Request for Information in the Area of Grid Integration of Solar Energy Systems and Other Inverter-based Resources | DE FOA 0003167

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003167

The U.S. Department of Energy, through its Golden Field Office, issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Request for Information in the Area of Grid Integration of Solar Energy Systems and Other Inverter-based Resources" (Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003167). This is not a traditional funding solicitation that makes awards; instead, it is a market and stakeholder feedback request meant to gather input that can help DOE shape future programs, research priorities, technical targets, and potential funding opportunities related to integrating solar and other inverter-based resources into the electric grid. The full RFI content and submission instructions are hosted on EERE Exchange, which is DOE's platform for many Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy communications and solicitations.

The core topic is grid integration, meaning the technical, operational, and planning work required to reliably operate power systems with a growing share of resources connected through power electronics, especially solar photovoltaics but also other inverter-based technologies (for example, battery energy storage systems, certain wind turbine configurations, and other distributed energy resources that interface via inverters). Inverter-based resources behave differently than conventional synchronous generators, so DOE is seeking information that can address practical grid needs such as maintaining reliability and stability, improving interoperability and controls, meeting grid code requirements, enhancing system visibility and monitoring, and ensuring that these resources can support grid services rather than merely injecting energy. The RFI framing indicates an interest in both the equipment level (inverters, controls, protection) and the system level (distribution and transmission operations, planning, standards, modeling, and coordination).

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary and uses an "Other" funding instrument type, which is consistent with an RFI because DOE is collecting responses rather than awarding grants or cooperative agreements. The Funding Activity Category is Energy and the CFDA number listed is 81.087, which is commonly associated with DOE energy-related assistance listings. Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, reflecting that responses can generally come from a broad range of stakeholders, such as utilities, grid operators, manufacturers, national laboratories, universities, developers, industry groups, state and local entities, standards organizations, and individual subject-matter experts. The listing shows an award ceiling of 1 and expected awards of 0, reinforcing that this is an information-gathering action rather than a competition for funding.

Timing is a key detail: the RFI originally listed a close date of November 30, 2023, but DOE updated the deadline to 5:00 pm Eastern Time on December 15, 2023. The creation date shown is November 30, 2023, which aligns with the updated timing information in the notice. Anyone intending to respond would need to follow the specific instructions provided in EERE Exchange, including any required formatting, topic areas, and method of submission, because RFIs often ask targeted questions and may require responses to be organized under specific headings to make analysis easier for DOE staff.

In practical terms, responding to this RFI would typically involve sharing lessons learned, data, use cases, and recommendations on barriers and solutions for high-penetration inverter-based resources. That can include technical needs such as advanced inverter functions (grid-forming or grid-support features), ride-through performance, voltage and frequency support, harmonics and power quality mitigation, protection and coordination on distribution networks, models for electromagnetic transient and dynamic studies, and approaches for validating models against field behavior. It can also include non-hardware dimensions like interconnection processes, permitting and standards alignment, communications and cybersecurity considerations for inverter control and telemetry, and operational practices for utilities and system operators. DOE RFIs are often used to identify where federal R&D or demonstration projects could have the most impact, so responses that clearly describe the problem, quantify the scale or risk, and propose actionable research or deployment pathways tend to be the most useful for informing future DOE activities.

In short, DE-FOA-0003167 is a DOE EERE RFI focused on gathering broad stakeholder input to improve the integration of solar energy systems and other inverter-based resources into the U.S. electric grid, with submissions due by 5:00 pm ET on December 15, 2023, and details available through EERE Exchange.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information in the Area of Grid Integration of Solar Energy Systems and Other Inverter-based Resources" 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 2023-11-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-12-15. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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