CSP 2024 FOA 2024-0104 DE-FOA-0003269-MOD-000003.pdf

EERE T 540.117-01: Funding Opportunity Announcement

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Concentrating Solar Flux to Heat and Power

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA-0003269 FOA Type: Modification 0003

Assistance Listing Number: 81.087

FOA Issue Date: 4/4/24

Submission Deadline for Concept Papers: 5/16/24, 5 p.m. ET

Submission Deadline for Full Applications: 8/16/24, 5 p.m. ET

Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments:

9/20/24, 5 p.m. ET

Expected Timeframe for EERE Selection Notifications: December 2024

Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations: December 2024 – March 2025

• Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

• To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online application portal.

• Applicants must designate primary and backup points of contact in EERE eXCHANGE with whom EERE will communicate to conduct award negotiations. If an application is selected for award negotiations, it is not a commitment to issue an award. It is imperative that the applicant/selectee be responsive during award negotiations and meet negotiation deadlines. Failure to do so may result in cancelation of further award negotiations and rescission of the selection.

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) – Each applicant (unless the applicant is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110) is required to: (1) register in the SAM at www.sam.gov before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in the application; and (3) maintain an active https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

Questions about this FOA? Email SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov. Problems with EERE Exchange?

Email EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov Include FOA name and number in subject line.

SAM registration with current information when the applicant has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

NOTE: Due to the high number of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process.

Entities should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible. If entities have technical difficulties with the UEI validation or SAM registration process they should use the HELP feature on SAM.gov. SAM.gov will address service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that entities not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue. Additional entity validation resources can be found here: GSAFSD Tier 0 Knowledge Base - Validating your Entity.

Modifications

All modifications to the FOA are HIGHLIGHTED in the body of the FOA.

Mod. No. Date Description of Modification 0001 5/29/2024 Applicant Education Services 0002 6/25/2024 Clarification of SOPO page limit to 10 pages, on page 57 0003 8/14/2024 Extend the Full Application Deadline on the Cover Page mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov mailto:EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=1b5f22581b2115102fe5ed7ae54bcb4e&spa=1 i

Table of Contents

Modifications Table of Contents.................................................................................................................................................... i I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background and Context

i. Background and Purpose

ii. Technology Space and Strategic Goals

iii. Teaming Partner List (Optional)

B. Topic Areas

i. Scalable Outputs for Leveraging Advanced Research (SOLAR) Tiers Methodology

ii. Topic Area 1: Scalable Concentrating Solar Collectors

iii. Topic Area 2: Scalable Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO2) Turbomachinery

iv. Topic Area 3: Scalable Concentrating Solar-Thermal Receivers and Reactors

C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest D. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion E. Authorizing Statutes

II. Award Information A. Award Overview

i. Estimated Funding

ii. Period of Performance

iii. New Applications Only

B. EERE Funding Agreements

i. Cooperative Agreements

ii. Funding Agreements with Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDCs)

III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants

i. Domestic Entities

ii. Foreign Entities

B. Cost Sharing

i. Legal Responsibility

ii. Cost Share Allocation

iii. Cost Share Types and Allowability

iv. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs

v. Cost Share Verification

vi. Cost Share Payment

C. Compliance Criteria D. Responsiveness Criteria E. Other Eligibility Requirements

i. Requirements for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs Listed as the Applicant

ii. Requirements for DOE/NNSA and Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs Included as a Subrecipient

F. Limitation on Number of Concept Papers and Full Applications Eligible for Review G. Questions Regarding Eligibility

IV. Application and Submission Information A. Application Process

i. Additional Information on EERE eXCHANGE

ii. Applicant Education Services mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov ii

B. Application Forms C. Content and Form of the Concept Paper D. Content and Form of the Full Application

i. Full Application Content Requirements

ii. SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

iii. Technical Volume

iv. Resumes

v. Letters of Commitment

vi. Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO)

vii. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan

viii. Budget Justification Workbook

ix. Summary for Public Release

x. Summary Slide

xi. Subrecipient Budget Justification (if applicable)

xii. Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)

xiii. Authorization for Non-DOE/NNSA or DOE/NNSA FFRDCs (if applicable)

xiv. SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

xv. Waiver Requests (if applicable)

xvi. Current and Pending Support

xvii. Locations of Work

xviii. Transparency of Foreign Connections

xix. Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice

E. Content and Form of Replies to Reviewer Comments (Optional) F. Post Selection Information Requests G. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) H. Submission Dates and Times I. Intergovernmental Review J. Funding Restrictions

i. Allowable Costs

ii. Pre-Award Costs

iii. Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver)

