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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to LDESFOA@hq.doe.gov."]
[2,"All questions pertaining to OCED Exchange should be emailed to OCED-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer have already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted no later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the FOA Content Questions tab of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrows on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0002867 - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2022-11-14","Other","Can equipment or property that is used for another federally funded project be used for this demonstration project?","While we would generally not object to an applicant using property or other resources they previously acquired with federal financial assistance for the project they submit under this FOA, any such use must be consistent with the terms of the prior award and will typically not count towards the applicant’s non-federal cost share. This answer presumes that such resources are the result of a prior award. We do not plan to select projects under this FOA that are contingent on the applicant securing additional federal financial assistance.\n\nPlease review Section III.B: Cost sharing: The prime recipient may not use the following sources to meet its cost share obligations including, but not limited to: Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period; Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity; Federal funding or property (e.g., federal grants, equipment owned by the federal government); or Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate federal program. Project teams may not use the same cash or in-kind contributions to meet cost share requirements for more than one project or program."]
[2,"2022-11-14","Other","In previous reports regarding Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 41001, there were two distinct grant programs. The Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstration Initiative and Joint Program was allocated $150 million in funding and the Energy Storage Demonstration and Pilot Grant Program was allocated $355 million in funding.\n\nThe recent FOA only provides a total of $349 million in total funding and I am wondering if the program is a combination of the two above mentioned initiatives or if the FOA only encompasses the Long-Duration program?","BIL Section 41001(a) and 41001(b) authorized appropriations for activities in Section 3201(c) and Section 3201(d) of the Energy Act of 2020. The “Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstration Initiative and Joint Program\" and the \"Energy Storage Demonstration and Pilot Grant Program\" aren’t distinct programs but section titles in our statutory authority. DOE has made programmatic decisions on how to handle that authority based on feedback we received from the RFI and stakeholder listening sessions held over this past summer.  This FOA addresses the activities called out in Section 3201(c)(1) and Section 3201(d)(3) of the Energy Act of 2020. Other activities under Section 3201(c) and Section 3201(d) of the Energy Act of 2020 may be addressed in other funding opportunities. Notably, DOE issued a $30M Lab Call on October 12, 2022, which addresses Section 3201(d)(4) of the Energy Act of 2020."," "]
[3,"2022-11-14","Other","Will there be a separate FOA regarding IIJA Section 41001(a) – Energy Storage Demonstration Projects and Pilot Program. The current FOA only mentions IIJA Section 41001(b), and we were wondering if this is indicative of a possible second Energy Storage FOA coming out soon.","Please see answer to question 2. The FOA incorrectly states Section 41001(a) in the Program Policy Factors section and should instead mention Section 3201(d) of Energy Act 2020. This will be amended in a FOA modification. This FOA addresses the activities called out in Section 3201(c)(1) and Section 3201(d)(3) of the Energy Act of 2020. Other activities under Section 3201(c) and Section 3201(d) of the Energy Act of 2020 may be addressed in other funding opportunities."]
[4,"2022-11-14","Other","Will this FOA (DE-FOA-0002867) have annual cycles of funding awards?","No, this FOA will not have annual cycles for funding awards. Any future FOAs related to DE-FOA-0002867 are dependent on congressional appropriations."]
[5,"2022-11-15","Other","I was wondering if you would be able to provide more insight however on what qualifies as a “for profit entity” that would be exempt from the Buy America requirements. ","45 CFR 75.2  definition of a “Commercial organization” means an organization, institution, corporation, or other legal entity, including, but not limited to, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and limited liability companies, that is organized or operated for the profit or benefit of its shareholders or other owners. The term includes small and large businesses and is used interchangeably with “for-profit organization.” Please Review Appendix F, REQUIRED USE OF AMERICAN IRON, STEEL,MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS, AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS BUY AMERICA REQUIREMENTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT"]
[6,"2022-11-16","Other","The title along with the summary lead me to believe that only long-duration projects will be considered. However, some of the descriptions of the type of projects would lead me to believe that maybe long-duration would not be a requirement. Will all projects under this FOA need to be considered as long-duration? Also, is it correct that you define long-duration as 10+ hours? ","DOE defines long-duration energy storage as energy storage systems that are capable of discharging at full rated power for over 10 hours. Demonstration proposals under Topic 1 are required to have durations over 10 hours. Demonstration proposals under Topic 2 Area of Interest (AOI) A and B are required to have durations between 10 and 24 hours. Demonstration proposals under Topic 2 AOI C are required to have durations for more than 24 hours. Please see Section B in the FOA for further guidance on each Topic and AOI."]
[7,"2022-11-16","Other","Will DOE publicly release the 12/15/22 letters of intent and 3/3/2023 applications submitted in response to the long-duration energy storage demonstration funding opportunity? ","DOE will not make Letters of Intent and Full Applications available for public review during the merit review process because the information is part of the Department’s deliberative process. In response to a FOIA request, DOE may release Letters of Intent and Full Applications after making financial assistance awards, with any necessary redactions based on FOIA exemptions and exclusions (https://www.energy.gov/management/foia-frequently-asked-questions-faqs).\n\nTherefore, applicants should not include business sensitive information (e.g., commercial or financial information that is privilege or confidential), trade secrets, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information in their application unless such information is necessary to convey an understanding of the proposed project or to comply with a requirement in the FOA. Applicants are advised to not include any critically sensitive proprietary detail.\n\nIf an application includes trade secrets or information that is commercial or financial, or information that is confidential or privileged, it is furnished to the Government in confidence with the understanding that the information shall be used or disclosed only for evaluation of the application. Such information will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information Act. Full Applications, and other submissions containing confidential, proprietary, or privileged information must be marked as described in Section VIII.D (Treatment of Application Information) of the FOA."]
[8,"2022-11-16","Other","Please confirm that a UEIN is not required to submit a LOI for the funding opportunity shown above.","A UEIN is not required to submit a Letter of Intent.   NOTE: Due to the high demand of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process. Applicants should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible. If applicants have technical difficulties with the SAM registration or UEI validation process, they should contact Customer Service on SAM.gov. SAM.gov Customer Service will work service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that applicants not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue."]
[9,"2022-11-17","Eligibility","Are ultra-long-duration thermal storage technologies that store grid power but do not directly return grid power, but rather return thermal energy that allows decarbonized electrified industrial heating and cooling, of interest?  The end result is both long-duration grid energy storage and electrified economy, along with grid peak demand reduction, but the stored grid power never returns to the grid directly.\n\nIs this call focused only on electrochemical batteries?  Or are long-duration thermal storage technologies allowed, but only if they also return power to the grid?","Applications that propose non-bidirectional storage technologies (i.e., input and output must be electricity) are not of interest as stated in Section I.C. of the FOA.\n\nThis FOA is not just focused on electrochemical batteries. Thermal energy storage technologies are eligible if they are bidirectional. Please refer to Section I.B and Section I.C. of the FOA."]
[10,"2022-11-17","Other","On AOI 2B: “applications for AOI 2B should consider multiple demonstration sites to prove the proposed LDES system’s multi-regional capability. Awards will be limited to 5 demonstration sites per project.” Is the requirement strictly limited to a total of 5 demonstrations? Will the DOE consider two sites with an aggregate output of 5 MWe or possibly one individual site with an output of 5 MWe?","Proposed demonstrations may include up to five demonstrations sites. If there are multiple demonstration sites proposed then the aggregated output must at a minimum meet requirements stated Section B for the AOI the application is being submitted for."]
[11,"2022-11-17","Eligibility","On AOI 2C: Does a 5 MWe diabatic compressed air energy storage system with a roadmap for replacing natural gas with 100% hydrogen use qualify?","Hydrogen-based technologies are supported through the Hydrogen-specific provisions in the BIL (See, e.g., BIL sections 40313, 40314, and 40315). Hydrogen-based technologies are specifically not of interest in this FOA."]
