EEBA's High Performance Home Blog

A recent Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) by the Department of Energy (DOE) is requesting proposals in three areas to improve U.S. competitiveness surrounding energy technologies and domestic manufacturing for energy storage. The FOA will look to support innovative, advanced manufacturing research and development programs focused on advanced materials, industrial efficiency and productivity, and the electrical grid.

"By focusing on energy-related advanced manufacturing technologies, we are building a new era of manufacturing that will stimulate the economy, create jobs and build American energy independence," says U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.

$98 million in awards will be funded to high-impact, early to mid-stage research in three topic areas:

• Topic 1: Innovations for the Manufacture of Advanced Materials
  Focuses on employing machine learning to develop better batteries, phase change storage materials for heating and cooling applications, and new semiconductors that convert temperature differences into electricity.  A key focus is on developing and scaling new, low-cost manufacturing processes to catalyze increased domestic battery manufacturing for vehicle and stationary applications.
• Topic 2: Lower Thermal Budget Processes for Industrial Efficiency & Productivity
  With 70% of all process energy use related to heating, this topic focuses on novel research on industrial process drying technologies that increase energy efficiency throughput and product quality.  It also seeks new ideas on process intensification to reduce overall heating energy.
• Topic 3: Connected, Flexible and Efficient Manufacturing Facilities and Energy Systems
  With recent advances in new, wide-bandgap semiconductors supported by DOE, this topic seeks application of more efficient industrial power conversion equipment and new opportunities for converting process energy to electrical energy and better integrating it with the electrical grid.  It also seeks advancements in combined heat and power that result in higher electrical efficiencies.

If you have an eligible project for which you’d like to submit a concept paper, or if you have questions, or would like to view examples of sub-topics, you can learn more here.  A cost-share of at least 20% will be required for research and development projects.  Concept papers are due on or before June 20, 2019.