iv. Construction

v. Foreign Travel

vi. Equipment and Supplies

vii. Build America Buy America Requirements for Infrastructure Projects

viii. Lobbying

ix. Risk Assessment

x. Invoice Review and Approval

xii. Affirmative Action and Pay Transparency Requirements

xiii. Foreign Collaboration Considerations

V. Application Review Information A. Technical Review Criteria

i. Concept Papers

ii. Full Applications

iii. Criteria for Replies to Reviewer Comments

B. Standards for Application Evaluation C. Other Selection Factors

i. Program Policy Factors D. Evaluation and Selection Process

i. Overview

ii. Pre-Selection Interviews

iii. Pre-Selection Clarification iii

iv. Recipient Responsibility and Qualifications

v. Selection

E. Anticipated Notice of Selection and Award Negotiation Dates VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

i. Ineligible Submissions

ii. Concept Paper Notifications

iii. Full Application Notifications

iv. Applicants Selected for Award Negotiations

v. Alternate Selection Determinations

vi. Unsuccessful Applicants

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

i. Registration Requirements

ii. Award Administrative Requirements

iii. Foreign National Participation

iv. Subaward and Executive Reporting

v. National Policy Requirements

vi. Environmental Review in Accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

vii. Flood Resilience

viii. Applicant Representations and Certifications

ix. Statement of Federal Stewardship

x. Statement of Substantial Involvement

xi. Subject Invention Utilization Reporting

xii. Intellectual Property Provisions

xiii. Reporting

xiv. Go/No-Go Review

xv. Conference Spending

xvi. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Financing Statements

xvii. Real Property and Equipment

xviii. Implementation of Executive Order 13798, Promoting Free Speech, and Religious Liberty

xix. Participants and Collaborating Organizations

xx. Current and Pending Support

xxi. U.S. Manufacturing Commitments

xxii. Interim Conflict of Interest Policy for Financial Assistance

xxiii. Data Management Plan

xxiv. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

xxv. Human Subjects Research

VII. Questions/Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

A. FOA Modifications B. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate C. Commitment of Public Funds D. Treatment of Application Information E. Evaluation and Administration by Non-Federal Personnel F. Notice Regarding Eligible/Ineligible Activities G. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability H. Requirement for Full and Complete Disclosure I. Retention of Submissions J. Title to Subject Inventions K. Government Rights in Subject Inventions iv

L. Rights in Technical Data M. Copyright N. Export Control O. Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment P. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Q. Annual Independent Audits

Appendix A – Cost Share Information Appendix B – Sample Cost Share Calculation for Blended Cost Share Percentage Appendix C – Waiver Requests For: 1. Foreign Entity Participation; and 2. Foreign Work Appendix D – Required Use of American Iron, Steel, Manufactured Products, and Construction Materials Buy America Requirements for Infrastructure Projects Appendix E – Definition of Technology Readiness Levels Appendix F – List of Acronyms

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background and Context

i. Background and Purpose Building a clean and equitable energy economy and addressing the climate crisis is a top priority of the Biden Administration. This FOA will advance the Biden Administration’s goals to achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and to “deliver an equitable, clean energy future, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050”1 to the benefit of all Americans. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, catalyzing clean energy jobs through research, development, demonstration, and deployment, and ensuring environmental justice and inclusion of underserved communities.

This FOA is being issued by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). SETO supports solar energy research, development, demonstration, and technical assistance in seven areas—photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), systems integration, manufacturing and competitiveness, strategic analysis and institutional support, solar workforce development, and equitable access to solar energy—to improve the affordability, reliability, and domestic benefit of solar technologies on the electrical grid.

In May 2021, SETO released its Multi-Year Program Plan,2 which describes activities and specific goals through 2025. In September 2021, DOE released the Solar Futures Study,3 which examines solar energy’s role in achieving the decarbonization of the grid. Both documents guide SETO’s strategic efforts.

According to the Solar Futures Study, solar capacity will need to grow from 5% of the U.S. electricity supply in 2022 to 40% by 2035 and 45% by 2050. This will require the United States to install 30 gigawatts alternating current (GWac) of solar power by 2025 and ramp up to 60 GWac per year from 2025 to 2030. With supportive policies, electrification, and aggressive cost reductions, solar energy could provide 1 terawatt (TW) of solar electricity capacity to the grid by 2035 and

1.6 TW of capacity by 2050. Preliminary modeling shows that decarbonizing the

1 Executive Order 14008. January 27, 2021. “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”

2 Silverman, T. J., and H. Huang. May 2021. Solar Energy Technologies Office Multi-Year Program Plan. SETO.

www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/Solar Energy Technologies Office 2021 Multi-Year Program Plan_1.pdf.

3 SETO. September 2021. Solar Futures Study. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-futures-study.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/Solar%20Energy%20Technologies%20Office%202021%20Multi-Year%20Program%20Plan_1.pdf https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/Solar%20Energy%20Technologies%20Office%202021%20Multi-Year%20Program%20Plan_1.pdf https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-futures-study entire energy economy could result in as much as 3 TW of solar capacity due to increased electrification.4

Figure 1: Solar capacity grows from 5% of the electricity mix today to 45% in 2050, serving more building, industry, and transportation end uses. SOURCE: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL)/DOE Solar Futures Study.