[12,"2022-11-17","Other","Will the installed pilot-scale demonstration projects be required to demonstrate a 50% round-trip efficiency (RTE) or is it sufficient to show how the demonstrated storage technology will meet the 50% RTE for the intended, next-step commercial-scale application?","Please refer to Section B.iv. of the FOA for preferred technology readiness levels. DOE intends these projects to be for full-scale demonstrations and encourages applicants to focus on integrated system technologies that have completed TRL 6 (pilot scale demonstration) or higher.\n\nDOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirectional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[13,"2022-11-17","Other","For a thermal energy storage solution that generates the power from a heat engine or another heat to electricity process, 50% efficiency is almost impossible. However when utilizing also the thermal output thro cogeneration of work and heat the efficiency will become way above the 50%. So my question is:\n-\tDo you by the DC-DC efficiency of at least 50% mean that heat to power processes are excluded from the announcement? OR\n-\tCould we add the thermal output to reach an total DC to DC+heat efficiency above 50%?","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated.\n\nApplications that propose non-bidirectional storage technologies (i.e., input and output must be electricity) are not of interest as stated in Section I.C. of the FOA."]
[14,"2022-11-17","Eligibility","What type of companies / organizations do you anticipate as primary applicants?  We are a research university and see our potential role as helping in the development of technology to be demonstrated, but not the lead.  Do you agree?  If so, is there an R&D component to this?  Is there a teaming partner registration?","This FOA does not contain a R&D component. Applicants are encouraged to focus on integrated system technologies that have completed TRL 6 or higher. Therefore, any technologies that haven't been demonstrated at pilot-scale are not eligible award. There is no teaming partner registration for this FOA."]
[15,"2022-11-17","Other","I noticed that there is a deadline for letter of intent for December 15th, 2022. I was wondering if there will be a upcoming webinar or a previously recorded one that goes into more detail of what is expected in the submission. Thank you for your time. ","There is no webinar scheduled for this FOA. Please refer to the FOA's Section IV.C.i (Letter of Intent Requirements) for further guidance."]
[16,"2022-11-18","OCED Exchange","I see on pg. 57 of the FOA that “DOE will not provide feedback on the letters of intent.” Can you confirm that this means that there will not be any formal “Go or No Go” recommendation before full applications are due?","Yes, that is correct. All applicants that submit a Letter of Intent by the due date may submit a full application. "]
[17,"2022-11-18","Other","On Topic Area 2B, we wanted to clarify if the 5 MW requirement is the minimum power output throughout the entire 10-hour duration of operation or if it can be interpreted as an average. If so, could this requirement be interpreted as a total MWh output over the discharge duration (e.g., 50 MWh over a 10-hour period). Some energy storage systems do not have a linear discharge profile which may make it more difficult for those systems to achieve a 5 MW minimum requirement compared to other technologies. Average output (or total MWh output) requirements would be more technology agnostic and wanted to clarify DOE thoughts and intentions on this front.","The rated powers indicated for each AOI (see section B of the FOA) are the minimum power outputs that need to be maintained, as reasonably as possible, for the entire duration specified by the AOI (10 hours for 2B). Fluctuations that are a few kW below the minimum rated power are reasonable. "]
[18,"2022-11-18","Eligibility","We are a company developing a long-duration, subsurface-based, thermal energy storage technology. Our next step toward commercialization will be a Pilot demonstration. This OCED FOA sounds like a great opportunity to accelerate commercialization of this much-needed technology.   \n \nOne requirement stated in the \"Applications Specifically Not of Interest\" is \"Applications that include technologies/processes that are unable to reach round trip DC/DC efficiencies of at least 50%.\" While subsurface thermal energy storage provides incredible capability and flexibility at a very low LCOE/LCOS, thermodynamics limits the efficiency of converting thermal energy into electricity in lower temperature ranges (150C - 200C).","Please refer to Section B.iv. of the FOA for preferred technology readiness levels. DOE intends these projects to be for full-scale demonstrations and encourages applicants to focus on integrated system technologies that have completed TRL 6 (pilot scale demonstration) or higher.\n\nDOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[19,"2022-11-18","Eligibility","The Eligibility for LDES FOA states that the company should have domestic ownership and control. What does domestic mean in this context:  US Permanent residents or US citizens - both are eligible?","Please review Section III, Eligibility Information, Domestic Entities, which describes the requirements for the different types of eligible entities."]
[20,"2022-11-21","Eligibility","1.\tWould a thermal energy storage technology that is heated electrically and discharges with steam production provided to a combined cycle gas turbine power generation facility’s steam turbine qualify for funding under FOA-0002867 Areas of Interest 2B and/or 2C?\n2.\tWould a thermal energy storage technology that is heated electrically and discharges with steam production to a coal power generation facility’s steam turbine qualify for funding under FOA-0002867 Areas of Interest 2B and/or 2C?","Please refer to Section I.A.i which states \"while LDES technologies can include non-bidirectional storage technologies that increase flexibility for generating stations (such as nuclear or fossil energy), such technologies are also supported through other provisions in the BIL. As a result... generation flexibility technologies are specifically not of interest in this FOA\" and Section I.C which states \"Applications that propose non-bidirectional storage technologies (i.e., input and output must be electricity)\" are not of interest."]
[21,"2022-11-21","Eligibility","Do load assets with embedded storage, that allow loads that would otherwise be on the grid to be turned off for over 10 hours, count as LDES?\n\nAn Electric Thermal Storage heating system can be used to absorb abundant renewable generation for over 10 hours, and avoid drawing any grid electricity for over 10 hours. Such a behind the meter resource would look exactly like a bidirectional storage technology whose input and output are electricity.\n\nDoes such a system run afoul of Section 1C bullet 5 (p.45) which says that :\n\n\"Applications that propose non-bidirectional storage technologies” will not be allowed (i.e., input and output must be electricity)","DOE defines LDES as systems capable of delivering electricity for 10 or more hours in duration. There are additional requirements for each Area of Interest. Please refer to Section B for further guidance.\n\nIf the electric thermal storage is only being used for heating and does not convert the heat back to electricity then the technology is not off interest for this FOA."]
[22,"2022-11-21","OCED Exchange","I have a question about the maximum length of the abstract for the Letter of Intent for the LDES Demonstration FOA. The announcement says 4000 words maximum for the abstract but the online form for the Letter of Intent says 4000 characters. Is it 4000 words or characters for the Letter of Intent? ","The FOA should state 4,000 characters and will be amended in a FOA modification."]
[23,"2022-11-21","Other","Will demonstration projects that receive DOE funding also be eligible to receive federal investment tax credits (ITC) on the costs not covered by the DOE funding? ","DOE cannot provide tax advice and recommends directing questions about whether an applicant qualifies for the referenced Investment Tax Credit (or any other federal tax credit) to a tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service."]
[24,"2022-11-21","Cost Sharing","If demonstration projects will be able to receive federal investment tax credit on project costs that are not covered by the DOE funding, will those costs count toward the required cost share component? For example for a $60M project, that receives a 50% DOE award of $30M, would the remaining $30M investment be eligible for the federal ITC (e.g., at 30% ITC, or $10M). And if so, would that $10M count to the applicant’s cost share? ","Please see Section III, Eligibility, Subsection B.  Cost Share, which states in part: Federal financing, such as DOE Loan Guarantees, cannot be leveraged by applicants to provide the required LDES Demonstration cost share or to otherwise cover the same scope that is proposed under the LDES Demonstration. Also, in general deferred or avoided costs such as tax credits may not be used as cost share ."]
[25,"2022-11-21","Other","Would demonstration projects of one large project be viewed less favorably than an aggregate of multiple smaller projects (equal the larger project in size)?","No, the purpose of having multiple locations is to allow proposed demonstration projects to demonstrate their technologies in multiple regions if an applicant so desires."]
[26,"2022-11-21","Eligibility","For Topic Area 2 (non-lithium based energy storage systems) proposed team members listed on page 11 excludes utilities, IPPs and other electric utility industry participants; why were these entities excluded? ","The language states \"may include\" and does not exclude utilities, IPPs and other electric utility industry participants."]
[27,"2022-11-21","Other","For Topic Area 2 (non-lithium based energy storage systems), is there a maximum project size for behind-the-meter (BTM) individual projects or for aggregates of multiple BTM projects?","There is no maximum project size limit for any of the AOIs. "]
[28,"2022-11-21","Eligibility","For Topic Area 2 (non-lithium based energy storage systems), for behind-the-meter (BTM) projects, what is that target TRL level of technology maturity? Does it differ for Front of The Meter? ","Please refer to Section B.iv. of the FOA for preferred technology readiness levels. DOE intends these projects to be for full-scale demonstrations and encourages applicants to focus on integrated system technologies that have completed TRL 6 (pilot scale demonstration) or higher. DOE views LDES projects that have rated power under 100 kW as pilot scale which is why DOE created a 100 kW floor for BTM demonstration projects that have multiple demonstration sites. The FOA specifically states \"These demonstrations are intended to validate technologies that have progressed beyond pilot scale (less than 100 kW output) but are not yet ready to demonstrate at grid-scale. \""]
[29,"2022-11-21","Cost Sharing","When DOE states that vendors and contractors may not provide cost share, how does DOE define vendors and contractors?","Please review 2 CFR § 200.331 Subrecipient and contractor determinations."]
