Request for Information: SunShot Initiative Solar High Penetration

Open Date: 05/17/2011

Close Date: 06/06/2011

Funding Organization: Solar Energy Technologies Program

Funding Number: DE-FOA-0000526

Summary:

Reducing the total installed cost for utility-scale solar electricity to roughly 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWhr) without subsidies will result in rapid, large-scale adoption of solar electricity across the United States. Achieving the SunShot goal could enable PV penetration levels as high as 8% by energy production by 2020, 14% by 2030, and 18% by 2050.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is requesting information to develop a technology roadmap (i.e., multi-year planning) in this area. In the future, DOE may issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for research to define, evaluate, and test the effects of high concentrations of solar-generated power on electric power systems. Potential projects may include modeling, forecasting, technology innovations, new inverter technologies, energy storage, etc. DOE is specifically interested in determining the level of penetration at which technical problems are demonstrated to occur and how these impacts may vary based on distribution feeder topologies.

Respondents are asked to comment on questions in a Request for Information (RFI) to help shape DOE's multi-year planning and possible future FOAs. Respondents are also encouraged to comment on the value of a possible SunShot High Penetration Solar Deployment FOA, as well as your organization's anticipated interest in participating in such an opportunity.

For more information, see the full solicitation.

Last updated: 05/17/2011

Funding amounts and schedules are subject to change.