Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001579
Apply for DE FOA 0001579
- The DOE-NETL in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Next-Generation Transformers – Flexible Designs" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.122.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 08, 2016 and posted on Jun 08, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 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 Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), issued a funding opportunity called "Next-Generation Transformers - Flexible Designs" (Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0001579). The broader mission behind the program is grid security and reliability: OE focuses on making sure the nations electricity delivery system can withstand disruptions, recover quickly when failures occur, and keep pace with changing technology and policy needs. This includes both the physical infrastructure that delivers electricity and the planning and market frameworks that influence how the grid is built and operated. OE also plays a role in supporting resilience and restoration when major interruptions affect energy supplies.
Within OE, this opportunity sits under the Transformer Resilience and Advanced Components (TRAC) program. TRAC is aimed at modernizing the grid by tackling challenges tied to large power transformers and other critical hardware that move and regulate electricity from generation to end use. The FOA recognizes that the power system is changing as it transitions toward cleaner generation and more complex operating conditions, and that these changes can introduce new physical stresses and performance requirements for transformers. Because transformers are expensive, long-lived, and difficult to replace quickly, the program highlights the risk of "infrastructure lock-in" where outdated designs remain in service simply because replacing them is costly and slow. In that context, TRAC emphasizes research, development, and testing to validate new approaches and accelerate adoption of improved transformer technologies.
The central objective of the FOA is to stimulate innovative design concepts for large power transformers (LPTs) that are more flexible and standardized than traditional custom-built units. The goal is to push the market toward designs that can be more interchangeable or "commoditized," so that if one or more LPTs are lost due to failure, natural disaster, or other disruptions, utilities can restore service faster by using compatible replacement units. In practical terms, the FOA is seeking transformer designs that balance flexibility with performance: they must maintain high efficiency while also offering variable impedance characteristics and the ability to accommodate a range of high-side and low-side voltage configurations. The emphasis is not just on technical novelty, but on creating designs that can realistically be deployed at scale and used across different systems without requiring extensive custom engineering each time.
Cost and real-world deployability are major themes. Proposed designs are expected to be cost-effective compared to conventional LPTs, not just in upfront manufacturing cost but also when considering factors that directly affect procurement and emergency replacement logistics. The FOA points to additional comparison metrics such as operating lifetime, overall size and weight (which affects transportation constraints and how quickly a unit can be moved into position), and the installed footprint at a substation. These criteria reflect the practical barriers utilities face when responding to transformer failures: even if a design is technically superior, it may not improve resilience if it is too large to transport easily, too heavy for available equipment, or requires major site modifications.
The opportunity is structured as a research and development effort, with projects expected to focus on modeling, analysis, and exploratory research rather than full-scale commercial deployment. Applicants are expected to assess both performance and economics of their proposed transformer concepts, meaning the DOE wants evidence that the designs can meet grid needs while also being financially plausible in the utility environment. The underlying message is that resilience gains will come from transformer platforms that are adaptable across many use cases, efficient, and practical to manufacture and replace quickly.
Administratively, this was a discretionary DOE funding opportunity administered through DOE-NETL, with awards made via cooperative agreement (which typically implies substantial federal involvement during project execution). Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could apply, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the FOA text. The posting and creation date were June 8, 2016, with an application deadline of July 24, 2016. The award ceiling was $400,000 per award, and DOE expected to make about 7 awards under this announcement. The funding activity category was Energy, and the CFDA number associated with the program was 81.122.
FAQs: Next-Generation Transformers - Flexible Designs (DE-FOA-0001579)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity titled "Next-Generation Transformers - Flexible Designs" under Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) DE-FOA-0001579. It was issued through DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) and administered through DOE-NETL.
Which DOE office is sponsoring the work?
The opportunity is sponsored by DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), whose broader mission centers on grid security and reliability, including resilience and restoration when major interruptions affect energy supplies.
What program is this FOA part of?
