In November 2023, the Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy TechnologyOffice (SETO) launched the Equitable Solar Communities of Practice program to support the expansion of equitable benefits in solar adoption. A community of practice, for the purposes of this program, is a group of organizations with expertise in equitable solar, to include one ‘lead organization’ and up to six ‘core team members’ that will convene regularly to accomplish the specific tasks and deliverables outlined in this opportunity. The Equitable Solar Communities of Practice program is now accepting applications for lead organizations to support five communities of practice across the following categories – equitable access and consumer protections, meaningful household savings, resilience, community-led economic development, and workforce development – aiming to convene stakeholders and experts to identify best practices and pathways to scale equitable solar solutions.
ENERGYWERX seeks applications from organizations with experience addressing issues of equitable solar access at a national or broad regional level (additional details on applicant qualifications and capabilities can be found below) to serve as lead organizations for one or more of the five communities of practice proposed. Lead organizations will be eligible for $75,000 in funding per community of practice, distributed based on the completion of project milestones.
The Equitable Solar Communities of Practice program is managed by ENERGYWERX in partnership with DOE, a collaboration made possible through an innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement set up by the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions. This agreement enables ENERGYWERX to broaden DOE’s engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners, facilitating the rapid development, scaling, and deployment of clean energy solutions. ENERGYWERX is facilitating this Assessment Event (AE) to identify Collaboratives to expand state and local capacity on large-scale renewable energy siting and planning.
Deadline: Dec. 8, 2023