DOE 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 may or may not issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on consideration of the input received from this RFI. 

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to garner input from researchers in industry, academia, and other interested biofuels stakeholders to identify key technical barriers in converting biomass via thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways to transportation fuels in the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel ranges.  For the purpose of this RFI, thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways include fast pyrolysis, in situ and ex situ catalytic pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, hydrothermal (or solvent) liquefaction followed by various combinations of bio-oil stabilization and upgrading processes.  At a recent stakeholder workshop hosted by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biomass Program (OBP) (“Conversion Technologies for Advanced Biofuels”), several technology deficiencies were identified that were applicable to all of these pathways, in particular:

1. Developing selective fractionation and separation systems in bio-oil processing;
2. Improving H₂ production, use, and transfer in biomass liquefaction and bio-oil upgrading; and
3. Developing technologies for use and mitigation of the aqueous fraction of bio-oil.

Information regarding the significance of these technical barriers and the resources required to address these technology deficiencies is sought.  The information provided may be used by OBP in support of program planning.

All responses to this RFI must be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF format as an attachment to an email sent to the following email address: CHASE_RFI@go.doe.gov no later than 8:00 p.m. EDT on December 5, 2012.  Emails should have the subject line “RFI Response for CHASE Bio-oil Pathways”.

With this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Department of Energy (DOE) SunShot Initiative is soliciting collaborative research teams to define and fabricate model systems that utilize a single p-n junction device structure and have the potential to approach Shockley-Queisser power conversion efficiency limits (for a chosen bandgap and absorber material). The emphasis of this FOA is assembling cohesive and highly diverse teams of experts within and outside the PV community who can achieve the goals of creating a model system concept and a subsequent device that can approach theoretical limits. DOE SunShot anticipates significant collaboration between experts in fundamental materials, characterization, device physics, ab-initio simulations, and PV device integration to adequately address these issues.

Overview Webinar: The Webinar mentioned in the FOA will be held on February 22^nd, 2013 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.  

Those interested in participating in the webinar should note the following:

•  To register for the Webinar, please go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/504494625

•  Please check the following website to make sure you have the appropriate system requirements needed to join the webinar: http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar/webinar_support

The objective of the Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield (ABY) funding opportunity is to demonstrate, at a process development unit scale of one (1) acre cultivation equivalent, algal biofuel intermediate yield of 2,500 gallons of biofuel feedstock (or equivalent dry weight basis) per acre per year by 2018. The Biomass Technologies Office believes this target is an important milestone in reducing the cost of algal biofuels to cost-competitive levels on the way to achieving 5,000 gallons per acre by 2022.

This FOA will focus on a longer-term (up to 60 months) effort to integrate research and development on comprehensive mid-scale processes from strain development to production of biofuel intermediates. This will complement and build upon the current body of research to support enhanced algal biomass yields. The FOA establishes one comprehensive topic area encouraging integrated research that focuses on the following three main priority areas:

1 – Improvements in Algal Biomass Productivity;

2 – Improvements in Preprocessing Technologies; and

3 – Technical Advances that Enable Integration of Algal Biomass Unit Operations.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will address research and development (R&D) challenges that were identified at a stakeholder workshop held in December 2011 called “Conversion Technologies for Advanced Biofuels” (CTAB) and from a Request for Information (RFI) conducted in November 2012.  This FOA will focus on moving knowledge and understanding of basic or fundamental principles observed at Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 1 into practical, applied research and development at TRLs 2-3 or beyond.  The results of the experimental data produced at TRLs 2-3 should validate the researcher’s analytical predictions and lead to inventions or innovations that help overcome key technical barriers to improved yield and economic feasibility of producing biofuels via thermochemical, direct liquefaction pathways (i.e. fast pyrolysis, ex situ and in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, and solvent liquefaction). 

Specifically, this FOA will focus on three barriers repeatedly identified at CTAB and in the RFI: 1) carbon efficiency: developing selective fractionation and separation systems in bio-oil processing; 2) hydrogen efficiency: improving H₂ production, use, and transfer in biomass liquefaction and bio-oil upgrading; and 3) separations efficiency: developing technologies for use and mitigation of the aqueous fraction of bio-oil.  The experimental data and technology innovations or inventions produced from this research are crucial to realizing the Office of the Biomass Program’s goal of producing bio-oils with desirable qualities for making hydrocarbon transportation fuels in the gasoline, diesel, and jet range at less than $3 per gallon (gasoline equivalent) and that will enable technologies that contribute to the EISA Section 202 RFS goals.  In addition to accelerating the commercial scale deployment of biofuels that can contribute to the RFS and beyond, these technologies will enable an economic opportunity for the United States of America.  With the ability to produce more than one product, development of these technologies also provides a diversification of risk for the biofuels industry.

Successful applicants will provide an R&D work-plan to address the technical barriers that must be overcome to produce a hydrocarbon fuel blendstock at $3.00/gallon or less (gasoline equivalent), and demonstrate the potential to transfer findings to pilot- and demonstration-scale systems. The Department of Energy (DOE) expects to make 3–5 awards through this FOA.  Awards will be in the $3 million range for the total lifetime of the project, and projects are expected to last for up to three years.  DOE anticipates that up to $12 million in funding will be available for projects resulting from this FOA.

