2025 Distributed Wind Turbine Competitiveness Improvement Project

The Department of Energy's Office of Science is seeking proposals for the 2025 Distributed Wind Turbine Competitiveness Improvement Project, a comprehensive initiative aimed at advancing distributed wind turbine technology. The solicitation covers ten distinct topic areas including prototype design, manufacture, installation, component innovation, system optimization, certification, and technology commercialization. Proposals must address individual or multiple topic areas, with component manufacturers required to collaborate with at least one turbine Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The evaluation will use a Best Value Selection method, with key criteria including technical approach, product market development, team expertise, and potential market impact. Critical submission deadlines include optional concept papers due January 31, 2025, and final proposals due March 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM Mountain Time, with technical questions accepted until February 21, 2025.

The solicitation is not set aside for any specific business category and is open to U.S.-based companies with all work to be performed in the United States or U.S. territories. Maximum award amounts will range from $200,000 to $800,000 depending on the topic area, with a minimum price participation of 20% required for most topics and 50% for prototype manufacture and manufacturing process innovation topics. The anticipated period of performance is 21 months, with project selection and subcontract signing expected in June/July and final contracts typically executed between September and November. Proposals must demonstrate the potential to reduce Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), improve reliability, and advance distributed wind turbine technology for systems up to 1000 kilowatts. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will manage the project, with a focus on supporting U.S. manufacturers in developing cost-competitive, high-performance distributed wind turbine technology.