[30,"2022-11-21","Budget/Costs","If a proposal only initially requests a 50% project share by the DOE of $25M (for a $50M project) against a $30M 50% cost share limit, would the DOE increase its 50% cost share funding up to the $30M limit if the in project costs increase to $60M as the project evolves through the stages 2-4?  Or would the DOEs 50% match be limited to the initial request for $25M.","Please see Section III, Eligibility, Subsection B.  Cost Share, which states:  DOE funding is limited to the award amounts listed in Section II.A.i; therefore, any cost increases to the negotiated total project cost must be covered by additional non-federal cost share."]
[31,"2022-11-22","Other","AOI 2A is seeking proposals for LDES demonstrations for behind-the-meter (not connected to the Bulk Power System) applications that are able to charge and discharge at full rated power between 10 and 24 hours. \n\nA utility engineer would typically think of behind-the-meter as located on a customer site and operating in parallel with the distribution system. Is this the scope of project you are seeking?","Section I.B.ii of the FOA defines behind-the-meter as not connected to the Bulk Power System. This can be interpreted as systems that are behind an end-customer's meter (located between a customer and the local distribution utility) or behind the master meter at the local distribution utility. "]
[32,"2022-11-22","Other","AOI 2B is seeking proposals for LDES demonstrations for front-of-meter applications that are able to discharge between 10 and 24 hours. Proposed demonstrations are required to connect directly to the Bulk Power System as defined by 18 CFR § 39.1. \n\nIn reviewing the definition in 18 CFR § 39.1, I understand Bulk Power System to mean the transmission system. Are projects connected to the transmission system in scope for AOI 2B, and projects connected to the distribution system out of scope?","Correct. 18 CFR § 39.1 states \"Bulk-Power System means facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electric energy transmission network (or any portion thereof), and electric energy from generating facilities needed to maintain transmission system reliability. The term does not include facilities used in the local distribution of electric energy.\" A resource that is connected to the transmission system will be subject to NERC reliability rules. DOE sees NERC compliance as a valuable external validation for a new technology – it takes a lot of internal process controls and operator training to follow the reliability rules, which is an important step in getting a technology ready for mass commercial deployment."]
[33,"2022-11-22","Application Content/Format","I was wondering if you can elaborate a bit on the abstract requirements for DE-FOA-0002867: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW: LONG-DURATION ENERGY STORAGE DEMONSTRATIONS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.\n\nIs there any special format/type that we should follow? Are there any templates available?","Applicants must fill out and submit a Letter of Intent directly in the OCED Exchange system by clicking on the create Letter of Intent button (https://oced-exchange.energy.gov/) by the specified due date and in time to be eligible to submit a full application. \n\nEach applicant must fill out all the required information contained in the OCED Exchange system by clicking on create letter of intent.\n\nThe abstract provided should not be more than 4,000 characters in length and should provide a truncated explanation of the proposed project."]
[34,"2022-11-22","Other","Per the definition of “Bulk Power System”, does DOE intend for the front-of-meter projects to exclude distribution connected projects? What category should distribution connected projects apply for?  ","Please refer to our answer for question 32. For projects designed around distribution systems, applicants may consider to design their projects as a BTM system and apply for Area 2A.\n\nSection I.B.ii of the FOA defines behind-the-meter as not connected to the Bulk Power System. This can be interpreted as systems that are behind an end-customer's meter (located between a customer and the local distribution utility) or behind the master meter at the local distribution utility. "]
[35,"2022-11-22","Other","Does DOE’s definition of behind-the-meter vs front-of-meter take into account whether or not projects are able to participate in the wholesale market? If so, how?","Participating in the wholesale market is not a target of this FOA."]
[36,"2022-11-23","Other","Can one letter of intent (LOI) have multiple technologies for the same location/project? We are technology agnostic and have only narrowed down a short list.\n\nGiven the short time frame of the LOI’s deadline and the full application’s 03/2023 deadline, it is possible we may change technology or developers before or after the application has been submitted. To hedge against this, we are negotiating w/ multiple developers simultaneously and the EPC/technology provider must be provided in the “team member” tab of the application. \n\nIs it possible to edit/update the information (abstract, team members, etc.) provided in our application? Or should we submit multiple LOIs for the same project & location, differentiated by technology?","Per the FOA: Each Full Application must be limited to a single concept.  Each application must have a separate Letter of Intent.  Please see the Content and Form of the Letter of Intent section in the FOA, which states in part: Applicants are not bound to the statements made in the Letter of Intent, it is reasonable for project partners, locations, or other factors to change during the application development process."]
[37,"2022-11-23","Eligibility","Can the proposed project(s) have 8 hour duration and provide evidence, plan, and methodology showing the duration can be extended to 10 or more hour? Or is the 10 hour requirement firm?"," Proposed demonstrations must have durations of at least 10 hours. Please refer to Section I.B of the FOA for AOI specific targets."]
[38,"2022-11-23","Other","I've recently seen the DOE OCED FOAs for the \"LDES Demonstration\" and the national lab call as well (both attached). Will there be a separate FOA coming out for smaller, lower TRL demos as described under 41001(b) \"demo initiatives\" RFI? Seems like the attached FOA corresponds to the 41001(a) \"demo projects\" and \"pilot grants,\" but it wasn't super clear in the FOA itself.","The RFI was to solicit feedback from stakeholders. DOE will not comment on any possible future funding opoortunities. "]
[39,"2022-11-23","Other","How many LOIs should be submitted for the following situation? 3 technologies at location A & 1 technology at location B (different technology from location A). Put another way, 2 locations: 1 with multiple technologies, the other with 1 technology, where location 1 & 2 do not share the same technologies ","The FOA states “If an entity intends to submit multiple full applications to this FOA, an individual letter of intent and associated control number is required for each full application intended for submission.” (See Content and Form of the Letter of Intent).\n\nIt is DOE’s intent to fund projects that are limited to a single concept demonstrated at no more than five demonstration sites, to show how the proposed technology will perform in varying geographies, climates, population densities, and other settings. Please carefully review the Topic Area Descriptions section of the FOA for details on the types of projects DOE will fund."]
[40,"2022-11-25","Eligibility","I plan to apply for DE-FOA-0002867: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW: LONG-DURATION ENERGY STORAGE DEMONSTRATIONS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY. Our company is not based in the US. As much as I found out, we should fill two waivers to be eligible for this funding. I was wondering if filling them is needed for the LOI (Dec. 15th deadline), or we can send them later (by Mar. 3rd).","Pleae review Section III, Eligibility Information, Subsection A. Eligible Applicants, which states in part: A foreign entity may submit a full application to this FOA but the full application must be accompanied by an explicit written waiver request. Likewise, if the applicant seeks to include a foreign entity as a subrecipient, the applicant must submit a separate explicit written waiver request in the full application for each proposed foreign subrecipient.\n"]
[41,"2022-11-28","Eligibility","Please provide clarification as to whether the 5 MW requirement needs to be demonstrated by supplying electrical power to the grid or if the system’s power rating can be demonstrated by other means, e.g., a measured steam supply for district heating. Additionally, please confirm whether the 5 MW requirement can be 5 MWth or must be 5 MWe.","Please see response to question 20. The 5MW requirement must be 5 MWe."]
[42,"2022-11-28","Other","On the OCED Exchange website, the Letter of Intent has a 4000-character limitation, which is vastly different from 4000 words. Will the website be updated to reflect the text in the FOA, or is the actual limit to be 4000 characters?","The FOA should state 4,000 characters and has been amended in a FOA modification."]
[43,"2022-11-28","Other","Can one letter of intent (LOI) have multiple technologies for the same location/project? Many utilities are technology agnostic.","Please see response to question 36."]