The lack of logistics systems capable of handling and delivering sufficiently high tonnage year-round volumes of high quality feedstocks to support the rapid escalation of cellulosic biofuels production has been identified as a significant barrier to the expansion of a sustainable domestic biofuels industry.  In particular, biomass physical and chemical quality parameters have repeatedly been identified as significant challenges to the smooth operation and economic viability of biorefineries.

This FOA will focus on developing and demonstrating strategies, equipment, and rapid analytical methods to manage feedstock quality within economic constraints throughout the feedstock supply chain.  The main effort in Proposals must be directed toward full-scale demonstration of integrated feedstock supply chain systems that can deliver the volume of high quality, affordable, high impact feedstocks required by commercial biorefineries over a significant geographic area in the United States.

DOE plans to support the increased production of high volumes of sustainably produced domestic biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks by seeking Proposals to design new systems or adapt existing systems to handle industrial scale volumes of cellulosic feedstocks from the harvest point to the throat of the biorefinery reactor.  

The SunShot Incubator Program is an aggressive pay for performance program focused on helping solar startups rapidly refine and commercialize promising, proven technologies and ideas. The program seeks to accelerate the commercialization of solar energy products and solutions that dramatically lower the cost of solar power.

This round of the SunShot Incubator Program is for both hardware and non-hardware solutions that reduce the cost of systems that convert solar energy into electric potential.   

The SunShot Incubator program consists of five (5) tiers (divided between hardware and non-hardware) to which applications may be submitted:

Hardware:

Tier 0 includes awards of up to $500,000 with a 20% cost share requirement over 12 months to accelerate the transition from a proof-of-concept of all critical components to an early stage functional prototype.

Tier 1 includes awards of up to $1,000,000 with a 20% cost share requirement over 12 months to accelerate transition of early state functional prototype to manufacturing and commercially relevant prototype made in the lab.

Tier 2 includes awards of up to $4,000,000 with a 50% cost share requirement over 18 months to develop the manufacturing processes and equipment to move from a fully developed lab prototype to pilot-scale production.

Non-Hardware:

Tier 1S includes awards of up to $500,000 with a 20% cost share requirement over 12 months to accelerate transition of proof-of-concept or business plan to alpha capability and early customer trials.

Tier 2S includes awards of up to $2,000,000 with a 50% cost share requirement over 18 months to transition alpha capability through beta launch and full commercialization.

If you are interested in learning more please see the below section titled “FOA Documents” and download and read the full Funding Opportunity Announcement. This document provides a detailed program description and instructions on how to apply.

To learn more about the history of the Incubator program please see: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot/incubator.html

Two Webinars will be hosted by Incubator program staff to walk through program details and answer questions. Further details are provided in the FOA.

Please refer back here, to this website and section, for updates on the FOA and schedule.

Q&A Webinar : The Webinar, mentioned in the FOA, will be held on February 5th from 4:00pm to 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.   Those interested in participating in the webinar should note the following:

•         Please check this website to make sure you have the appropriate system requirements needed to join the webinar: http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar/webinar_support.

•         To register for the Webinar please go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/640824729.  

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from stakeholders on proposed cost targets for fuel cells designed for automotive applications.  The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from developers, manufacturers, end users, and other stakeholders on proposed cost and durability targets for automotive fuel cell systems.  The proposed targets are $40/kW in 2020 and $30/kW for the ultimate target (2030) for automotive fuel cell system cost, and 5000hrs or 150,000 miles for durability.  This RFI is not and will not lead directly to a Funding Opportunity Announcement; therefore the DOE is not accepting applications at this time.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Manufacturing Office seeks to enable the use of combined heat and power (CHP), including waste heat to power and district energy with CHP, as solutions to the energy issues facing our nation.  On August 30, 2012, President Barack Obama signed the Executive Order, “Accelerating Industrial Energy Efficiency,” promoting American manufacturing by helping to facilitate energy efficiency at industrial facilities. This Executive Order establishes a national goal of deploying 40 gigawatts of new, cost effective CHP in the United States by the end of 2020.  The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to seek applications to establish regional Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs) which will be a critical component of the Presidential initiative.  These CHP TAPs will provide the essential support to continue to develop the market for CHP – this includes education and outreach and technical assistance to a variety of stakeholders including end-users (commercial, industrial, institutional and more), state decision makers, electric and gas utilities, trade associations and non-profit organizations. This assistance will include evaluating the economic, energy, reliability and environmental value of proposed systems. The CHP TAPs will represent multi-state regions that will be CHP experts who provide fact-based, un-biased information on CHP, including technologies, project development, project financing, local electric and natural gas utilities interfaces, and related state best practice policies. They will be vendor, fuel, and technology neutral. 

Note: Applicants are requested to submit a Letter of Intent by 03/08/2013. The Letter of Intent should be sent by E-mail to CHPTAP@go.doe.gov.  

The objective of this FOA is to develop a comprehensive public database of federal, state, and local policies and incentives, made available and accessible via a state-of-the-art web and mobile interface, on-demand web services and downloadable data feed designed to reach a wide variety of stakeholders including energy professionals and end consumers. DOE anticipates providing $1,500,000 total to one Awardee over a period of up to three years to accomplish the goals of this funding opportunity. This FOA directly supports the goals of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Strategic Program, Analysis.