Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001268
Apply for DE FOA 0001268
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER CONCENTRATING OPTICS FOR LOWER LEVELIZED ENERGY COSTS (COLLECTS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087 Renewable Energy Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 26, 2015 and posted on May 26, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 25, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $15,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER CONCENTRATING OPTICS FOR LOWER LEVELIZED ENERGY COSTS (COLLECTS) funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001268) is a U.S. Department of Energy effort, administered through the Golden Field Office, focused on pushing concentrating solar power (CSP) technology forward by improving the solar collector portion of a CSP plant. The central idea is to fund disruptive and transformative concepts in concentrating optics and solar collector design that can materially lower the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for CSP. Rather than incremental upgrades, the FOA emphasizes novel collector approaches that can beat the performance and cost targets described in the SunShot Vision Study, with the long-term aim of making CSP competitive with conventional electricity generation.
COLLECTS specifically targets the solar field and collector subsystem, which is a major driver of overall CSP plant cost. The opportunity is aimed at projects that rethink how sunlight is collected, concentrated, and delivered to the receiver, and how these collectors can be manufactured at lower cost and deployed more efficiently. A key theme is reducing the solar field contribution to total plant LCOE through innovations in design and manufacturing, especially ideas that have not been the primary focus of prior CSP funding opportunity announcements. In practice, that points to advanced concentrating optics concepts, new collector architectures, materials or coatings, manufacturing methods, alignment and tracking strategies, and other collector-related innovations that can reduce capital cost, improve optical efficiency, increase durability, reduce maintenance, or otherwise improve lifetime energy delivery per dollar spent.
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect substantial federal involvement during the project, typically through technical collaboration, milestones, and active project management. The total estimated funding available under the FOA is $15,000,000, with an expected 10 awards. Individual awards are anticipated to range from a floor of $750,000 up to a ceiling of $3,000,000. A cost share is required, so applicants must plan to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources, consistent with DOE requirements and any specific terms described in the full announcement.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which generally means the competition is open to a wide range of entities (for example, private companies, universities, national laboratories where applicable, nonprofit organizations, and others), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full FOA text. The program is categorized under Energy and is associated with CFDA number 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development).
Administratively, the FOA was posted May 26, 2015, with an application deadline of August 25, 2015, and an archive date of May 26, 2016. Applications had to be submitted electronically through the EERE eXCHANGE system, and applicants were required to register and create an account before submitting. The FOA references the EERE eXCHANGE user guide available via the platform, and it indicates that instructions for submitting technical questions about the announcement and separate questions about the submission process are provided in the full FOA.
For access and submission, applicants were directed to the EERE eXCHANGE website, with an additional information link pointing to the specific FOA record. The listed contact for help accessing the full announcement is Clay L. Pfrangle, reachable at collects@ee.doe.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the COLLECTS funding opportunity?
COLLECTS stands for "Concentrating Solar Power Concentrating Optics for Lower Levelized Energy Costs." It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001268) intended to advance concentrating solar power (CSP) by improving the solar collector portion of a CSP plant, with the goal of lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE).
Which DOE office is administering this FOA?
This FOA is a DOE effort administered through the Golden Field Office.
What is the main goal of the FOA?
The main goal is to fund disruptive and transformative concepts in concentrating optics and solar collector design that can materially reduce CSP LCOE. The FOA emphasizes novel collector approaches intended to beat the performance and cost targets described in the SunShot Vision Study, with the long-term aim of making CSP competitive with conventional electricity generation.
What part of a CSP plant does COLLECTS focus on?
COLLECTS specifically targets the solar field and collector subsystem, which is described as a major driver of overall CSP plant cost.
What types of innovations does the FOA seek?
Based on the description provided, the FOA points to innovations related to the solar collector, including advanced concentrating optics concepts, new collector architectures, materials or coatings, manufacturing methods, alignment and tracking strategies, and other collector-related innovations that reduce capital cost, improve optical efficiency, increase durability, reduce maintenance, or improve lifetime energy delivery per dollar spent.
Does the FOA prioritize incremental improvements or major new concepts?
The FOA emphasizes disruptive, transformative, and novel collector approaches rather than incremental upgrades.
Why is the solar field a focus for cost reduction?
The solar field and collector subsystem is identified as a major contributor to the total cost of a CSP plant, so reducing its cost and/or improving its performance can reduce the solar field contribution to total plant LCOE.
What is the award mechanism for this opportunity?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that awards are cooperative agreements?
A cooperative agreement means recipients should expect substantial federal involvement during the project, typically including technical collaboration, milestones, and active project management.
How much total funding is available under this FOA?
The total estimated funding available is $15,000,000.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
The FOA indicates an expected 10 awards.
What is the anticipated size of individual awards?
Individual awards are anticipated to range from $750,000 (minimum) to $3,000,000 (maximum).
Is cost share required?
Yes. A cost share is required, so applicants must contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources, consistent with DOE requirements and any specific terms in the full announcement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, which generally means the competition is open to a wide range of entities (for example, private companies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and others), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full FOA text.
What program area and CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The program is categorized under Energy and is associated with CFDA number 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development).
When was the FOA posted?
The FOA was posted on May 26, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was August 25, 2015.
When was the FOA archived?
The archive date is listed as May 26, 2016.
How were applications submitted?
Applications had to be submitted electronically through the EERE eXCHANGE system.
Do applicants need to register to submit through EERE eXCHANGE?
Yes. Applicants were required to register and create an account before submitting through EERE eXCHANGE.
Where can applicants find submission help or guidance for EERE eXCHANGE?
The FOA references the EERE eXCHANGE user guide available via the platform.
How are technical questions about the announcement handled?
The description notes that instructions for submitting technical questions about the announcement (and separate questions about the submission process) are provided in the full FOA.
Where was the FOA accessed and where was the submission portal located?
Applicants were directed to the EERE eXCHANGE website for access and submission, with an additional information link pointing to the specific FOA record.
Who is the contact for help accessing the full announcement?
The listed contact is Clay L. Pfrangle, reachable at collects@ee.doe.gov.
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