[44,"2022-11-28","Application Content/Format","Given the short time frame of the LOI’s deadline and the full application’s 03/2023 deadline, the technology or developers may change before or after the application has been submitted. Is it possible to edit/update the information (abstract, team members, etc.) provided in the application after submitting? Or should we submit multiple LOIs for the same project & location, differentiated by technology? Please advise.","Please refer to the response for questions 36. Additionally, Applicants are not bound to the statements made in the Letter of Intent, it is reasonable for project partners, locations, or other factors to change during the application development process."]
[45,"2022-11-28","Other","Can the proposed project(s) have 8 hour duration and provide evidence, plan, and methodology showing the duration can be extended to 10 or more hour? Or is the 10 hour requirement firm?","Please see response to question 37."]
[46,"2022-11-28","Other","Are awarded projects in any Topic Area and their associated Areas of Interest for DE-FOA-0002867 also eligible to obtain benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits at the same time? Or does one exclude the other from consideration?","Please see response to question 23."]
[47,"2022-11-28","Other","Under the topic area requirements there is a technical requirement that “Applications should only include technologies/processes that are able to reach round trip DC-DC efficiencies of at least 50%.”   Is this requirement that the technology should have a path to reach 50% RTE or is able is able to meet it for the demonstration?  Will DOE consider technologies that are not quite at 50% but have a technical path to reach 50%?  Will DOE consider lowering or removing the RTE requirement? ","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[48,"2022-11-28","Other","The FOA specifies a round-trip efficiency requirement of 50% DC to DC. For non-battery technologies that natively charge and discharge with AC power due to AC motors/generators, how do we account for round-trip efficiency? Actual implementations of these systems will not convert back to/from DC; they will synchronize to the grid directly with AC power, which should yield an advantage over DC-DC technologies that will take an efficiency loss for the DC-AC conversions.","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[49,"2022-11-29","OCED Exchange","The solicitation says that the Letter of Intent can be up to 4000 words, but the portal restricts the abstract to 4000 characters. Which length should we plan to submit? ","The FOA should state 4,000 characters and has been amended in a FOA modification."]
[50,"2022-11-29","OCED Exchange","Is there any way to go back and edit a Letter of Intent once it is created, prior to the due date of Dec. 15th? When using the EERE website it allowed us to create the initial Letter of Intent and go back and edit it as needed. Therefore, I tried to do the same on the OCED website but accidentally submitted an incomplete letter. If there is no way to go back and make any changes, how can I go about getting the letter of intent under control number: XXXX-XXXX removed? ","Please contact OCED-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for all technical issues involving OCED Exchange."]
[51,"11/30.2022","Other","Could the DOE share the rationale for the minimum 50% DC-DC RTE requirement? Does the requirement assume a specific use case of the battery? Is the 50% RTE adjusted on a sliding scale for the duration of the storage technology? \n\nIf battery technologies do not meet the minimum 50% DC-DC RTE requirement, but can demonstrate a path to achieving the Energy Storage Grand Challenge goal of $0.05/kWh LCOS by 2030, can these technologies be considered? \n\nIf a utility customer has validated the techno-economic viability of a battery technology to deliver an affordable, zero-carbon grid, can this technology be considered, even if it does not achieve the minimum 50% DC-DC RTE requirement?\n\nHow would the DOE apply the 50% RTE requirement to a single project that leverages multiple battery technologies?","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated.\n\nPlease refer to section I.B for topic area requirements.\n\nPer the FOA: Each Full Application must be limited to a single concept. "]
[52,"2022-11-30","OCED Exchange","In the Full Funding Opportunity Announcement it states “Each applicant must fill out all the required information contained in the OCED Exchange system by clicking on create letter of intent.”\n\nWhen I go to the FOA I don’t see the LOI document. Can you direct me to where I can find the LOI document?","Please see Content and Form of the Letter of Intent, which states in part:  Applicants must fill out and submit a Letter of Intent directly in the OCED Exchange system by clicking on the create Letter of Intent button (https://oced-exchange.energy.gov/) by the specified due date and in time to be eligible to submit a full application."]
[53,"2022-12-01","Other","Can you confirm that the 4000 word abstract will not be used to screen projects. Is there any guideline as to what type of information is required or desired?","Please refer to Section IV.C. Letters of intent will be used by OCED to plan the merit review process. The letters should not contain any proprietary or sensitive business information. The letters will not be used for down-selection purposes and do not commit an applicant to submit an application. Applicants are not bound to the statements made in the Letter of Intent, it is reasonable for project partners, locations, or other factors to change during the application development process. DOE will not provide feedback on the letters of intent. DOE will not review or consider ineligible letters of intent."]
[54,"2022-12-01","Other","Do we need to select \"team members\" in the Letter of Intent or can we select them later? The main issue is we will probably not be able to determine the percentage of project for each of them at that stage","Applicants are not bound to the statements made in the Letter of Intent, it is reasonable for project partners, locations, or other factors to change during the application development process."]
[55,"2022-12-01","Other","in the LOI, are\"team members\" synonymous for subrecipients ?","Team members include subrecipients and any other collaborating organizations."]
[56,"2022-12-01","Eligibility","We are a company (and have multiple affiliates) incorporated in the United States where we have significant operations and employ hundreds of people. However, our ultimate parent company is a public company incorporated and listed in the Netherlands. Do we need to fill in a Waiver for Foreign Entity Participation?","Please refer to Section IV.D.xviii, Waiver Requests, Foreign Entity Participation.\nFor projects selected under this FOA, as set forth in Section III.A.ii., all prime recipients and subrecipients 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. To request a waiver of this requirement, the applicant must submit an explicit waiver request in the Full Application. Appendix E of the FOA lists the information that must be included in a waiver request."]
[57,"2022-12-01","Eligibility","The FOA states \"Applications that propose non-bidirectional storage technologies (i.e., input and output must be electricity) “ \n\nThe question is, by this statement, is DOE specifically excluding a CAES proposal that would sometimes consume fuel to to boost electricity output back to the grid and extend storage duration?","DOE is not specifically excluding any energy storage technology. Please refer to Section I.B for further guidance for each AOI. \n\nPlease note that Section I.A.i states \"In evaluating projects otherwise eligible for this FOA, DOE intends to preference projects that have the greatest greenhouse gas mitigation impact.\""]
[58,"2022-12-01","Eligibility","The chapter “Applications Specifically Not of Interest” (pages 44/45) explicitly excludes technologies with lower than 50% DC to DC roundtrip efficiency. However, LDES technologies using high-temperature sensible heat are using resistive heating for charging and thermal cycles with rotating turbogenerators for discharging. Therefore, no Direct Current (DC) or AC-DC conversion is needed. Does this mean that for the technologies using AC only, no minimum threshold roundtrip efficiency is stipulated?","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[59,"2022-12-01","Eligibility","The chapter “Applications Specifically Not of Interest” (pages 44/45) explicitly excludes technologies with lower than 50% DC to DC roundtrip efficiency. However, is a project with LDES technologies using high-temperature sensible heat technology, which can reach per-se 50+% efficiency in a new build application (e.g. discharge per ultra-supercritical double-reheat steam cycle with new boiler and turbine), but decides to re-use existing steam plant equipment with lower than 50% efficiency for economic reasons (lower CAPEX), eligible for funding under this FOA?","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated. Systems that do not convert to electric power themselves do not qualify."]
[60,"2022-12-02","Application Content/Format","Is a UEI required to submit the LOI? Or, is it only needed when the full application is submitted? It looks like it is but I want to confirm this.","System for Award Management (SAM) registration is not required for Letters of Intent submissions. Applicants are required to be registered in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting its full application and provide a valid UEI number in its full application.\n\nNOTE: Due to the high demand of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process. Applicants should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible."]
[61,"2022-12-02","Eligibility","Can you please clarify if we can submit a hybrid system that stores energy as CAES as well as generates ammonia via hydrogen electrolysis for longer term storage and conversion back to electricity? The [FOA] indicates this is not acceptable. Thanks","Please see response to question 11."]