Attaining these solar capacity targets will require the deployment of flexible and dispatchable energy generation and energy storage technologies, such as CSP with thermal energy storage (TES), to ensure reliability of the grid. Beyond the grid, renewable fuels and thermal technologies can address applications that are difficult to decarbonize through electrification.

Reducing the cost of solar energy is essential to accelerating solar deployment and affordably decarbonizing the grid. SETO is committed to reaching cost targets that support greater energy affordability by cutting the cost of solar electricity by 50% between 2020 and 2030.5 SETO’s 2030 CSP targets, shown in Figure 2, will enable the technology to compete with other power generation sources.

4 Ibid.

5 SETO. Goals of the Solar Energy Technologies Office. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/goals-solar-energy-technologies-office.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/goals-solar-energy-technologies-office https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/goals-solar-energy-technologies-office

Figure 2: Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) benchmarks and goals for PV and CSP technologies

The research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities to be funded under this FOA will support the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will help decarbonize the energy system and high-temperature industrial processes in the United States through innovation and advancement in CSP technologies, including solar collectors, supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles, and high-temperature solar receivers and reactors. By achieving desired performance and technoeconomic metrics, these technologies can help enable broad deployment of concentrating solar-thermal (CST) systems in the United States.

In addition to technical challenges, this FOA addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges surrounding increased solar deployment. The solar industry and research communities do not mirror the demographics of the United States.6 Women and minorities are underrepresented in the solar industry and in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. STEM fields also lack diversity in geographical origin, with U.S. rural areas underrepresented relative to large population centers. Since STEM students and graduates support RD&D activities in universities, national laboratories, and private industry, the lack of diversity in that pipeline adversely affects the opportunities and potential scientific and economic outcomes. This FOA calls for

6 Solar Energy Industries Association. U.S. Solar Industry Diversity Study 2019.

www.seia.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/Solar-Industry-Diversity-Study-2019.pdf.

https://www.seia.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/Solar-Industry-Diversity-Study-2019.pdf creative solutions to DEI challenges where achievement of DEI goals is fully integrated with that of technical goals.

ii. Technology Space and Strategic Goals A CST system uses mirrors (known as “collectors”) to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver, heating up a material in the receiver to convert this light energy (solar flux) into thermal energy. The thermal energy generated by a CST system can be used in a variety of ways. CST systems can be connected to TES to provide energy on demand. In a CSP plant, this thermal energy is generally used to spin a turbine and generate electricity. Solar industrial process heat (SIPH) involves a CST system delivering heat to an industrial use, often by providing steam to the application. CST systems can also incorporate a solar-thermal reactor, which uses thermal energy to drive a chemical reaction to generate a desired chemical, fuel, or other product. This solar-thermal reactor can be used either in place of the traditional receiver or at a later point in the integrated system.

While PV has dominated the U.S. solar electricity market, CSP technologies offer unique value as a renewable energy resource that can readily deliver high-temperature heat and incorporate energy storage for on-demand solar power.

There are nearly 100 CSP plants in commercial operation worldwide, representing almost 7 GWac of electricity-generating capacity. These plants serve as real-world laboratories for developing best practices and identifying priority areas for further technology development. Continued optimization of these practices will improve the performance, reliability, and cost of future CSP plants, which have the potential to provide between 25 and 160 GW of U.S. capacity by 2050.7

Achieving a net-zero carbon energy supply by 2050 will require the adoption of clean energy technologies in sectors beyond electricity generation. Even with more renewable electricity available, many industrial processes will be difficult to electrify because they require extremely high temperatures or other unique chemical process characteristics. CST technology can address this need. This FOA solicits applications to address concerns with CST cost, performance, reliability, and scalability, while moving toward commercialization. In addition, this FOA seeks to advance new CST systems optimized for specific applications.

American innovation and technology development have played a key role in advancing CSP technologies, from the first commercial parabolic trough plants— the Solar Energy Generating Systems plants8 built in the 1980s and 1990s—to

7 Murphy, C., et al. The Potential Role of Concentrating Solar Power within the Context of DOE's 2030 Solar Cost Targets. NREL. www.osti.gov/biblio/1491726.

8 Informally referred to as “Generation 1 CSP.”

https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1491726 the Solar One and Two demonstration plants. Solar Two,9 directly supported by DOE, became the basis for Generation 2 CSP, the currently deployed state-of-the-art technology for CSP and TES that uses a molten-nitrate-salt-based CSP tower architecture. SETO estimates that a new Generation 2 CSP plant built in the Southwest region of the United States would have an LCOE of $0.095 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

For next-generation CSP plants (Generation 3 CSP or Gen3 CSP), SETO has set a target to lower the cost of electricity from baseload plants with greater than 12 hours of storage to $0.05/kWh by 2030. This represents a 50% reduction of existing costs. Although this target is aggressive, there are multiple pathways to achieve it.10 All pathways require significant improvements across the CSP system, but greater progress in one area can allow for more moderate change in others. These interdependencies and trade-offs between cost and performance improvement factors create many opportunities for technology development.

