Request for Information

INFORMATION NEEDED FOR INTERESTED PARTIES TO RESPOND TO THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION IS FOUND HEREIN AND IN THE ASSOCIATED LINKS. YOU MUST ACCESS THE LINKS TO SEE THE ENTIRE REQUIREMENT. Request For Information (RFI) DE-PS36-06GO96022 Solar America Initiative Technology Acceptance (SAI TA) Program Manager/Area: Dr. Raymond A. Sutula, Solar Energy Technologies Program Background and Rationale: A major emphasis of the Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) is achieving cost-competitiveness and broad commercialization of solar electric technologies in the United States. Achievement of these goals will diversify the Nation's electric supply options, reduce the need for new conventional power plants, and improve the environment. To realize these goals as soon as possible, and ensure the furtherance of a viable domestic solar industry, DOE is launching the Solar America Initiative (SAI). The mission of the SAI is to make electricity generated by solar electric systems cost-competitive with other electricity sources by CY2015. For these purposes, the President has requested an increase in funding for the SETP in FY2007 and the Department plans to realign existing research activities so that its work on solar electric systems is primarily focused on the goals of the SAI. For purposes of planning the SAI, the Department has used very aggressive benchmarks for determining the levelized energy costs that SAI-funded efforts will target for 2015: The SETP will achieve the goals of the SAI by focusing primarily on two areas: (1) research and development (R&D) on photovoltaic (PV) component and system designs, including low-cost approaches for manufacturing them; and (2) technology acceptance activities that address marketplace barriers and offer the opportunity for market expansion. This Request for Information (RFI) describes preliminary concepts and considerations in the latter area, technology acceptance, and addresses one of the planned funding mechanisms for work under the SAI: the Technology Acceptance FY2007 Financial Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Work funded through this planned FOA will seek to reduce non-R&D barriers that hinder market penetration of solar electric systems, while accelerating market expansion, to enable SAI to achieve its 2015 mission. Activities under the planned FOA are targeted to fall into two areas: infrastructure development (activities which provide technical, regulatory, institutional, financial and educational solutions to technology acceptance barriers) and market expansion (activities which accelerate demand for new solar technologies through provision of technical assistance). Each category is divided into Topic Areas. The SETP will also conduct public outreach and communications activities to promote SAI, although such efforts are not planned to be part of this FOA. DOE plans to issue this FOA in CY2006, providing sixty (60) calendar days for applicants to formulate and submit applications. The SETP plans to evaluate, select, negotiate, and award financial assistance Cooperative Agreements to multiple Applicants on a schedule that permits selection of awardees during the Federal Government's FY2007 (commences October 1, 2007), with work initiated as soon as possible after funds are appropriated to the SETP. The anticipated size, quantity, and timing of DOE-funded awards will be subject to the availability of funds. In the RFI Guidelines and Topics that follow, the SETP has outlined strategies, objectives, and assumptions that have been formulated through internal planning to date. It is expected that these will be augmented and revised with the benefit of feedback from this RFI. The SETP will also be convening two regional Technical Exchange Meetings to facilitate external contributions to SAI planning activities. These meetings are tentatively scheduled to be held in San Francisco, California and Washington, DC in June 2006. They will be open to participation by all external organizations and persons on a space-limited basis. An announcement for the Technical Exchange Meetings, including registration instructions, will be issued on FedBizOpps at a later date. To view the complete RFI Guidelines and Topics as well as the Background and Rationale as described above, click on the following link: http://e-center.doe.gov/doebiz.nsf/d76fbc294818822885256d98006c63b6/12a13ff9ac52c65a8525715d0047d457?OpenDocument .