[62,"2022-12-04","Eligibility","Would DOE consider an amendment to the 50% round trip DC-DC efficiency (RTE) eligibility requirement?  Instead of establishing a minimum RTE, applicants shall include their project’s RTE, in DC-DC or AC-AC contingent on technology. Respondents could be required to discuss potential pathways to 50% if it doesn’t meet the metric or why this metric is not the primary driver for technology selection.  Based on our analysis, upfront energy capacity cost and elimination of renewable curtailment are more important factors.  We also find that repowering fossil plants with thermal energy storage that may not meet the RTE metric in the FOA would still result in significant benefits related to workforce strategy for an equitable energy transition and provide a pathway towards the ESGC goal of $0.05/kWh LCOS by 2030.","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirctional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[63,"2022-12-05","Other","The FOA states “In general deferred or avoided costs such as tax credits may not be used as cost share.”\nA)            Does DOE intend this to mean that the project applicants are prohibited from qualifying for a tax credit for their cost-share contribution to a DOE funded project? \nB)            If applicants receive a tax credit at In-Service Date for their investment in a DOE funded project, would DOE place any requirements on the applicant, in relation to that tax credit?","Please see responses to questions 23 and 24."]
[64,"2022-12-05","Other","Is a Letter of Intent (LOI) required for each Area of Interest if multiple Areas of Interest are being considered for a single project? ","A Letter of Intent must be submitted for each AOI you plan to apply to."]
[65,"2022-12-05","Other","When will the FOA Modification, referred to in the question and answer log, be issued? Will the due date of March 3 be extended as a result of this modification?","FOA Mod 000001 was released on 12/7/22. At this time DOE does not anticipate changing the Full Application submission date of March 3, 2023."]
[66,"2022-12-05","Other","For Topic 2B, DOE answered a question (#32) and referred to NERC reliability rules for transmission connected systems. Do these NERC reliability rules cover resources as small as 5MW? The NERC requirements could add significant cost to a project of this size which may make the installation financially unfeasible.","As stated in the response to question 32 \"DOE sees NERC compliance as a valuable external validation for a new technology – it takes a lot of internal process controls and operator training to follow the reliability rules, which is an important step in getting a technology ready for mass commercial deployment.\""]
[67,"2022-12-05","Other","For Topic 2B, the requirement for interconnection to the electric energy transmission network could add a lot of expense and make economics challenging for these projects. This requirement has the potential to discourage project submittals.  Does connection through an existing utility substation on either utility property or private property meet the intent DOE is looking to prove?","Please see response to question 32."]
[68,"2022-12-05","Other","Considering the size of these projects, the teaming and coordination required, and the financial aspects including funding, risk and timing of the projects, along with end of year accounting and holidays, is it possible to extend the due date of the final submission by 1 month until April 3? ","At this time DOE does not anticipate changing the Full Application submission date of March 3, 2023."]
[69,"2022-12-05","Other","Does the 4,000 character limit on the abstract include spaces as characters?","Yes, the character limit includes spaces as characters."]
[70,"2022-12-06","Eligibility","We are planning to submit a letter of intent, but we’d like more information on the rationale behind the 50% RTE minimum for the 24+ hour LDES demonstration.\n\nIn Questions 18 and 5, you state that 50% minimum DC-DC RTE is required for a “PV-dominated grid, where the predominant duty cycle is daily cycling.” Can you clarify how this expected daily duty cycle interacts with the desire stated in Topic Area 2C “for a LDES demonstration to prove out a viable technology for applications requiring weekly, monthly, or seasonal durations …“?  Is your expectation that the desired weekly, monthly, or seasonal duration technologies will also cycle daily?","DOE has decided to forgo the Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) requirement. Proposed LDES systems must still be bidirectional - whether it is DC-DC or AC-AC is no longer stipulated."]
[71,"2022-12-07",null,"If we had a storage project connected to the low-voltage distribution system (not the Bulk Power System as defined in the FOA at the transmission level) but not \"behind-the-meter\" on a customer site, would that project quality for AOI 2A?\nIn the RFI, there was an objective to leverage storage as a non-wires alternative, which would suggest that these types of projects were originally of interest (see below). Is this objective no longer part of the program objectives? \n•\t“3. To optimize transmission or distribution system operation and power quality to defer or avoid costs of replacing or upgrading electric grid infrastructure, including transformers and substations.”","Section I.B.ii of the FOA defines behind-the-meter as not connected to the Bulk Power System. This can be interpreted as systems that are behind an end-customer's meter (located between a customer and the local distribution utility) or behind the master meter at the local distribution utility.\n\nPlease refer to Section I.B. for further guidance on types of projects DOE is interested in."]
[72,"2022-12-07",null,"Do applicants need to have a UEI at time of LOI submission, or if it is acceptable to check the N/A box in the fillable template. The organization in question would have a UEI at time of Full Application submission","Please see response for question 60."]
[73,"2022-12-08",null,"The minimum grant for this FOA is $9.5MM.  Does that mean the DOE will award 9.5 and we as applicants produce the other 9.5MM,  or is it split at $4.75MM Please advise?\n\nMoreover, we have submitted LOI details on OCED for this FOA.  The application instructions state that the letter of intent is limited to 4000 words.  The web portal has a field entitled “abstract” that’s limited to 4000 characters.  Is there a way to upload the actual LOI or is the abstract field used in lieu of an actual letter?","Funding amounts stated in the FOA reflect the Federal Share for the total projects cost. Cost share must be at least 50%.\n\nSee Section III.D and Appendix D of the FOA for Cost Share Information.\n\nThe FOA has been modified to state \"4000 characters\". Please submit responses in appropriate fields on OCED eXCHANGE."]
[74,"2022-12-08",null,"1.  In trying to understand what details of our proposed project would be most relevant to you in preparing the Letter of Intent;  I 'clicked' on the \"APPLY\" Button and scrolled down to \"CREATE LETTER OF INTENT\" Button.  BUT:  System will not let me  access further until fill in all previous boxes - which I am not quite ready to do, yet.\nSO:  where can I find what elements I should include in my Letter of Intent, so I can be fully prepared when actually submitting?\n \n2.  When I follow the instructions on how to download SF-424 and SF-LLL, I get error messages saying file corrupted and can not be open.  When  I go to Grants.gov, I get 4 different \"FAMILY\" options for SF-424, and then dozens of sub-options.  Searching for SF-LLL, I get 166 options.\nSO:  how can I download non-corrupted versions of the correct forms?","Please contact OCED-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for all technical issues involving OCED Exchange.\n\nRefer to section IV.C of the FOA for guidance on how and what to submit for the LOI.\n\nSome application forms can be found at:\nhttps://www.energy.gov/eere/funding/eere-funding-application-and-management-forms "]
[75,"2022-12-08",null,"The FOA states, \"applicants are encouraged to focus on integrated system technologies that have completed TRL 6 or higher.\" Do technologies need to have achieved TRL 6+ pre-proposal, or will technologies currently on their way to being TRL 6+ (and will be TRL 6+ prior to any award) be acceptable? ","It is up to the applicant's discretion on whether or not they believe that they are able to satisfy the FOA requirements. Please see Section III. Eligibility, Subsection G. Questions Regarding Eligibility, which states DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[76,"2022-12-08",null,"AOI 2A seeks proposals for LDES for behind-the-meter systems. Can you clarify where DOE views the meter in this case?\nWe see two interpretations:\n#1. Behind an end-customer's meter, located between a customer and the local distribution utility (LDC).\n#2. Behind the master meter at the LDC. This meter is located between the LDC and the transmission system.\n \nDOE's response to Question 34 seems to support interpretation #2. Whereas DOE's response to Question 31 seems to support interpretation #1.\n \nFor AOI 2A, does DOE seek proposals for interpretation #1, interpretation #2, or both?","Section I.B.ii of the FOA defines behind-the-meter as not connected to the Bulk Power System. Both interpretations mentioned are permissible. Responses to questions 31 and 34 have been updated to provide clarification."]
[77,"2022-12-08",null,"AOI 2B seeks proposals for LDES demonstrations required to connect directly to the Bulk Power System as defined by 18CFR Section 39.1.  Is it possible to get further clarification of this definition as it relates to the 7-factor test under FERC Order 773?  Note the similarity in terminology between “Bulk Power System” and “bulk electric system”.\nSpecifically, consider a scenario where an LDES demonstration project will be connected to an integral part of the regional transmission system at 120kV.  However, this substation is not part of the “bulk electric system” as defined under FERC Order 773. Will such a project be eligible for AOI 2B or 2C if it is not part of the “bulk electric system” per FERC Order 773 while being part of the Bulk Power System per 18 CFR Section 39.1?","A project qualifies for AOI 2B or 2C if it connects to the 18 CFR 39.1 Bulk Power System, independent of its status under FERC Order 773."]
