Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001512
Apply for DE FOA 0001512
- The DOE-GFO in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0001512: Accounting Conventions for Non-Combustible Renewable Energy" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.117.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 02, 2016 and posted on Feb 02, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 14, 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 $2.00 in funding.
- 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:
Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0001512, titled "Accounting Conventions for Non-Combustible Renewable Energy," is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) inquiry aimed at collecting stakeholder feedback on a proposed change to how DOE accounts for the source energy of non-combustible renewable electricity. The RFI is directed broadly to industry, universities, national labs, government agencies, and other interested parties. Its main goal is to test and refine a methodological shift that could affect the site-to-source energy ratios used across EERE analyses that feed into official reports, technical standards, evaluations, and tools such as the Home Energy Score. The underlying motivation is that as renewable electricity becomes a larger share of U.S. generation, the accounting convention used to translate electricity into "source energy" has a growing influence on how efficiency and renewable impacts are represented in DOE-facing metrics.
At the center of the RFI is a proposed replacement of the current "fossil-fuel equivalency" approach with an alternative called the "captured energy" approach for non-combustible renewables (for example, wind, solar, and certain hydro resources). Under the fossil-fuel equivalency method, renewable electricity is converted to source energy using an equivalent average fossil-fuel heat rate, roughly 9,500 BTU per kWh. In practice, this treats a kilowatt-hour of renewable electricity as if it required the same upstream fuel energy that a typical fossil generator would have consumed to produce that electricity. EERE is proposing instead to use the captured energy approach, which assigns source energy based on the heat content of electricity itself, 3,412 BTU per kWh. The logic of the proposed change is that non-combustible renewable generation does not consume fuel in the way fossil generators do, so using a fossil heat rate can overstate the "source" energy associated with renewable electricity. Moving to 3,412 BTU/kWh for these resources would generally lower calculated source energy for renewable electricity and would also slightly reduce the resulting site-to-source ratio compared to the current convention.
EERE highlights that this accounting choice matters because site-to-source ratios are used as a foundational conversion in many analyses. These ratios influence how energy use is compared across fuels and end uses, how savings from efficiency measures are valued, and how renewable electricity affects calculated source energy and related performance scores. Because EERE products and standards often rely on consistent national conversion factors, even a seemingly technical change in renewable accounting can ripple into program evaluation results, benchmarking, and how consumers and policymakers interpret outcomes.
This notice is not a funding opportunity and does not provide grants, cooperative agreements, or other financial assistance. Despite being listed in a grants-style format, it is explicitly an information-gathering exercise only. EERE is not accepting applications, does not expect to make awards (expected awards are listed as zero), and indicates that submissions will not be treated as binding commitments by respondents. EERE also notes it will not respond to individual submissions and does not plan to publish a public compilation of the responses it receives.
For organizations or individuals choosing to respond, the RFI required electronic submission by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on March 14, 2016, sent to EERE.Analysis@ee.doe.gov. Responses had to be attached to an email as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file, limited to 20 pages, using 12-point font and 1-inch margins. If attachments exceeded 25 MB, compression (such as a zip file) was recommended to help ensure delivery. Respondents were asked to structure their input by referencing specific questions or topics where applicable and could answer as many or as few items as they wished. At the start of each response, EERE requested basic identifying information: the company or institution name, a primary contact, and the contact's address, phone number, and email.
In short, DE-FOA-0001512 is a DOE/EERE request for expert input on whether and how to update the federal analytical convention for converting non-combustible renewable electricity into source energy. The key decision point is whether to continue using a fossil-based equivalency conversion (about 9,500 BTU/kWh) or shift to a captured-energy convention (3,412 BTU/kWh) that more directly reflects electricity as delivered and the absence of combustible fuel inputs, with the understanding that this would alter site-to-source ratios used across EERE analysis, reporting, and standards-setting activities.
FAQs: DOE/EERE RFI DE-FOA-0001512 - Accounting Conventions for Non-Combustible Renewable Energy
What is DE-FOA-0001512?
DE-FOA-0001512 is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Request for Information (RFI) titled "Accounting Conventions for Non-Combustible Renewable Energy." It is an information-gathering notice asking stakeholders for feedback on a proposed change to DOE's analytical method for accounting for the source energy of non-combustible renewable electricity.
Is this a grant or funding opportunity?
No. This notice is not a funding opportunity and does not provide grants, cooperative agreements, or other financial assistance. It is explicitly an RFI only. EERE is not accepting applications and does not expect to make awards (expected awards are listed as zero).
What is the purpose of this RFI?