Figure 311 describes one potential pathway to $0.05/kWh by 2030.

Figure 3. One scenario for reaching the $0.05/kWh LCOE goal from the 2020 benchmark

SETO’s primary technical strategy to achieve this LCOE goal is to raise the temperature of the heat that next-generation CSP plants deliver to the power cycle, thereby increasing power cycle efficiency. The Generation 3 Concentrating

9 Bradshaw, R. W., et al. Final Test and Evaluation Results from the Solar Two Project. DOE.

www.osti.gov/biblio/793226.

10 SETO. 2030 Solar Cost Targets. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/2030-solar-cost-targets.

11 SETO. 2020 SETO Peer Review Presentations. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/downloads/2020-seto-peer-review-presentations.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov https://www.osti.gov/biblio/793226 https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/2030-solar-cost-targets https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/downloads/2020-seto-peer-review-presentations https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/downloads/2020-seto-peer-review-presentations

Solar Power Systems funding program,12 launched in 2018, provided $85 million for research to advance high-temperature components and develop integrated assembly designs with TES that can reach operating temperatures greater than 700°C (1,290°F). In March of 2021, SETO announced a $25 million award led by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to build a megawatt-scale integrated test facility to validate the performance of a particle CSP system providing thermal energy to sCO2.13 The facility makes use of an open-aperture free-falling particle receiver that has been developed by SNL since 1985. This receiver allows the heat transfer media to be directly illuminated by the sun without the use of high-temperature piping. SNL broke ground on the Generation 3 Particle Pilot Plant (G3P3) facility in February of 2023. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024, with field testing commencing in early 2025. In addition, an sCO2 turbine has recently been planned for inclusion in the facility.14 The G3P3 facility will aim to prove the viability of a particle-based thermal transport system integrated with a highly efficient sCO2-based power cycle.

To enable plant integration and demonstration of the sCO2 power block with TES, SETO developed the Integrated Thermal Energy Storage and Brayton Cycle Equipment Demonstration (Integrated TESTBED) program.15 This program aims to develop, build, and operate a recompression, closed Brayton sCO2 power cycle (RCBC) integrated with TES, where concentrated solar-thermal energy is supplied by a newly built heliostat collector field. Operating at a turbine inlet temperature of 600°C, this plant can employ conventional stainless-steel alloys that are widely available today. The sCO2 RCBC is unique for its ability to operate more efficiently than traditional steam Rankine cycles, scale down to sizes of approximately 5 MWe, and leverage dry cooling. The TESTBED facility makes use of a particle-based TES system. Construction is expected to be complete in 2025, with testing beginning in the first half of 2026.

Beyond CSP for electricity, SETO works to make SIPH a cost-effective alternative to conventional carbon fuel approaches. SETO pursues cost reductions and process integration improvements for a range of temperatures and industrial applications. Developing scalable, low-cost solutions is a key challenge. SIPH could power both low-temperature processes, such as enhanced oil recovery, food processing, and water desalination, and high-temperature processes, such

12 SETO. Generation 3 Concentrating Solar Power Systems. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/generation-3-concentrating-solar-power-systems-gen3-csp.

13 Ibid.; EERE. February 2023. “DOE Breaks Ground on Concentrating Solar Power Pilot Culminating $100 Million Research Effort.” www.energy.gov/eere/articles/doe-breaks-ground-concentrating-solar-power-pilot-culminating- 100-million-research.

14 Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations Selections for Lab Call.

www.energy.gov/oced/long-duration-energy-storage-demonstrations-selections-lab-call.

15 SETO. SETO 2020 – Integrated TESTBED – Heliogen, Inc. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/seto-2020-integrated-testbed-heliogen-inc.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov http://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/generation-3-concentrating-solar-power-systems-gen3-csp http://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/generation-3-concentrating-solar-power-systems-gen3-csp http://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/doe-breaks-ground-concentrating-solar-power-pilot-culminating-100-million-research http://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/doe-breaks-ground-concentrating-solar-power-pilot-culminating-100-million-research http://www.energy.gov/oced/long-duration-energy-storage-demonstrations-selections-lab-call http://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/seto-2020-integrated-testbed-heliogen-inc http://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/seto-2020-integrated-testbed-heliogen-inc as calcination to produce cement, thermochemical water splitting for producing solar fuels, and ammonia synthesis for producing fertilizer.

