Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $65 million for Connected Communities 2.0, a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) to drive innovation to manage growing building, transportation, and industrial electric loads on the grid. This FOA seeks to validategrid-edge technology innovations in real-world situations and provide new tools for utilities, grid planners and operators,automakers and smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve. This FOA accelerates progress toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of a clean energy economy for all Americans by optimizing systems with grid-connected buildings and electric vehicles (EVs) powered by clean, distributed energy generation and demonstrating these advanced technologies are reliable, efficient, secure, and ready for wide-scale adoption.
This FOA has two major topical areas:
- Connected Communities, focused on grid edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation to prepare the electric grid for these new loads, and improve the customer benefits and grid resilience.
- Smart Charge Management, focused on various unique urban, suburban, and rural use cases to build confidence in it as an effective approach for electric vehicles to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid.
Connected Communities 2.0 builds on successes and lessons learned from the first cohort of Connected Communities, launched in 2020, and DOE’s original smart neighborhoods in Georgia and Alabama. The firstConnected Communities projects focused on integration of distributed energy resources to support a more variable grid. The 2.0 version aims to foster development of new technologies to ensure that the grid is flexible, resilient, and sized correctly to accommodate increasing loads from vehicle charging, data centers, and building and industrial electrification. Examples includemanaged EV charging, low-power appliances, smart panels, energy storage, energy efficiency, and rooftop solar, as well as innovative distribution and grid planning strategies.
"It is vital that weplan for a power system that is secure, efficient, and flexible using grid edge technologies,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “Connected Communities 2.0 will supercharge these efforts by forging innovations that can be replicated in communities across America while ensuring affordability, equity, and resilience.”
The Connected Communities 2.0 FOA supports progress towards a decarbonized, equitable, and affordable electric power system. The FOA has three main goals:
- Demonstrate how smart and coordinated management of EVs and other distributed energy resources can together provide grid support, reduce system costs, and encourage customer adoption.
- Demonstrate approaches to smart change management, grid-edge technical measures, and innovative planning strategies as valid methods towards right sizing investments in the distribution system.
- Demonstrate approaches towards improved resilience for communities, end-use customers, and the overall grid.
To those ends, this FOA targets four areas for research, development, and demonstration:
- Field validation of grid-edge technical measures that reduce the necessary level of investment into distribution infrastructure.
- Field validation of smart charge management for EVsthat can be deployed at large scale.
- Demonstration of increased customer benefits and grid resilience using grid edge technical measures, both in front of and behind the meter.
- Data collection to assess system readiness for new loads.
This FOA incorporates many of the early lessons learned from the previous Connected Communities cohort by soliciting projects to create scalable solutions for grid planners and communities to achieve decarbonization and electrification goals. Achieving these goals require minimizing impacts to the distribution grid, mitigating infrastructure upgrade needs, improving customer experiences, and strengthening efficiency and community resilience.The FOA priorities align with the Biden-Harris administration’sJustice40 Initiative goals to ensure that at least 40% of federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities, recognizing that these communities often have access to the least robust energy infrastructure.
Integration is essential to Connected Communities, and DOE’sOffice of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) andOffice of Electricity are collaborating to support integrated energy system planning with a network of technology offices and industry partners. The Connected Communities 2.0 FOA is issued by EERE’sBuilding Technologies Office andVehicle Technologies Office in collaboration with theSolar Energy Technologies Office,Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office, andGeothermal Technologies Office.
This FOA is part of EERE’s efforts toissue over $100 million for field demonstrations and other research to support better planning and operation of the electric grid.
Required concept papers are due Aug. 20, 2024, at 5 p.m. E.T, and full applications are due Oct. 10, 2024, at 5 p.m. E.T.
To learn more, visit the FOA landing pageandjoin an informational webinar on July 29, 2024.
EERE News
VIEW ALL
U.S. Department of Energy Provides $65 Million for Connected Communities: Innovations To Manage Growing Building, Transportation, and Industrial Loads on the Grid
DOE announced up to $65 million a funding opportunity to validate grid-edge technology innovations in real-world situations and provide new tools for grid operators, utilities, planners, and the communities they serve
Learn More
DOE Announces $52 Million for Small Business Research and Development Grants
229 Grants Will Primarily Focus on Clean Energy Research and Development in 39 States
Learn More
Twelve American Companies Will Help Expand Distributed Wind Across the Rural United States
DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced plans to award $3.15 million to 12 American suppliers and manufacturers to advance distributed wind turbine technology through testing and commercialization.
Learn More
DOE Selects Two Winners in Prize To Train Workers for Skilled Jobs in Solar Manufacturing Workforce
DOE announced the first winners in the first round of the American-Made Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce.
Learn More
33 Innovators Selected for the U.S. Department of Energy's Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program
In the latest round of cohorts in its Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP), 33 innovators will be embedded across four U.S. national laboratories to work with an extensive network of mentors and experts to develop next-generation technologies.
Learn More
Three Student-Led Teams Win Final Phase of DOE's Community Energy Innovation Prize for Advancing Energy Equity in Underserved Communities
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the final winning teams in the Collegiate Track of the American-Made Community Energy Innovation Prize.
Learn More
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Clean Fuels & Products Shot™ Summit Questions & Answers (Q&A) are now available. Stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and non-profit organizations attended the two-day virtual event to learn about the Shot’s objectives, progress, priorities, and future plans. DOE has prepared a Q&A document in response to questions received from Summit participants.
Learn More
DOE Welcomes New Round of Innovative Leaders to Peer-Learning Cohorts on Emerging Clean Energy Strategies
45 participants will convene to learn from each other and experts about agrivoltaics, residential energy efficiency, and electrifying municipal fleets.
Learn More
DOE Announces National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building
New Definition Will Help Nation Achieve President Biden’s Clean Energy and Climate Goals While Lowering Energy Costs, Cutting Air Pollution, and Creating Good-Paying Jobs
Learn More
DOE Invests $9.5 Million to Study the Social Dynamics of Large-Scale Solar Siting and Permitting
Projects will generate actionable insights that improve outcomes for communities hosting large-scale solar installations, particularly those that are underserved, and the solar industry.
Learn More
