Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000526
Apply for DE FOA 0000526
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RFI SunShot Initiative Solar High Penetration" 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 17, 2011 and posted on May 17, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 6, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- 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 Golden Field Office, issued this opportunity as a Request for Information (RFI) under the SunShot Initiative, which was announced on February 4, 2011. The broader SunShot goal is to make solar energy cost competitive with conventional generation by cutting the cost of solar energy systems by roughly 75 percent before 2020. A key benchmark tied to that goal is reducing the total installed cost of utility-scale solar electricity to about $0.06 per kilowatt-hour without subsidies, a level DOE argues would drive rapid, large-scale solar adoption across the United States. In that context, DOE highlights the kind of photovoltaic (PV) penetration that could become plausible if costs fall as intended: roughly 8 percent of U.S. electricity by 2020, 14 percent by 2030, and 18 percent by 2050 (all described in terms of energy production).
This RFI is focused specifically on the technical and planning challenges associated with high penetrations of solar generation on the electric power system. DOE is collecting input to build a technology roadmap and support multi-year planning for research, development, and deployment strategies. While DOE notes it may later release a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on what it learns, the current notice is not a funding solicitation. Instead, DOE is asking stakeholders to respond to questions in the RFI to help the agency define priorities, identify gaps, and shape the design of any future competitive funding programs related to high-penetration solar integration.
The kinds of work DOE signals interest in are wide-ranging and are framed as building a comprehensive set of solutions for operating power systems with large amounts of solar. Example topic areas include grid and distribution system modeling, solar forecasting approaches, technology innovations that improve integration, advanced inverter capabilities (including new inverter technologies), and the role of energy storage. A central theme is understanding when and where technical problems begin to show up as solar penetration grows, and how those impacts differ depending on distribution feeder topology (in other words, how different designs and configurations of local distribution circuits may experience different challenges). This emphasis points to issues like voltage regulation, protection and coordination, power quality, variability and ramping, and overall system stability, with DOE seeking practical insight on thresholds and conditions that trigger operational concerns.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full text), and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement because this is not an application for financial assistance. The notice is explicit that DOE will not pay for information submitted in response to the RFI, and that submitting information does not guarantee any award or future support. The total estimated funding, award ceiling, and award floor are all listed as $0, reinforcing that this is strictly an information-gathering step rather than a grant competition.
Administrative details in the source record include Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000526, CFDA 81.087 (Renewable Energy Research and Development), and an activity category of Energy. The RFI was posted May 17, 2011, with a closing date of June 6, 2011. DOE directs interested parties to retrieve the full RFI document via FedConnect (www.fedconnect.net) by searching public opportunities using the reference number, and provides a point of contact for access issues: Nicole L. Blackstone at SunShotHiPen@go.doe.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this DOE opportunity?
This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Golden Field Office under the SunShot Initiative. It is an information-gathering request aimed at collecting stakeholder input on solar grid integration challenges, not a request for project proposals.
2) Is this a grant or funding opportunity?
No. DOE states this is not a funding solicitation. The record lists total estimated funding, award ceiling, and award floor as $0, confirming that no financial assistance is being offered through this RFI.
3) Can DOE issue a future funding announcement based on this RFI?
Yes. DOE indicates it may later release a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) informed by what it learns from RFI responses, but the RFI itself does not provide funding and does not guarantee any future award or support.
4) What is the purpose of the RFI?
DOE is collecting input to build a technology roadmap and support multi-year planning for research, development, and deployment strategies related to operating electric power systems with high penetrations of solar generation.
5) What SunShot goals does DOE reference in this RFI?
The RFI is framed within the SunShot Initiative goal of making solar energy cost competitive with conventional generation by reducing solar energy system costs by roughly 75 percent before 2020. DOE also cites a benchmark of reducing the total installed cost of utility-scale solar electricity to about $0.06 per kilowatt-hour without subsidies.
6) What solar penetration levels does DOE discuss as potentially plausible if costs fall?
DOE describes potential photovoltaic (PV) contributions to U.S. electricity production at approximately 8 percent by 2020, 14 percent by 2030, and 18 percent by 2050, contingent on major cost reductions.
7) What is the main technical focus area of the RFI?
The RFI focuses on technical and planning challenges associated with high penetrations of solar generation on the electric power system, with an emphasis on identifying when and where operational and technical issues emerge as solar penetration grows.
8) What kinds of topics is DOE interested in for responses?
DOE signals interest in a wide range of integration-related topics, including grid and distribution system modeling, solar forecasting approaches, technology innovations that improve integration, advanced inverter capabilities (including new inverter technologies), and the role of energy storage.
9) Why does DOE emphasize distribution feeder topology?
DOE highlights that impacts from higher solar penetration can vary depending on distribution feeder topology (the design and configuration of local distribution circuits). The RFI seeks practical insight into how different feeder designs experience different challenges and at what penetration levels problems may appear.
10) What types of grid impacts and operational concerns are implied in the RFI?
The RFI points toward issues such as voltage regulation, protection and coordination, power quality, variability and ramping, and overall system stability, with interest in thresholds and conditions that trigger concerns.
11) Who is eligible to respond?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity (subject to any clarifications that may be included in the full RFI text).
12) Is cost sharing or matching required to participate?
No. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement because this is not an application for financial assistance.
13) Will DOE pay for information submitted in response to this RFI?
No. DOE explicitly states it will not pay for information submitted in response to the RFI.
14) Does submitting an RFI response guarantee any award or future support?
No. DOE states that submitting information does not guarantee any award or future support.
15) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this notice?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0000526.
16) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 81.087, titled Renewable Energy Research and Development.
17) What is the activity category?
The activity category is Energy.
18) When was the RFI posted and when did it close?
The RFI was posted on May 17, 2011, and the closing date was June 6, 2011.
19) Where do interested parties find the full RFI document?
DOE directs interested parties to retrieve the full RFI document through FedConnect at www.fedconnect.net by searching public opportunities using the reference number.
20) Who should be contacted for FedConnect access issues?
For access issues, DOE provides the point of contact Nicole L. Blackstone at SunShotHiPen@go.doe.gov.
21) What is DOE planning to do with the information it receives?
DOE intends to use responses to define priorities, identify gaps, and shape the design of any future competitive funding programs related to high-penetration solar integration.
22) Does the RFI define specific deliverables or projects to be funded?
No. The notice describes topic areas and questions meant to gather input, but it does not solicit project applications or define funded project deliverables because it is not a funding solicitation.
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