Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002284
The Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), through the DOE Golden Field Office, issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Prediction of Solar Variability for Better Grid Integration" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002284). This is not a typical grant solicitation that funds projects right away. Instead, it is a formal request for input from the public and technical community so DOE can shape future research directions and priorities related to how solar energy is integrated into the electric grid. The main goal is to gather practical, technical, and strategic feedback from stakeholders who work with solar forecasting, grid operations, and solar plant performance so SETO can improve its planning around research investments.
The focus of the RFI is solar variability prediction in two closely related areas. First, it targets better prediction of solar irradiance, meaning the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth's surface at a given place and time. Second, it targets better prediction of the actual power output from solar generation assets, including both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. These two forecasting problems are linked but not identical: irradiance forecasts describe the incoming solar resource, while power output forecasts translate that resource into the electricity that a specific plant (with its own equipment, controls, losses, and operating constraints) will deliver. By asking about both, DOE is signaling interest in end-to-end forecasting improvements, from atmosphere and clouds to plant-level performance.
The reason DOE is emphasizing this topic is the operational challenge that variability creates for power systems. Solar output can ramp up or down quickly due to cloud movement and weather patterns, and those swings affect grid reliability, dispatch decisions, reserve requirements, congestion management, and longer-term planning. Better forecasts reduce uncertainty, which helps grid operators make more efficient and reliable decisions about balancing generation and demand. Improved prediction also has value for owners and operators of utility-scale solar plants as well as aggregators managing fleets of distributed PV systems, because forecasting affects bidding, scheduling, curtailment decisions, storage dispatch, and overall revenue and performance risk.
In terms of who DOE wanted to hear from, eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the RFI was open to essentially any type of entity, including industry, universities, national labs, other government agencies, and additional stakeholders, subject to any clarifications in the full text. The activity category is listed as energy under CFDA 81.087. Even though the general funding instrument type field references "Cooperative Agreement," the RFI itself does not commit DOE to make awards; it is an information-gathering step that may influence how future funded opportunities are designed.
The RFI was created on January 29, 2020, with an original closing date of February 29, 2020. Responses were required to be submitted by email to SETO.RFI.SI@ee.doe.gov. The listing indicates an expected awards count of zero, reinforcing that this is a planning and market research mechanism rather than a competitive funding announcement. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as DOE seeking actionable input on forecasting technologies, data, methods, and research gaps that could enable more accurate and useful predictions of solar irradiance and solar plant power output, ultimately supporting smoother and more cost-effective grid integration of growing solar resources.Apply for DE FOA 0002284
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information: Prediction of Solar Variability for Better Grid Integration" 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 Jan 29, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 29, 2020 All Submissions must be sent to SETO.RFI.SI@ee.doe.gov.. (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 (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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| WMDT Multiple Projects for 2020 Apply for SFOP0006626 Funding Number: SFOP0006626 Agency: Department of State, Bureau of International Security-Nonproliferation Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Joint FY20 Bioenergy and Advanced Manufacturing FOA BOTTLE: Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment Apply for DE FOA 0002245 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002245 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT ON TRIBAL LANDS - 2020 Apply for DE FOA 0002317 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002317 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Request for Information: Funding Opportunity Announcement 2206 - Connected Communities Apply for DE FOA 0002291 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002291 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Novel Research and Development for the Direct Capture of Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere Apply for DE FOA 0002188 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002188 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
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| Offshore Wind Energy Atmospheric Science and Project Development Apply for DE FOA 0002236 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002236 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Educational Materials for Professional Organizations Working on Efficiency and Renewable Energy Developments (EMPOWERED) Apply for DE FOA 0002258 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002258 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,250,000 |
| COAL-DERIVED MATERIALS FOR BUILDING, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND OTHER APPLICATIONS Apply for DE FOA 0002185 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002185 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Federal Agency Call (FAC) No. DE-FOA-0002329 entitled “Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2020” Apply for DE FOA 0002328 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002328 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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