Connected Communities Data

Opportunity has expired

Summary

The Connected Communities Data Opportunity will support the collection and analysis of existing pilot program data focused on validating grid-edge technical measures and innovative planning strategies as viable strategies for efficient infrastructure investment. Ideal candidates will have both proven capacity to deliver quality, insightful analysis and have existing access to data of interest. Selected awardees are anticipated to each receive around a $1,000,000 award with no required cost share.

Information

Description

The Connected Communities Data Opportunity is intended to help make the grid more efficient, flexible, and resilient by further validating the use of technical measures located at the grid-edge, i.e. between the feeder and the plug. Specific grid-edge technical measures can help ensure grid readiness for future load growth and efficient electrification of buildings, industry, and transportation. In addition, these technical measures can help improve equity and resilience against growing loads, extreme weather events and cyber threats.

The grid edge is the segment of the electricity utility system between the distribution feeder line and appliance plugs. Grid edge technical measures include a wide range of technologies such as low power appliances, managed electric vehicle charging, demand-flexible building systems, thermal energy networks with energy storage, and other distributed energy resources such as batteries and rooftop solar. This is especially necessary for low-income communities that face limited distribution capacity, deficiencies in service reliability, and high energy bills.

This opportunity will help increase the acceptance of grid-edge technical measures and innovative planning strategies by utilities, communities, and regulators as viable approaches towards efficient infrastructure investment for decarbonization. This Opportunity is authorized under Section 911 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, amended by Section 315(a) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, as codified at 42 U.S.C. § 16191.

Objective

BTO is seeking applications from R&D organizations, universities, small and independent consulting firms, and community-based organizations for projects to aid in the analysis of data collected on the following topics, including but not limited to:

Assessment of readiness for new loads and demand flexibility for users within buildings and the distribution system.
Evaluation of grid edge technical measures that reduce the necessary level of future investment into distribution infrastructure and leverage existing distribution facilities.
Analysis on the increased customer and grid resilience using grid edge technical measures, both in front of and behind the meter.
Evaluation of the potential for distributed energy resources (solar, wind, hydro, batteries, other energy storage, EVs, etc.) to provide resilience and reliability to the expanding grid, especially smart charge management from electric vehicles.

Specifically, BTO is interested in analyses that utilize data at the building, feeder and/or substation level and represent diverse regions, geographies, and market regions, including but not limited to:

New York or from within NYISO
Texas or from within ERCOT
Midwest or from within MISO or SPP
Southeast
New England or from within ISO-NE
West
Northwest (with a particular emphasis on Puget Sound, Seattle City Light, Portland General Gas and Electric utilities)

Note that applicant may also provide gas data in addition to electric data, but gas data without electric data is not of interest for this Opportunity.

Applicant organizations must have identified existing pilot programs and/or field validation work already ongoing in the space and can demonstrate a prior or existing relationship with a utility (or utilities). This Opportunity is intended to further support and increase the scope of existing work, specifically to increase data collection, data analysis, and reporting. The data and analysis do not necessarily need to be new work but must be previously unpublished products equal in scope and of high quality.

Duration:

One year to coincide with period of performance of the performer, with ability to add one 1-year option (total duration of up to 2 years) with written agreement of the Building Technologies Office and TechWerx following a go/no-go decision based on performance.

Funding:

Funding amount not to exceed $9,865,000 in total available funding available for project performers for the duration of the project, with expected award amounts of up to ~$1,000,000 for each performer to execute proposed activities over the course of up to two years.

Proposed projects under this Opportunity cannot be used for the following:

All information collected under this Opportunity must to the greatest extent possible exclude personally identifiable information (PII). “PII” refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, Social Security number, or biometric records, alone or combined with other personal or identifying information linked or linkable to a specific individual, such as date and place of birth or mother’s maiden name. Applicants must be able to obtain anonymized data from parties such as utilities. Applicants must also provide a data storage and transmission security plan to mitigate potential misuse.
Applicants may not, under any circumstances or conditions, control, or manage any element of the indoor environment in which people are present. This includes, but not limited to, actions like resetting thermostats or controlling lighting that affects indoor environments.

Note that Collection of PII data and management of indoor environments can be handled by the utility in the project, if it is not a performer funded by DOE.