[78,"2022-12-09",null,"•\tDoes an LOI need to be submitted for a project to be able to subsequently submit a bid in March?\n•\tCan the Lead Organization given in the LOI change for the actual bid? Or once specified, does the Lead Organization become fixed? Similarly, do the specified Team Members in the LOI also need to remain the same for the bid or can they be changed?\n•\tCan multiple LOIs for the same project but with different Lead Organizations be submitted? Or will this be disallowed?\n•\tCan a generic LOI be submitted stating that the Lead Organization is considering bidding on a particular Topic and Area Of Interest without specifying the project and/or Team Members and in this way secure the potential to submit an actual bid?","Please refer to Section IV.C of the FOA."]
[79,"2022-12-09",null,"Is there a community benefits plan scoring rubric for DE-FOA-0002867? \n\nWe noticed this FOA scoring rubric (FOA TEMPLATE SCORING RUBRIC FINAL_CM.xlsx (doe.gov)), but are unsure if this applies to all FOAs or just the GRIP FOA. ","Please refer to Section V.A.2 for review criteria."]
[80,"2022-12-09",null,"The DOE-FOA-0002867 offers two topics: Topic 1 for Lithium and Topic 2 for non-Lithium.  It appears that Topic 1 is intended for solid state lithium batteries (such as those found in EVs).  If the proposed technology is a version of a redox flow battery (possibly with Lithium particles), should it be submitted under Topic 2 (as a flow battery)?","It is up to the applicant's discretion for which Topic Area their proposed technology best fits. Please refer to Section I.B of the FOA for more information on eligible technologies."]
[81,"2022-12-09",null,"Chilled water and ice thermal energy storage are well established technologies in the United States.  Electric chillers charge thermal storage off-peak to reduce the electric demand on-peak when cooling is required.  This is analogous to electricity storage.  Does chilled water and ice thermal energy storage technology qualify under the category of “Thermal – Low Temperature Storage” in the current FOA?","Applications that propose non-bidirectional storage technologies (i.e., input and output must be electricity) are not of interest as stated in Section I.C. of the FOA."]
[82,"2022-12-11",null,"I have been advised that a joint application with some of my partner organizations would be well suited for the purpose of this FOA. I know the deadline is currently 12/22/22 but I wanted to inquire if there has/will be an open-access conference call regarding this bulletin? Or if there are more details that can be found outside of the company page? ","Please refer to the response for question 15.\n\nPlease visit OCED eXCHANGE (https://oced-exchange.energy.gov) for more information about this FOA."]
[83,"2022-12-12",null,"Can we click “create LOI” now and input draft language and will the system save it?   Or will there be another button that says “submit” in subsequent screens, or will we be officially submitting our LOI once we click on “create LOI”?","When the Applicant clicks on the “Apply” button within the FOA on OCED Exchange, they will be directed to complete all required information fields for the LOI. Once they click “Create LOI” at the bottom of this page, their LOI will automatically be submitted, they will be assigned a control number, and they will be permitted to move into the Full Application stage of the FOA.\n\nPlease contact OCED-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for all technical issues involving OCED Exchange."]
[84,"2022-12-13","Other","“Lead Organization Percentage Effort” - Is there instruction/ expected minimum percentage associated with this or do you leave it up to the project planning and management of the participating organizations? We just want to make sure we are aligned with DOE’s goals for this funding opportunity. ","The FOA does not stipulate an expected minimum percentage effort for lead organizations."]
[85,"2022-12-13","Budget/Costs","With regard to DOE’s DE-FOA-0002867 - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations, I’d like to ask clarification on your response to question #23 and #24. First, if a project receives funding from the DOE’s project, is it also allowed to claim the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC)? If so, how is the project budget required to account for the value of the 30% ITC? For example, for a $20M project that applies for 50% DOE funding, which of the following is correct? \n\n1.\tDOE 50% cost share is applied to 100% of the total project cost, and does not account for the 30% ITC (e.g., $20M x 50% so DOE cost share is $10M); or \n2.\tDOE 50% cost share is applied, but only after the total project cost is adjusted to account for the ITC benefit (e.g., $20M - $6M (~30% ITC) = $14M x 50% so DOE cost share is $7M).","As noted in our response to Question 23, DOE cannot provide tax advice and recommends directing questions about whether an applicant qualifies for the referenced Investment Tax Credit (or any other federal tax credit) to a tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service. However, should an applicant qualify for any tax credits, DOE does not intend to offset those tax credits by reducing the DOE share of project costs."]
[86,"2022-12-13","Eligibility","Our team is looking for clarification of Section 1.A.i, would a system co-located with a source of low-grade steam that adds a parallel storage system that adds capacity to the plant and has electricity as both its input and output qualify? We are looking at thermal storage systems that superheat geothermal or waste heat steam. An analogy would be pumped storage co-located at a hydro-electric facility that increases the hydro-electric plant’s capacity. From an energy accounting perspective, the energy going into and coming out of the storage is distinct from that being produced by the host plant.","As stated in Section I.A.i \"non-bidirectional storage technologies that increase flexibility for generating stations are not of interest.\" Please refer to Section I.B.i for further guidance on requirements for each Areas of Interest. "]
[87,"2022-12-13","Eligibility","We have a question that is similar to two others In the Administrative Question and Answer Log, Question #6 and Question #37, which concern the definition of duration. Question #37 asks if an 8 hour project could show a duration of 10 hours, presumably with a lower output during the discharge period, and they ask if their project would meet the requirements of this funding opportunity. The answer from DOE is that the energy storage systems must discharge at full rated power for 10 hours. \n\nWould the DOE consider softening this stance in order to get projects that are more useful to utilities? Our company has a similar predicament as the company that asked question #37 in that our storage project is targeted to deliver 8 hours at full rating, but it has the ability to discharge at 80% for 10 hours or 50% for 16 hours. ","As stated in Section I.A and I.B of the FOA, the intent of this FOA is to provide the opportunity to accelerate commercialization of emerging (TRL7-8) Long Duration Energy Storage technologies that are able to discharge at rated power for 10+ hours (24+ hrs for AOI2C). As stated in Section I.C of the FOA, \"Applications that fall outside the technical parameters specified in Section I.A. and I.B. of the FOA\" are not of intetest. "]
[88,"2022-12-14","Eligibility","We had a clarifying question on FOA-0002777 - BIL Section 41001 Energy Storage Demonstration Projects. Would a storage system connected to a distribution substation qualify for AOI 2A or 2B? Our interpretation from the DOE responses to questions 31, 32 and 34 in the published Q&A log is that AOI 2A would be appropriate.","Please see response to question 76."]
[89,"2022-12-16","Other","Could you help clarify the requirements? Is it 100 KW for 10 hrs or 500 KW for 10 hrs? Is 100 KW the minimum requirement but 500 KW encouraged? And if the 500 kW is encouraged, we can choose 5 locations of 100 kW each or 2 locations of 250 kW each, as long as the sum is more than 500 kW. Is this correct? ","That is correct. FOR AOI 2A demonstration proposals are required to have an aggregated output of at least 500 kW across all demonstration sites (if multiple demonstration sites are part of the proposal) with each individual demonstration site’s output being no less than 100 kW. Please refer to Section I.B.i and Section I.B.ii for guidance on each AOI. "]
[90,"2022-12-16","Other","Can DOE please reconsider requiring that FTM applications be defined as transmission-system assets? ","Please see response to question 32. DOE sees NERC compliance as a valuable external validation for a new technology – it takes a lot of internal process controls and operator training to follow the reliability rules, which is an important step in getting a technology ready for mass commercial deployment."]
[91,"2022-12-16","Other","In the answer to Question 34, it is suggested that for “projects designed around distribution systems, applicants may consider to design their projects as a BTM system and apply for Area 2A.”  However, the FOA states that Topic 2A is “intended to validate technologies that have progressed beyond pilot scale (less than 100 kW output) but are not yet ready to demonstrate at grid-scale.”  Therefore, Topic 2A is not well suited for technologies that have already been demonstrated in some MW-scale in real-world LDES applications but are not fully commercial, e.g., vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs).","Please see response to question 76."]
