Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003080
Apply for DE FOA 0003080
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 21, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 12, 2024. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy funding opportunity (DE FOA 0003080) is a U.S. Department of Energy solicitation issued through the DOE Golden Field Office that supports research, development, and demonstration efforts aimed at making concentrated solar-thermal (CST) power more reliable and useful by improving how it stores energy. The core idea is to help CST systems deliver energy when it is needed, not only when the sun is shining, by advancing storage approaches that can make solar-thermal generation dispatchable. This aligns with broader federal climate goals by accelerating innovations that could scale into real-world clean energy deployments and reduce emissions tied to electricity and industrial heat.
The FOA emphasizes two distinct but related technology pathways. The first is thermochemical energy storage via solar fuel production, often referred to as solar-thermal fuels. In practical terms, this approach uses high-temperature solar heat from CST to drive chemical reactions that store energy in chemical bonds, producing fuels or fuel-like energy carriers that can later be used to release energy on demand. This pathway is attractive because chemical storage can potentially offer high energy density and longer-duration storage, and it may integrate with existing fuel-handling infrastructure depending on the specific chemistry and end use. The second pathway focuses on local thermal energy storage (TES) integrated at or near the CST facility. Here, the stored energy remains as heat (rather than being converted into a chemical form) so it can be dispatched later to produce electricity or provide process heat. TES can support grid needs such as evening peak delivery, smoothing solar variability, and improving overall plant utilization by decoupling energy collection from energy delivery.
From a funding and awards standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, technical collaboration, milestones, go/no-go decisions, or coordinated planning). The assistance listing (CFDA) number is 81.087, and the activity category is Energy. The opportunity anticipated up to about 15 awards, with an award ceiling of $10,000,000 per award, signaling that DOE is willing to fund relatively large, multi-disciplinary projects that can move beyond early concepts and address engineering and scale-up challenges needed for deployment.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types involved in energy innovation. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional eligible entities as clarified in the FOA text. This wide eligibility suggests DOE is encouraging strong partnerships across academia, industry, utilities, national labs or other stakeholders (as applicable), and public entities, reflecting the reality that CST and thermal storage development often requires integrated capabilities across materials science, thermal engineering, chemical processes, manufacturing, and system integration.
Key timing details in the source information include a creation date of September 21, 2023, and an original closing date of January 12, 2024. While those dates indicate the initial application window for the referenced posting, the program focus remains clear: advancing CST-based energy storage solutions through both thermochemical (solar-fuel) routes and on-site thermal storage routes, with the end goal of enabling cleaner, more flexible, and more dispatchable energy systems that support climate protection and grid reliability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
The Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy funding opportunity (DE FOA 0003080) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) solicitation that supports research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to improve how concentrated solar-thermal (CST) power stores energy.
Which DOE office issued this solicitation?
The solicitation was issued through the DOE Golden Field Office.
What is the main goal of the FOA?
The main goal is to make CST power more reliable and useful by advancing energy storage approaches so CST systems can deliver energy when it is needed, not only when the sun is shining. A key focus is enabling dispatchable solar-thermal generation by improving storage.
How does this opportunity relate to broader climate and clean energy goals?
The FOA aligns with broader federal climate goals by accelerating innovations that could scale into real-world clean energy deployments and reduce emissions tied to electricity and industrial heat.
What technology pathways does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes two distinct but related pathways: (1) thermochemical energy storage via solar fuel production (solar-thermal fuels) and (2) local thermal energy storage (TES) integrated at or near a CST facility.
What are solar-thermal fuels (thermochemical energy storage) in this FOA?
Solar-thermal fuels in this FOA refer to thermochemical energy storage where high-temperature solar heat from CST drives chemical reactions that store energy in chemical bonds. This produces fuels or fuel-like energy carriers that can later release energy on demand.
Why is thermochemical storage considered attractive?
As described in the opportunity summary, chemical storage can potentially offer high energy density and longer-duration storage, and it may integrate with existing fuel-handling infrastructure depending on the specific chemistry and end use.
What is meant by local thermal energy storage (TES) for CST?
Local TES refers to storing energy as heat (rather than converting it into a chemical form) at or near the CST facility, so the heat can be dispatched later to produce electricity or provide process heat.
What grid or operational needs can TES help address?
TES can support grid needs such as evening peak delivery, smoothing solar variability, and improving overall plant utilization by decoupling energy collection from energy delivery.
What type of funding mechanism is used?
This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for project execution?
A cooperative agreement typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period, such as technical collaboration, milestones, go/no-go decisions, or coordinated planning.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number and activity category?
The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number is 81.087, and the activity category is Energy.
How many awards does DOE anticipate making?
The opportunity anticipated up to about 15 awards.
What is the maximum award size?
The award ceiling is $10,000,000 per award.
What does the stated award ceiling suggest about the kinds of projects DOE is seeking?
The stated ceiling suggests DOE is willing to fund relatively large, multi-disciplinary projects that can move beyond early concepts and address engineering and scale-up challenges needed for deployment.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofits that do not have 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and additional eligible entities as clarified in the FOA text.
Does the FOA encourage partnerships?
Based on the wide eligibility described, the FOA appears to encourage strong partnerships across academia, industry, utilities, national labs or other stakeholders (as applicable), and public entities, reflecting the integrated capabilities often needed for CST and thermal storage development.
What kinds of capabilities are implied as important for CST and thermal storage development?
The summary notes that CST and thermal storage development often requires integrated capabilities across materials science, thermal engineering, chemical processes, manufacturing, and system integration.
When was this opportunity created and when did it originally close?
The source information lists a creation date of September 21, 2023, and an original closing date of January 12, 2024.
What is the underlying program focus, even though the listed closing date has passed?
The described program focus is advancing CST-based energy storage solutions through thermochemical (solar-fuel) routes and on-site thermal storage routes to enable cleaner, more flexible, and more dispatchable energy systems that support climate protection and grid reliability.
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