Across a range of SIPH concepts, SETO targets a levelized cost of heat (LCOH) of $0.02 per kilowatt-hour thermal (kWhth) to be directly competitive with natural gas heating. This LCOH includes cost for the collector system, receiver and thermal transport system, and TES.

SETO’s efforts are part of a multiyear, multiprong strategy that is guided by the Industrial Heat Shot,16 a DOE-wide initiative to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies with at least 85% lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to 2020 emissions by 2035. DOE has identified three key methods to decarbonize industrial heat and achieve the target emission reductions: electrification of heating technologies, integration of low-emission heat sources such as CST, and development of innovative low-temperature process technologies. SETO funded opportunities17, 18 that focused on the integration of CST as a low-emission heat source for several industrial processes, including ammonia, cement, propylene, ethylene, and solar fuel production.

The results outlined in the DOE Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap19 indicate that a significant portion of industrial heat applications require temperatures less than 300°C. This range can be readily supplied by a variety of commercial solar collectors, including modular solar collector systems. However, these technologies must be cost competitive with process steam, generated by natural gas, to be commercialized. Thus, research into low-temperature industrial process heat might focus primarily on capital costs and LCOH reduction. The collector system is often the largest cost sensitivity for these systems (Topic Area 1). Novel CST systems are needed to couple with high-temperature applications, particularly those > 550°C. In many cases, a solar receiver or reactor is the enabling technology that needs to be developed to begin designing an appropriate system (Topic Area 2).

16 DOE. September 2022. “Energy Earthshots – U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Heat Shot.”

www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/earth-shot-industrial-heat-fact-sheet.pdf.

17 EERE. February 2022. “Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Fiscal Year 2022 Research, Development, and Demonstration Program.” FOA no.: DE-FOA-0002630. eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=53c577e4-2983-454d-b406-885912a2c3fa.

18 EERE. September 2023. “Solar-Thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy.” FOA no.: DE-FOA-0003080. eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=1dadba90-64eb-486f-af9a-6cee79504b62.

19 DOE. September 2022. Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap. www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022- 09/Industrial%20Decarbonization%20Roadmap.pdf.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/earth-shot-industrial-heat-fact-sheet.pdf https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=53c577e4-2983-454d-b406-885912a2c3fa https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=53c577e4-2983-454d-b406-885912a2c3fa https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=1dadba90-64eb-486f-af9a-6cee79504b62 https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=1dadba90-64eb-486f-af9a-6cee79504b62 http://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Industrial%20Decarbonization%20Roadmap.pdf http://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Industrial%20Decarbonization%20Roadmap.pdf

SETO funds CSP research and development (R&D) through other programs, including the Heliostat Prize,20 the Heliostat Consortium for Concentrating Solar- Thermal Power,21 the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program,22 the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters,23 Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS),24 and the Solar-Thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-Thermal Energy FOA.25

This FOA solicits proposals for RD&D in three topic areas. Technologies in each area may support a variety of CST forms, including CSP, SIPH, and high-temperature solar-thermal reactors. Each topic area focuses on scaling and maturing impactful technologies for specified CST subsystems.

• Topic Area 1: Scalable Concentrating Solar Collectors requests advanced collector concepts that can enable a low-cost and reliable integrated collector field.

• Topic Area 2: Scalable Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO2) Turbomachinery requests proposals to advance viable turbine and compressor technology for a specified power cycle.

• Topic Area 3: Scalable Concentrating Solar-Thermal Receivers and Reactors requests innovative receiver or reactor concepts that could enable new CST systems, as well as the development of receivers to improve existing CSP systems.

In all cases, innovations to support aggressive technoeconomic targets as well as maturation of existing technology to enable near-term CST deployment are appropriate. Each topic area requires the development of plans to enable commercialization on aggressive timelines. This includes appropriate planning for follow-on technology development and incorporation of project partners who can support the technology advancement.

20 SETO. American-Made Heliostat Prize. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/american-made-heliostat-prize.

21 SETO. HelioCon. www.energy.gov/eere/solar/heliocon.

22 SETO. “Funding Opportunity Announcement: SBIR/STTR FY 2024 Phase I Release 2.”

www.energy.gov/eere/solar/funding-opportunity-announcement-sbirsttr-fy-2024-phase-i-release-2.

23 Office of Technology Transitions. Energy Program for Innovation Clusters.

www.energy.gov/technologytransitions/energy-program-innovation-clusters.

24 SETO. April 2023. “Funding Notice: Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS): Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power and Photovoltaics.” www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/funding-notice-small-innovative-projects-solar-sips-concentrating-solar-thermal.

