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Right this moment, the U.S. Division of Vitality (DOE) introduced as much as $65 million for Related Communities 2.0, a funding alternative announcement (FOA) to drive innovation to handle rising constructing, transportation, and industrial electrical masses on the grid. This FOA seeks to validate grid-edge expertise improvements in real-world conditions and supply new instruments for utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers and good cost administration service suppliers, and the communities they serve. This FOA accelerates progress towards the Biden–Harris Administration’s purpose of a clear vitality financial system for all Individuals by optimizing methods with grid-connected buildings and electrical automobiles (EVs) powered by clear, distributed vitality era and demonstrating these superior applied sciences are dependable, environment friendly, safe, and prepared for wide-scale adoption.
This FOA has two main topical areas:
Related Communities, centered on grid edge technical measures in buildings, trade, and transportation to arrange the electrical grid for these new masses, and enhance the shopper advantages and grid resilience.
Sensible Cost Administration, centered on varied distinctive city, suburban, and rural use instances to construct confidence in it as an efficient method for electrical automobiles to offer flexibility and worth to the electrical grid.
Related Communities 2.0 builds on successes and classes realized from the primary cohort of Related Communities, launched in 2020, and DOE’s authentic good neighborhoods in Georgia and Alabama. The primary Related Communities initiatives centered on integration of distributed vitality assets to assist a extra variable grid. The two.0 model goals to foster improvement of latest applied sciences to make sure that the grid is versatile, resilient, and sized accurately to accommodate growing masses from car charging, knowledge facilities, and constructing and industrial electrification. Examples embody managed EV charging, low-power home equipment, good panels, vitality storage, vitality effectivity, and rooftop photo voltaic, in addition to progressive distribution and grid planning methods.
“It is important that we plan for an influence system that’s safe, environment friendly, and versatile utilizing grid edge applied sciences,” stated Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality. “Related Communities 2.0 will supercharge these efforts by forging improvements that may be replicated in communities throughout America whereas guaranteeing affordability, fairness, and resilience.”
The Related Communities 2.0 FOA helps progress in the direction of a decarbonized, equitable, and inexpensive electrical energy system. The FOA has three essential objectives:
Display how good and coordinated administration of EVs and different distributed vitality assets can collectively present grid assist, cut back system prices, and encourage buyer adoption.
Display approaches to good change administration, grid-edge technical measures, and progressive planning methods as legitimate strategies in the direction of proper sizing investments within the distribution system.
Display approaches in the direction of improved resilience for communities, end-use clients, and the general grid.
To these ends, this FOA targets 4 areas for analysis, improvement, and demonstration:
Discipline validation of grid-edge technical measures that cut back the required stage of funding into distribution infrastructure.
Discipline validation of good cost administration for EVs that may be deployed at giant scale.
Demonstration of elevated buyer advantages and grid resilience utilizing grid edge technical measures, each in entrance of and behind the meter.
Information assortment to evaluate system readiness for brand spanking new masses.
This FOA incorporates most of the early classes realized from the earlier Related Communities cohort by soliciting initiatives to create scalable options for grid planners and communities to attain decarbonization and electrification objectives. Reaching these objectives require minimizing impacts to the distribution grid, mitigating infrastructure improve wants, enhancing buyer experiences, and strengthening effectivity and neighborhood resilience. The FOA priorities align with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative objectives to make sure that a minimum of 40% of federal investments circulate to deprived communities, recognizing that these communities usually have entry to the least sturdy vitality infrastructure.
Integration is crucial to Related Communities, and DOE’s Workplace of Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality (EERE) and Workplace of Electrical energy are collaborating to assist built-in vitality system planning with a community of expertise places of work and trade companions. The Related Communities 2.0 FOA is issued by EERE’s Constructing Applied sciences Workplace and Automobile Applied sciences Workplace in collaboration with the Photo voltaic Vitality Applied sciences Workplace, Industrial Effectivity and Decarbonization Workplace, and Geothermal Applied sciences Workplace.
This FOA is a part of EERE’s efforts to difficulty over $100 million for subject demonstrations and different analysis to assist higher planning and operation of the electrical grid.
Required idea papers are due Aug. 20, 2024, at 5 p.m. E.T, and full purposes are due Oct. 10, 2024, at 5 p.m. E.T.
To study extra, go to the FOA touchdown web page and be part of an informational webinar on July 29, 2024.
Courtesy of U.S. Division of Vitality
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