[92,"2022-12-19","Application Content/Format","I am assisting a client who is preparing a LOI for the above reference NOFA. The team is proposing 3 demonstration projects. Two demonstrations fall under Topic Area 2B project while the third qualifies under Topic Area 2A.  Are we allowed to package these three efforts under one LOI or do they need to be separated? If they can be packaged together, which Topic Area do you recommend we select on the drop down list?","Please see response to questions 36, 39, and 64."]
[93,"2022-12-19","Budget/Costs","Special Equipment is generally allowable as a direct cost to a Federal Award with the prior approval of the Awarding Agency for equipment costing over $5,000; with the use of federal funds for the purchase of this equipment, ownership can vest with either the program team or funding agency according to the funder’s terms and conditions. \n\nFor projects awarded under this funding opportunity, does the Department of Energy intend to retain ownership of equipment purchased with federal funds awarded under this grant or is some other ownership model expected, given the nature of the proposed projects under Topic area 2 (Non-lithium technologies)?","Please refer to Section VIII.H of the FOA. "]
[94,"2022-12-19","Application Content/Format","We are interested in submitting a Letter of Intent for the Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstration FOA.  Is a UEI Number required to submit the LOI—or just the application?","Please see response to questions 8 and 60."]
[95,"2022-12-19","Other","Please provide clarification for the following. What the accurate kW requirement for AOI 1B? Below are statements from the FOA.\n\nTA1 Objective: The objective for Topic Area 1 is to enable lithium based LDES technologies for energy storage by mitigating technology risk to potential buyers, or offtakers. These LDES demonstrations should have the capacity to discharge energy at a minimum of 100 kW for more than 10 hours at rated power.\n\nCriterion 1: AOI 1B – More than 500 kW for more than 10 hours at rated power.","The information provided in Section I.B is correct. FOA Mod 2 has corrected Section V.A.ii."]
[96,"2022-12-20","Eligibility","1) Can LDES Demonstrations that will demonstrate that are fully compliant with NERC reliability rules, with respect to NERC’s transmission-system reliability criteria, be proposed under Topic 2B even if the Demo System is not connected to the transmission network? 2) Are vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) systems eligible for Topic 2A?","Please see responses for questions 31 and 32 and Section I.B of the FOA for guidance on AOI requirements and  eligibility. "]
[97,"2022-12-20","Eligibility","We intend to performed a proposed research and development project with two partners.  Will we need to supply IEU numbers for these partners to apply?","Please refer to Section B.iv. of the FOA for preferred technology readiness levels. DOE intends these projects to be for full-scale demonstrations and encourages applicants to focus on integrated system technologies that have completed TRL 6 (pilot scale demonstration) or higher.\n\nPlease see response to questions 8 and 60. Subrecipients are not required to have a UEI to apply, but must have a UEI in order to receive a subaward."]
[98,"2022-12-21","OCED Exchange","I am writing regarding a technical issue I am experiencing when trying to submit a letter of intent in eXCHANGE. When doing a character count in Word and when entering the text into the eXCHANGE form, I am under the 4,000 character limit for the abstract. However, once I click on the “Create Letter of Intent” button, I get a message stating the abstract length is greater than 4,000 characters. I have tried entering this into the form several times and keep getting the same error. I have also attached the compete abstract text so you can see it is less than the 4,000 character limit. Is this a glitch in the system which will be resolved and/or can I submit the information in an alternative way?","Applicants that experience issues with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (OCED-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov)."]
[99,"2022-12-21","Other","I was reviewing the above referenced funding opportunity, DE-FOA-0002867, which relates to long-duration energy storage demonstrations.  I noted that it states that “while LDES technologies can include non-bidirectional storage technologies that increase flexibility for generating stations (such as nuclear or fossil energy), such technologies are also supported through other provisions in the BIL. As a result, Hydrogen and generation flexibility technologies are specifically not of interest in this FOA.”\n \nI am involved with a startup company that does have a storage technology that increases flexibility for nuclear generating stations. Clearly that would fall expressly outside of what DE-FOA-0002867 is aimed at.  But I’m hoping you could direct me to either (1) other funding opportunities that are aimed at such generation flexibility or (2) what the provision(s) of the BIL that support that technology are. ","Funding opportunities through OCED can be found at https://oced-exchange.energy.gov/"]
[100,"2022-12-27","Application Content/Format","Can you please clarify whether proof of site control is required to submit an application?  We would define proof of site control as an executed purchase or lease option agreement or direct ownership of the land for the intended project.  If you have a different definition of site control, can you please explain?","Please see Section I.B.iv of the FOA. The Preliminary Site Selection states that \"The plan should describe the rationale for selection of the LDES Demonstration site(s) and contain evidence of control over the LDES Demonstration site(s) or the plan to establish control over the LDES Demonstration site(s).\"\n\nThe examples provided for \"proof of site control\" in the question are fine but we are willing to consider other options if adequately explained in the business plan. "]
[101,"2022-12-27","Other","I was wondering if the \"Storage_Techno-Economic_Assessment\" template meets all of the requirements for the \"LDES Demonstration TEA and LCA Projections\" component of the Full Application? If it only meets the requirements for the TEA, what specific additional information is expected for the LCA? ","LCA is a methodology for assessing the environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a product or process which are not part of the \"Storage_Techno-Economic_Assessment\" template. Please visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/life-cycle-assessment-and-techno-economic-analysis-training for more infomation about TEA and LCA."]
[102,"2023-01-03","Other","I have a question about the “Made in America” requirement related to a CAES/green H2 project that I am applying to get funding for from the LDES FOA. Here is the problem:\n[Company] is the only company in the world making the CAES (compressed air energy storage) equipment I intend to use for my CAES/green H2 project in [state]. [Company] is the only company providing a hydrogen combustion chamber in the CAES equipment that makes possible the elimination of natural gas combustion used in the CAES process. Given that no USA company makes the equipment needed for my project, what kind of exemption can I get for my DOE LDES FOA application that promotes “Made in America”? [Company] does make the compressors here in the USA, but the advanced turbo machinery and the hydrogen combustion chamber are made in [country]. Does the fact that the CAES system compressors are made in America help?\nDo I need to apply for an exemption to DOE based on the lack of equipment for my project that is not made in the USA?\nIf the hydrogen electrolyzers are made in the USA, but are from a [foriegn company] does that satisfy the “Made in America” requirement?","We can advise Recipients to gain further information here: DOE's Implementation of the Buy America Requirement for Infrastructure Projects (https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/DOE%27s Implementation of the Buy America Preference 11-17.pdf) and here: Guidance on Submission of a DOE Buy America Requirement Waiver Request (https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/Guidance on Submission of a DOE Buy America Requirement Waiver Request 11-17.pdf),"]
[103,"2023-01-05","Other","For Area of Interest 2A (Behind-the-meter non-lithium demonstrations), in most cases the economics are more favorable for generation + bidirectional storage systems (not standalone storage). In some cases, hybrid generation + bidirectional storage systems require implementation together with a generation system for synergistic use of heat streams, hardware, etc. Although we recognize the focus of the demonstration is on validation of the storage technology, are costs associated with generation hardware in demonstrations that include construction of new generation + bidirectional storage systems allowable project costs.","Costs for construction of generation systems are not allowable under this funding opportunity. "]
[104,"2023-01-06","Application Content/Format","Can a team member from the LOI submission become the primary applicant for the FOA response, assuming the lead organization on the LOI remains integral to the team?  ","Please see the answer to question 78."]
[105,"2023-01-06","Other","Can a project with two different LDES technologies (and suppliers) be submitted under this FOA? E.g. if there’s a site (and market segment) that has a good business and a technical case for deploying two different technologies at the same site, can we include both LDES technologies under one application? If so, how should we handle the minimum sizing and aggregation requirements? E.g. if it’s under Area of Interest 2A, could we deploy 100kW/1000kWh of LDES Technology 1 and 400kW/4000kWh of LDES Technology 2 to meet the 500kW aggregated output at the minimum of 10hr duration?","As stated in response to question 39 \"It is DOE’s intent to fund projects that are limited to a single concept demonstrated at no more than five demonstration sites, to show how the proposed technology will perform in varying geographies, climates, population densities, and other settings. Please carefully review the Topic Area Descriptions section of the FOA for details on the types of projects DOE will fund.\"\n\nAlso, please see our responses to questions 10 and 89."]