25 SETO. September 2023. “Funding Notice: Solar-thermal Fuels and Thermal Energy Storage via Concentrated Solar-thermal Energy.” www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/funding-notice-solar-thermal-fuels-and-thermal-energy-storage-concentrated.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/american-made-heliostat-prize https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/heliocon https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/funding-opportunity-announcement-sbirsttr-fy-2024-phase-i-release-2 https://www.energy.gov/technologytransitions/energy-program-innovation-clusters https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/funding-notice-small-innovative-projects-solar-sips-concentrating-solar-thermal https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/funding-notice-small-innovative-projects-solar-sips-concentrating-solar-thermal https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/funding-notice-solar-thermal-fuels-and-thermal-energy-storage-concentrated https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/funding-notice-solar-thermal-fuels-and-thermal-energy-storage-concentrated

iii. Teaming Partner List (Optional) DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of project teams for this FOA. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships.

The Teaming Partner List will be available on EERE eXCHANGE and will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: View the Teaming Partner List by visiting the EERE eXCHANGE homepage and clicking on “Teaming Partners” within the left-hand navigation pane. This page allows users to view published Teaming Partner Lists.

To join the Teaming Partner List, submit a request within eXCHANGE. Select the appropriate Teaming Partner List from the drop-down menu and fill in the following information: Investigator Name, Organization Name, Organization Type, Topic Area, Background and Capabilities, Website, Contact Address, Contact Email, and Contact Phone.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, the requesting organization consents to the publication of the above-referenced information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that are identifying themselves for placement on this Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for the development of such information.

B. Topic Areas

i. Scalable Outputs for Leveraging Advanced Research (SOLAR) Tiers Methodology The SOLAR Tiers methodology for translating lab-scale R&D projects to large-scale pilot demonstrations is used in all topic areas in this FOA. The methodology emphasizes thoughtfully traversing the technology readiness level (TRL) scale, defined in Appendix E, focused on the end goal of a commercial system.

New CST technology development is challenging due to nonlinear correlations between size and performance. Performance is difficult to validate with lab-scale prototypes because large commercial-scale systems generally have fundamental attributes not well represented in smaller-scale devices. For example, commercial CSP power plants use thermal components at the 100–500 megawatts thermal (MWth) scale, can store more than 1,000 MWhth of heat, and operate under daily temperature cycles from ambient to over 700°C for Gen3 systems. In contrast, bench-scale prototypes are typically between 0.001 and 0.1 MWth. The impacts of thermal expansion, thermal ratcheting, creep-fatigue cycling, and other attributes often do not manifest in a similar manner at such extremely different scales.

Additionally, the absence of critical project partners and stakeholders may hinder the progression of R&D projects to demonstration scale. Bench-scale experiments often use processes, parts, or designs that may be unsuitable for commercial systems. Early involvement of partners with appropriate industrial knowledge and a line of sight to demonstration can accelerate technology development by addressing these design considerations at smaller scales. Since large-scale thermal system projects require significant capital investment where a trial-and-error testing approach is not possible, iteration of small-scale systems that can be scaled up is critical.

Figure 4: SOLAR Tiers methodology structure

In all three topic areas, applicants must explicitly indicate which of the three SOLAR Tiers their project addresses. In most cases, projects should explicitly align with one tier and should clearly articulate a vision for progressing a technology through the remaining tiers, ultimately building toward a commercial-scale demonstration. Projects must generate appropriate foundational knowledge for their technical maturity, demonstrate risk reduction, and anticipate the practical challenges for development and scale-up. The maximum allowed federal funding for a project will depend on the tier identified in the application. At DOE’s discretion, applications may be reassigned from one tier to another based on DOE’s assessment of technology maturity described in the application.

• Tier 1: Research, Discover, and Analyze (up to $3 million federal funds)

• Tier 2: Develop, Design, and De-Risk (up to $5 million federal funds)

• Tier 3: Build, Test, and Partner (up to $10 million federal funds)

Tiers and Stage Gates

Tier 1: Research, Discover, and Analyze (RD&A) Tier 1 projects should focus on broadly understanding a specific innovative technology at TRLs 2 through 4. Design and risk assessment development should iteratively influence Tier 1 activities. This may include exploring appropriate materials, parameter space, or design choices to identify leading candidates for each critical aspect. Successful Tier 1 projects may also include disproving a concept or clarifying and quantifying the key technology barriers, as these discoveries often allow for effort to be redirected to more impactful topics.

Overall, Tier 1 applicants should seek to prove or disprove that an innovation has adequate merit and value to advance to efforts in Tier 2. Relevant prototypes should be fabricated and studied in moderate-fidelity testing environments at appropriate temperatures.

Tier 2: Develop, Design, and De-Risk (DD&D) Submissions to Tier 2 should build a case that the novel proposed concept is adequately understood to have a reasonable chance of commercial adoption with further development, testing, and demonstration. Prototypes of high-risk components should be designed and tested at scales significantly greater than lab-scale prototypes (TRL 4–6). Components should be shown to operate in tandem with other CSP system components (e.g., a new design for a specified pump driving a heat transfer fluid through a relevant heat exchanger and into a storage vessel). Component integration risks should be addressed. A sophisticated system and total plant cost analysis is required. Plant design and analyses should inform a path into Tier 3 for a large-scale integrated test facility.