This FOA sits under OE's Transformer Resilience and Advanced Components (TRAC) program. TRAC focuses on modernizing the grid by addressing challenges associated with large power transformers and other critical components that move and regulate electricity from generation to end use.
Why is DOE focusing on large power transformers (LPTs)?
The FOA highlights that large power transformers are expensive, long-lived assets that are difficult to replace quickly. When failures or disruptions occur, long replacement times can slow restoration. The FOA also notes the risk of "infrastructure lock-in," where older designs remain in service because replacement is costly and slow.
What is the main objective of the FOA?
The central objective is to stimulate innovative design concepts for large power transformers that are more flexible and standardized than traditional custom-built units. The intent is to enable faster restoration and easier replacement by moving toward more interchangeable, compatible designs.
What does "flexible designs" mean in this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, flexible designs are transformer concepts that can accommodate a range of operating needs rather than being fully custom-built for a single use case. The FOA emphasizes balancing flexibility with performance so units can be deployed across different systems with less custom engineering.
Is standardization or interchangeability a goal?
Yes. The FOA aims to push the market toward transformer designs that are more interchangeable or "commoditized," so utilities can restore service faster using compatible replacement units after failures, natural disasters, or other disruptions.
What technical capabilities are emphasized for proposed transformer concepts?
The FOA emphasizes designs that maintain high efficiency while providing variable impedance characteristics and the ability to accommodate a range of high-side and low-side voltage configurations.
Does DOE care only about technical novelty?
No. The FOA stresses that the designs should be realistically deployable at scale and usable across different systems without extensive custom engineering for each deployment.
How important is cost in the evaluation of proposed designs?
Cost and real-world deployability are major themes. Proposed designs are expected to be cost-effective compared to conventional large power transformers, considering more than just manufacturing cost and including practical procurement and replacement logistics factors.
What kinds of real-world comparison metrics are mentioned?
The FOA points to comparison metrics such as operating lifetime, overall size and weight (which affect transportation constraints and how quickly a unit can be moved into position), and the installed footprint at a substation.
Why do size, weight, and footprint matter for resilience?
The FOA connects these attributes to emergency replacement realities. Even if a design performs well technically, it may not improve resilience if it is too large to transport, too heavy for available handling equipment, or requires major site modifications due to footprint constraints.
Is the FOA focused on commercial deployment or R&D?
The opportunity is structured as a research and development effort, with projects expected to focus on modeling, analysis, and exploratory research rather than full-scale commercial deployment.
What kinds of project activities does DOE expect?
Applicants are expected to focus on modeling, analysis, and exploratory research, and to assess both performance and economics of proposed transformer concepts to show they can meet grid needs and be financially plausible in the utility environment.
What is the broader grid context driving this work?
The FOA notes that the power system is changing as it transitions toward cleaner generation and more complex operating conditions. These changes can introduce new physical stresses and performance requirements for transformers, motivating new approaches that improve resilience and adaptability.
What type of award instrument is used?
Awards are made via cooperative agreement. This typically implies substantial federal involvement during project execution, consistent with how cooperative agreements generally function.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could apply, subject to any additional eligibility notes in the FOA text.
Which DOE entity administers the FOA?
The FOA is administered through DOE-NETL, as described in the opportunity summary.
When was the FOA posted?
The posting and creation date listed for the opportunity is June 8, 2016.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was July 24, 2016.
How much funding is available per award?
The award ceiling was $400,000 per award.
How many awards did DOE expect to make?
DOE expected to make about 7 awards under this announcement.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category for this opportunity is Energy.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The CFDA number associated with the program is 81.122.
What is DOE ultimately trying to improve through this FOA?
DOE is targeting improvements in grid security and reliability, specifically resilience: the ability of the electricity delivery system to withstand disruptions, recover quickly when failures occur, and keep pace with changing technology and policy needs.
How does this FOA relate to restoration after major interruptions?
OE plays a role in supporting resilience and restoration when major interruptions affect energy supplies. This FOA supports that mission by promoting transformer concepts intended to make replacement faster and more practical when large power transformers are lost or damaged.
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