The purpose is to collect stakeholder feedback to test and refine a proposed methodological shift in how DOE accounts for the source energy of non-combustible renewable electricity. The change could affect site-to-source energy ratios used across EERE analyses that feed into official reports, technical standards, evaluations, and tools such as the Home Energy Score.
Who is this RFI intended for?
The RFI is directed broadly to industry, universities, national laboratories, government agencies, and other interested parties that can provide relevant input on the accounting convention for non-combustible renewable electricity.
What specific change is DOE/EERE considering?
EERE is considering replacing the current "fossil-fuel equivalency" approach with an alternative "captured energy" approach for non-combustible renewable electricity (for example, wind, solar, and certain hydro resources).
What is the current "fossil-fuel equivalency" method?
Under the fossil-fuel equivalency method, renewable electricity is converted to source energy using an equivalent average fossil-fuel heat rate, roughly 9,500 BTU per kWh. This treats a kilowatt-hour of renewable electricity as if it required the same upstream fuel energy that an average fossil generator would have consumed to produce that electricity.
What is the proposed "captured energy" method?
Under the captured energy approach, source energy for non-combustible renewable electricity is based on the heat content of electricity itself: 3,412 BTU per kWh. The reasoning is that non-combustible renewables do not consume fuel the way fossil generators do, so using a fossil heat rate can overstate the source energy associated with renewable electricity.
What types of energy resources are considered "non-combustible renewables" in this RFI?
The RFI describes non-combustible renewable electricity as including resources such as wind, solar, and certain hydro resources.
Why does this accounting convention matter?
EERE highlights that the accounting choice matters because site-to-source ratios are a foundational conversion used in many analyses. These ratios influence how energy use is compared across fuels and end uses, how savings from efficiency measures are valued, and how renewable electricity affects calculated source energy and related performance scores.
What is a site-to-source energy ratio in this context?
In the context described, site-to-source ratios are national conversion factors used to translate energy consumed at the site (such as electricity used in a building) into estimated source energy (an upstream accounting used across analyses). EERE notes these ratios are widely used across EERE reporting, evaluation, standards-setting, and tools.
How could switching to 3,412 BTU/kWh affect analyses?
Moving to 3,412 BTU/kWh for non-combustible renewable electricity would generally lower calculated source energy for renewable electricity. EERE also notes it would slightly reduce the resulting site-to-source ratio compared to the current convention, which could ripple into program evaluation results, benchmarking, and how outcomes are interpreted.
What DOE/EERE products could be affected by this change?
EERE states that the site-to-source ratios used across EERE analyses feed into official reports, technical standards, evaluations, and tools such as the Home Energy Score. Because these products often rely on consistent national conversion factors, a change in renewable accounting could have broad downstream effects.
Is DOE/EERE collecting applications or project proposals?
No. DOE/EERE is collecting feedback and information only. The notice explains that submissions are not applications and will not be treated as binding commitments by respondents.
Will DOE/EERE respond to submissions or publish the responses?
EERE states it will not respond to individual submissions and does not plan to publish a public compilation of the responses it receives.
When were responses due?
Electronic submissions were required by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on March 14, 2016.
How were responses supposed to be submitted?
Responses were to be submitted electronically by email to EERE.Analysis@ee.doe.gov, with the response attached to the email as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file.
What formatting and length requirements applied to RFI responses?
Responses were limited to 20 pages and were required to use 12-point font and 1-inch margins.
What if the email attachment was too large?
If attachments exceeded 25 MB, EERE recommended compression (such as sending a zip file) to help ensure delivery.
Did respondents have to answer every question or topic in the RFI?
No. Respondents could answer as many or as few items as they wished. EERE asked respondents to structure their input by referencing specific questions or topics where applicable.
What identifying information did EERE request at the beginning of each response?
EERE requested basic identifying information at the start of each response, including the company or institution name, a primary contact, and the contact's address, phone number, and email.
What is the core decision point DOE/EERE is asking stakeholders to weigh in on?
The central issue is whether DOE/EERE should continue using a fossil-based equivalency conversion (about 9,500 BTU/kWh) for non-combustible renewable electricity or shift to a captured-energy convention (3,412 BTU/kWh) that reflects electricity as delivered and the lack of combustible fuel inputs.
Why is DOE/EERE considering this change now (as described in the notice)?
The notice explains that as renewable electricity becomes a larger share of U.S. generation, the accounting convention used to translate electricity into source energy has a growing influence on how efficiency and renewable impacts are represented in DOE-facing metrics.
Does participating in the RFI create any obligation or commitment?
No. The notice indicates that submissions will not be treated as binding commitments by respondents.
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