Material properties should be tested in conditions that closely resemble the operating environment. Where appropriate, a pathway to industry acceptance of new system components and materials should be integrated into the project.

The uncertainty on each component’s efficiency over each operating mode (e.g., design point, transient events, system start-up and shutdown) should be substantially reduced. The challenges of scaling up each component should be investigated.

Tier 2 projects should be designed to justify the significant financial investment required for a Tier 3-sized system. Furthermore, significant engagement with a candidate Tier 3 test facility should occur during the project to ensure feasibility of successful testing of a > 1 MW pilot. Engineering drawings of integration at a specific facility and a plan to manufacture MW-scale components should be in place.

Tier 3: Build, Test, and Partner (BT&P) Tier 3 projects will encompass procurement, construction or installation, commissioning, and testing at an identified test facility for a pilot-scale system (TRL 6–7). These pilot-scale tests should take place in a relevant environment, validate modeled performance under all potential operational modes, and minimize risk in transitioning this idea to a commercial demonstration plant. Tier 3 projects should be designed to enable further investment and development by the private sector. Appropriate commercialization partners or other stakeholders should be involved in the project. Justification of Tier 3 efforts must include a developed business plan and proof of specific commercial off-takers.

Tier 3 projects are generally expected to be tested at a scale of at least 1 MW for at least 100 to 250 hours, although other metrics of scale may be appropriate depending on the specific technology. The sophistication of a Tier 3 project will be judged, in part, by testing the operability of relevant components working in tandem rather than in isolation.

Progressing between Tiers If successful, applicants to Tiers 1 or 2 should explicitly plan to graduate their project to Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 in future SETO or DOE solicitations or through other funding sources. Pending appropriations and budget availability, SETO may run future solicitations to allow project teams to apply for funding to work on progressing through subsequent tiers.

Table 1 below shows one example of a technology’s logical progression through tiers while broadly de-risking all critical aspects of the technology. The table is not intended to be exhaustive and will vary significantly based on the technology being developed.

Table 1. Example SOLAR Tier Progression through the Stage Gates Attribute RD&A (Tier 1) DD&D (Tier 2) BT&P (Tier 3) Component Integration

All components of the system are conceptually understood.

Highest-risk components and system-level integration are the primary focus.

Design accounts for nuances and operational limitations of all components. Innovations are tested coupled to neighboring components or boundary conditions.

The entire subsystem optimized and tested together at a commercially relevant scale.

Solar-Thermal Plant System Integration

Full power plant concept developed and justified.

Requirements imposed on innovation identified.

Address stakeholder concerns with respect to integrating the technology system into the larger CST system.

Appropriate boundary conditions used for a range of commercially relevant operational modes in capstone-testing campaign.

Scalability Moderate-fidelity design of 1 MW system (10 MWh) and low-fidelity design of commercial concept;

screening of manufacturing processes; understanding of system interfaces.

Complete MW-scale design;

moderate-fidelity commercial system design; specific manufacturing processes planned.

Complete cost estimate of commercial system based on learnings from testing;

commercial-scale manufacturing proven.

Thermal Efficiency

Measure isolated thermal, hydraulic, reaction properties;

determine properties to stated confidence interval;

model integrated component;

measure component performance.

Measure coupled component performance; develop and validate modeling of system transients; impact of varying operational modes and hold times characterized.

Prove modeling in advance TRL scenario; minimize performance uncertainty through repeated testing;

fully impose boundaries required by each component.

Mechanical Survivability

Measure new and rapidly aged properties of critical subcomponents and interconnects; incorporate lifetime understanding into design decisions;

sophisticated extrapolation of measured properties to commercial-size components.

Develop pathway to code case-quality data; predict lifetime to high fidelity; long-term, redundant subcomponent testing; integrated prototype testing.

Finalize pathway to commercially relevant code case; do post-testing analysis of MW-scale prototype; support data from multiple tests, proving component- or system-level performance.

Chemical Survivability

Screening and initial lifetime testing; theoretical interactions developed and tested.

Long-term compatibility tests and flow compatibility testing;

robustness of chemical control determined.

Post-testing analysis of chemical impact; further supporting of flow testing data.

Operability Develop principal concept of control objectives and control system; perform a failure modes and effects analysis;

analyze dynamic properties such as flux profile, wind, and weather.

Develop integrated control strategy; use prototypes to validate impact of control strategy.

Sufficiently exercise capstone prototype to prove operating regimes’ performance and impact for the commercial scale.

Cost Identify formal cost modeling or methodology; create full list of parameters to include in cost model; identify those parameters to be defined by work in the project and those defined externally; define initial ranges for parameters.

Multiple quotes for most components; substantial reduction in possible ranges for most parameters based upon experimentation; verification and validation of the conclusions by an independent third party.