How to Participate

Watch the pre-recorded informational webinar
Recommended: Attend the Office Hours on December 18, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
Recommended: Attend the Office Hours on January 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET
Required: Download and fill-out the Project Narrative Template:
Download Project Narrative Template
Required: Complete the submission and upload here:
Opportunity has expired

Important Dates

Opportunity Announcement

December 9, 2024

Prerecorded Objective Strategic Session

Posted December 9, 2024

Informational “Office Hours” Session

December 18, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET and January 7, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET

Submission Deadline(s)

January 9, 2025 by 5:00 PM ET

Process Details

Timeline(s)

Phase 1) Submissions Open from December 9, 2024 - January 9, 2025

Pre-Recorded Informational Webinar (posted below on this page): DOE will provide additional details about this opportunity and how potential applicants can gain a better understanding of the scope, scale, and intent of the opportunity. Applicants will be able to ask questions during the webinar.
Informational Office Hours on December 18, 2024 and January 7, 2025: DOE will answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.

Phase 2) DOE Selection is expected by February 2025: DOE will review submissions based on relevance to the program objectives, evaluate applications based on set criteria, and notify selected entities for next steps in the awarding process. Note that DOE may choose to meet with submitters or ask additional clarifying questions prior to selection.

Phase 3) Negotiations will occur for approximately 1 month after selections have been made: Selected organizations will meet with TechWerx to negotiate work, budget, timing and impact constraints.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed by the following criteria:

Existing or prior relationship with utility from which data is collected, as demonstrated through a letter of recommendation or partnership from said utility.
Ability to share data within the DOE ecosystem as documented in a letter from legal counsel as well as details about what level of data can be shared.
Degree to which the proposed analysis is applicable and demonstrates the inclusion of grid dynamics, specifically: new loads, resiliency measures, distributed system upgrades, planned infrastructure upgrades, DERs (solar, wind, hydropower, batteries, other storage systems and/or electric vehicles), as stated above.
Focus on datasets of interest as stated above (from building, feeder and/or substation level and within preferred geographic areas).
Access to data that:
1. Comes from both the distribution and operation side of a utility and can bridge the communication gap between the two. Generation data is not required.
2. Is real (not modeled), joinable and is time stamped, geolocated over the distribution network typology, and temporal relationship.
Demonstrated prior experience executing work of similar scope and quality, such as:
1. Past projects using utility level data.
2. Past energy modeling products and projects.
3. Published high quality data analytic products.
Record of safe data management and robustness of the data management, storage, and/or transfer plan.
Ability of the team to execute the proposed work within the timeframe.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

Have an existing or prior relationship with a utility from which data is collected, as demonstrated through a letter of recommendation or partnership from that utility
Have a letter from legal counsel ensuring the ability to share data within the DOE ecosystem
Qualify as a domestic entity¹
1. Applicants must certify it is not owned by, controlled, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction by the government of any Country of Risk²

Ineligible entities are:

Individuals
Foreign Entities
Persons participating in a Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Program of a Foreign Country of Risk are prohibited from participating in projects selected for federal funding under this Opportunity. Should an award result from this Opportunity, the recipient must exercise ongoing due diligence to reasonably ensure that no individuals participating on the DOE-funded project are participating in a Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Program of a Foreign Country of Risk. Consequences for violations of this prohibition will be determined according to applicable law, regulations, and policy. Further, the recipient must notify DOE within five (5) business days upon learning that an individual on the project team is or is believed to be participating in a foreign government talent recruitment program of a foreign country of risk. DOE may modify and add requirements related to this prohibition to the extent required by law.³

DOE retains the prerogative to require additional information from the applicants to verify the applicant meets the eligibility requirements. Further, DOE retains the prerogative to decide whether to fund the proposed project entirely, partially, or not at all.

¹ To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States.

² DOE includes the following countries as Country of Risk: China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. This list is subject to change.

³ Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Program is defined as an effort directly or indirectly organized, managed, or funded by a foreign government, or a foreign government instrumentality or entity, to recruit science and technology professionals or students (regardless of citizenship or national origin, or whether having a full-time or part-time position). Some foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs operate with the intent to import or otherwise acquire from abroad, sometimes through illicit means, proprietary technology or software, unpublished data and methods, and intellectual property to further the military modernization goals and/or economic goals of a foreign government. Many, but not all, programs aim to incentivize the targeted individual to relocate physically to the foreign state for the above purpose. Some programs allow for or encourage continued employment at United States research facilities or receipt of federal research funds while concurrently working at and/or receiving compensation from a foreign institution, and some direct participants not to disclose their participation to U.S. entities. Compensation could take many forms including cash, research funding, complimentary foreign travel, honorific titles, career advancement opportunities, promised future compensation, or other types of remuneration or consideration, including in-kind compensation.