04/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/25/2024 08:12
Funding will Support Pilot Demonstrations and Other Research to Support Integration of Grid Connected Buildings, Vehicles, and Distributed Clean Energy Generation
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) today announced its intent to issue multiple funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) totaling over $100 million for field demonstrations and other research to support better planning and operation of the electric grid.
The United States' transition to a decarbonized, clean energy future requires transformations across the electricity system, including at the "grid edge", where buildings, industry, transportation, renewables, storage, and the electric grid come together. This investment will fund field demonstrations and other research to support better planning and operation of distributed energy systems. It will also help optimize systems with grid-connected buildings and vehicles powered by clean, distributed energy generation and show these advanced technologies are reliable, secure, and ready to support a clean energy economy for all Americans. These efforts are aligned with Earthshots such as the Affordable Home Energy Shot, the Clean Fuels and Products Shot, and the Industrial Heat Shot and will help reduce grid capacity barriers to clean energy deployment.
"To deploy clean energy faster across the U.S., we need to bring more local, renewable sources onto the grid," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Jeff Marootian. "Better built environments will make clean energy more affordable and accessible, and create a more secure, resilient energy future for the American people."
The U.S. electric grid is moving from a system where power flows only from big generators to end users, to one that is bidirectional, enabling a two-way flow of electricity from end user to the grid and back. Technologies such as rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and storage can increase grid resiliency but also add complexity and new challenges to the system. The projects selected under these FOAs will strengthen the integration of these resources, support grid planning and operation, and enable the widespread and equitable deployment of these technologies.
The anticipated FOAs include:
The offices leading the FOAs are the Building Technologies Office, Solar Energy Technologies Office, and Vehicle Technologies Office, in collaboration with the Geothermal Technologies Office, Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office, Wind Energy Technologies Office, in DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy EERE and DOE's Office of Electricity.
For more information, read the full notice of intent.