Validate component costs via purchase orders; team and vendor create roadmap(s) to further component cost reductions, via either volume purchases or possible design revisions.

Teaming Initial conversations with engineering, procurement, and construction companies (EPCs) and commercial industry to learn of challenges and risks; convening of relevant stakeholders.

Initial partnership with EPCs and/or commercial industry on design and cost analysis; quotes on construction.

Partnership with EPCs and/or commercial industry.

DEI DEI plan focused on how the R&D is executed as well as assessments of potential broader impacts of the system.

Create a plan with dedicated budget and expertise (staffing or sub-awardee) to evaluate the potential equity implications of successful innovation outcomes.

Identify unique methods to address DEI, energy equity, and workforce initiatives such as Justice40.

Project implementation of Justice4026 with community impact. Collect data, conduct reoccurring reviews, and implement improvements regarding the effect of plant operation on local communities.

ii. Topic Area 1: Scalable Concentrating Solar Collectors This topic area solicits innovations to decrease the installed costs of solar collectors to $50/m2 with high reliability and efficiency over a 30-year lifetime.

Heliostat systems, line-focusing collectors, and other novel collector forms are of interest.

Introduction Solar collectors are the mirrors that track the sun and concentrate solar radiation to a solar-thermal receiver. In most cases, solar collectors are the most expensive subsystem in a CST plant. Reductions in the collector system’s cost significantly impact the overall CST system’s cost and can help achieve SETO’s LCOE and LCOH targets. The collector system reliability and performance are also key factors in the overall plant LCOE and LCOH, as described in Figure 5. The collector system can dictate both the size and the maximum achievable temperature of the CST plant, ultimately driving the application space a CST system can support. Mature parabolic trough collectors may offer the lowest-risk pathway to support low-temperature SIPH applications. Linear Fresnel collectors or other unique line-focusing collectors may also be useful for particular SIPH applications. Heliostat systems can enable high-temperature CST systems including CSP, solar-thermal reactors, and high-temperature SIPH. In all cases, demonstrating system reliability is a key challenge to commercial acceptance.

26 The White House. Justice40. www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/

Figure 5. Collector cost, performance, and reliability, over a lifetime of use, are major contributors to a plant’s LCOH.

Line-Focusing Collectors Parabolic trough technology is the most broadly deployed form of solar collectors, with an installed cost of about $120/m2 to $152/m2. 27 Parabolic troughs are highly modular and can be arranged in solar fields of various sizes and architecture to support SIPH applications.28 However, it will take aggressive cost reductions and reliability improvements to support SETO’s LCOH goal of $0.02/kWhth. In addition, significant technical challenges arise when attempting to support SIPH at temperatures over 390°C with line-focusing collectors due to both limitations of the heat transfer fluids and the thermal efficiency of the receiver at relatively modest concentration ratios. Novel or emerging SIPH markets may be best supported by parabolic trough, linear Fresnel collector, or other unique collector forms.

Heliostat Collectors Heliostats, ranging in cost from about $96/m2 to $127/m2,29 make up over one-third of the capital cost for a solar power tower project. Power tower systems

27 Kurup, P., et al. 2020. “Manufacturing Cost Analysis of Advanced Parabolic Trough Collector: Preprint.” The 26th SolarPACES Conference. NREL. www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/77829.pdf.

28 DOE. Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap. www.energy.gov/industrial-technologies/doe-industrial-decarbonization-roadmap.

29 Kurup, P., et al. Cost Update: Commercial and Advanced Heliostat Collectors. NREL.

www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/80482.pdf.

mailto:SETO.FOA.CSP@ee.doe.gov https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/parabolic-trough http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/77829.pdf https://www.energy.gov/industrial-technologies/doe-industrial-decarbonization-roadmap https://www.energy.gov/industrial-technologies/doe-industrial-decarbonization-roadmap https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/80482.pdf can enable large-scale, high-temperature SIPH systems as well as high-temperature and high-efficiency electricity systems (generally 550°C, or even greater than 700°C for Gen3 CSP). The central receiver and associated heliostat field of power tower designs can enable small- and large-scale systems by changing the number of heliostats and varying the tower height. This approach puts increased operational and controls challenges on the heliostat system, but it can enable many desirable use cases.

To advance heliostat technology development, SETO has established a national laboratory-led consortium, HelioCon.30 Applicants to this topic area seeking to advance novel heliostats should leverage knowledge, innovations, and capabilities developed by HelioCon.

In September 2022, HelioCon released a detailed roadmap31 describing key technical gaps and promising strategies to achieve low-cost, high-performance heliostat systems. HelioCon’s detailed gap analysis was carried out under six technical topics:

(1) Metrology and standards

(2) Components and controls

(3) Advanced manufacturing

(4) Resources, training, and education

(5) Field deployment

(6) Technoeconomic analysis.

SETO strives to reduce the…