Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Fiscal Year 2021 Systems Integration and Hardware Incubator Funding Program

Funding Agency:
Department of Energy

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is being issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). SETO’s mission is to accelerate the development and application of technology to advance low-cost, reliable solar energy in the United States. The office supports solar energy research and development (R&D) with the goal of improving the affordability, reliability, and domesticbenefit of solar technologies on the electric grid. These efforts support solar energy in becoming a fundamental part of the nation’s energy system and economy over the next three decades.

The SETO FY21 Systems Integration and Hardware Incubator funding program seeks to invest in innovative research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects that enable solar to contribute to the reliability and resilience of the nation’s electricity grid and continue to drive down costs, while developing next-generation solar technologies and boosting American solar manufacturing. These projects will support the scalability of solar as deployment increases across the country so that solar is affordable, supports grid reliability, and benefitsthe U.S. economy.

Deadlines:

  • Submission Deadline for Mandatory Letter of Intent (LOI): Jan. 11, 2021
  • Submission Deadline for Concept Papers: Jan. 25, 2021
  • Submission Deadline for Full Applications: March 29, 2021

Agency Website

Areas of Interest

  • Topic Area 1: Grid-Forming Technologies Research Consortium
  • Topic Area 2: Integrating Behind-the-Meter Solar Resources into Utility Data Systems
  • Topic Area 3: Hardware Incubator
    • Topic Area 3a: Hardware Incubator – Product Development
    • Topic Area 3b: Hardware Incubator – Product Development & Demonstration

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Restriction: Topic Areas 3a and 3b: Eligibility to Topic areas 3a and 3b isrestricted. Prime recipients must be for-profit businesses. The scope of work performed by the prime recipient must represent the majority of the work performed (51% or more), as measured by the total project costs. All other entities described here may be subrecipients.

Topic Areas 1, 2, 3a, and 3b: An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project and provided that an eligible Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application.

Amount Description

EERE expects to make a total of approximately $45,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. EERE anticipates making approximately 11 to 15 awards under this FOA. EERE may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $300,000 and $25,000,000.

Funding Type

Grant

Eligibility

Faculty

Category

Engineering and Physical Sciences
Environmental & Life Sciences

External Deadline

January 11, 2021