[106,"2023-01-06","Other","Unfortunately, we did not have time to focus on this solicitation and prepare the necessary letter of intent.  Therefore, I am reaching out to you to see if there is any possibility for us to submit the letter of intent in order to submit an application by the March 3rd deadline?","The Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline has passed. To be eligible to submit a full application, a LOI had to have been submitted to DOE through OCED eXCHANGE on or before November 22, 2022."]
[107,"2023-01-06","Other","I had a question regarding the Storage Techno-Economic Assessment file on the calculated charge time (cell I80 – LCOS Calculator Project). \n\nHow is best to model a storage technology that as an asymmetric charge and discharge time? The project we are proposing will have a discharge duration of >10-hours but charge in 5-hours. The Storage Techno-Economic Assessment model does not allow you to change the charge time with the formula set as “Discharge Time” / Round-trip efficiency. \n\nWe will be discussing the storage technology performance in the full report however to get a representative LCOS according to the specific use case / market is it best to “hardcode” the Charge Time to reflect the business case?","Yes,  the value in cell I80 should be hard coded to reflect the specific charge time of 5 hours. They should also ensure that they are accounting for the correct power rating for their inverter in their capital costs. Or, if the storage system has independent charge and discharge power electronics, that they are reflecting the appropriate cost in their charging power electronics component.\n\nThe following is an example: in the case of a 100 kW, 10hr storage system. For 80% DOD, discharge duration at rated power of 100 kW is 8 hours, or discharge energy of 800 kWh. If RTE = 0.80, required charge energy = 800 kWh/0.80 = 1000 kWh. If the desired charge time is 5 hours, the required charge power = 1000 kWh/5 hours = 200 kW. The cost of the inverter in this scenario, should be reflective of the 200 kW."]
[108,"2023-01-09","Other","On page two of the FOA, it notes “This FOA will solicit plans for all four phases of proposed LDES Demonstration activities.” However, on page 18 it says, “While is FOA is soliciting plans for all 4 phases of LDES Demonstration project, DOE will only initially commit to funding Phase 1 activities.” \n\nOur team has submitted our letter of intent and have been invited to submit a full application. We have identified that our project is in Phase 4.  Based on the above notes in the FOA, it is unclear if DOE will commit to funding a project that isn’t in Phase 1 at the launch of the demonstration. \n\nPlease clarify. Can we receive funding for a demonstration project that is in Phase 4 at launch?","The purpose of this funding opportunity is to fund projects at the Phase 1 stage."]
[109,"2023-01-09","Other","[company] requests an extension beyond the march 3rd due date for  \n DE-FOA-0002664.0002 proposals","At this time DOE does not anticipate changing the Full Application submission date of March 3, 2023."]
[110,"2023-01-10","Other","We would be grateful for your guidance regarding Long Duration Energy Storage FOA 0002867 eligibility criteria: \n1.\tHow stringent is the 'greater than 5MW' BESS capacity criteria for AOI 2B and AOI 2C? Does a single technology and instance need to meet this threshold, or could a combination of technologies suffice? i.e.\na.\tIf a proposed battery systems is nameplated at 5MWs and 100 hours, is it disqualified?\nb.\tWould a combination of the 3 separate systems, none of which independently exceed 5MW, but which collectively would, meet the letter and spirit of AOI 2B and 2C?  ","Please see response to question 78 and 105.\n\nPlease refer to Sections I.B.i and I.B.ii for specific AOI requirements."]
[111,"2023-01-11","Other","1.\tWe have gained significant interest from multiple operating utilities to host a demonstration of our long duration energy storage technology at one or more of their sites. Creating and enacting a program to down select to the most appropriate site(s) and utilities, as well as to ensure compliance with the requirements of the FOA at each selected site, will require more time than the application deadline affords us. Therefore, we request an extension of the application deadline by six weeks to April 14, 2023.\n2.\tWe have an interest in siting our LDES technology in Ukraine for a district heating application with no electricity output. Is it possible to fund this as one of our demonstration sites under this FOA?","Please see response to question 109.\n\nProjects must be bidirectional (electricity in and out). See section I.A.i and section I.C of the FOA.\n\nPlease see section D. Content and Form of the Full Application, Subsection xviii. Waiver Requests (if applicable): Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver) As set forth in Section IV.J.iii., all work for projects selected under this FOA must be performed in the United States. To request a waiver of this requirement, the applicant must submit an explicit waiver request in the Full Application. Appendix E lists the information that must be included in a foreign work waiver request."]
[112,"2023-01-11","Eligibility","I am contacting you on behalf of my client. I need to reach someone at DOE to clarify our understanding of eligible uses of funds. Please respond as soon as possible. ","Questions must be submitted to LDESFOA@hq.doe.gov. Responses will appear in the Q&A Log on OCED eXCHANGE."]
[113,"2023-01-11","Eligibility","DE-FOA-0002867, in its description of AOI 2A on p. 12, defines behind-the-meter LDES \nas “not connected to the Bulk Power System.” I have two questions on this issue:\n1.\tDoes an LDES connected to a wind plant collection system satisfy the definition of “not connected to the Bulk Power System” ? This is not clear since the\nwind plant as a whole would be considered to be connected to the bulk power system, but the collection system is essentially a distribution system, and with the\nmeter at the step-up substation, an LDES connected to the collection system would be, strictly speaking, “behind the meter.”\n2.\tIf the answer to above question #1 is “yes, an LDES connected to a wind plant collection system satisfies the definition of ‘not connected to the Bulk Power System,’” then is there any reason why applications where LDES are connected to generation-serving collection systems are less preferred than applications where LDES are connected to load-serving distribution systems?","Please see responses to questions 32,34, 71, and 76."]
[114,"2023-01-11","Other","DE-FOA-0002867, in its description of AOI 2A on p. 12, indicates that “Such demonstrations should ‘ensure regional diversity among projects’ and thus a single application for AOI2A may consider multiple demonstration sites in different geographic regions to show how the proposed LDES systems perform in varying geographies, climates, population densities, and other settings.” I also note that AOI 2A limits the number of sites to 5 per project. Finally, I observe the following review criterion on p. 86: “The degree to which the proposed project meets the regional diversity requirements, as defined in Section 3201(d) of Energy Act 2020, when compared to other LDES demonstration projects selected.” I read Section 3201(d) of the Energy Act 2020 as “ensure that projects are carried out under conditions that represent a variety of environments with different physical conditions and market constraints.” \n\nMy question is this:\n•\tIs it a positive in terms of review criteria that an application propose two or more sites (up to 5), and  through its multiple sites, increased diversity in terms of “geography, climate, population densities, and other settings,” \n•\tor is it a positive that an application add diversity, through one site or more, to the overall portfolio of projects that DOE funds, \n•\tor is it both?","Please see response to question 25."]
[115,"2023-01-12","Other","The cases we believe the LCOS calculator does not contemplate handling: \n \n1) Where the renewable energy supply to the storage asset is deliberately oversized i.e. the nameplate input power capacity is deliberately higher than the nameplate output power capacity from storage. This is not specific to our technology. See for example the attached Bloomberg NEF report from 2020 which discusses solar PV plus battery storage replacing gas fired power plants and when it is economically favorable to deliberately oversize the renewable to have a firm dispatch able carbon free supply that substitutes for gas fired power plants. \n \n2) Where the rate of energy charging is higher than the rate of discharging energy. A situation like this arises where one has solarity to charge 8 hours in a day (on average) but need to discharge over 16 hours. If the renewable asset is oversized so there is always adequate renewable supply for charging, then we would oversize the compression side relative to the expansion/discharge side to deliver a nameplate power output capacity. Of course, all of this must make economic sense in terms of lowest cost of electricity delivered. We would like the template to accommodate this type of scenario, because our own independent calculations show what combination of parameters can be economically favorable for LDES. \n \nA parameter that we have used and seen in the literature is Charge/Discharge ratio - the ratio of Charging Energy/Discharge Energy in one cycle or compression/expansion ratio. Basically we’re saying we’re contemplating C/D ratios greater than 1, and perhaps as high as 2-4 - always recognizing that the increased Capex has to be economically justified by the amount of revenue from discharged energy. \n \nThe template as currently configured, does not contemplate this type of possibility \n \nUnder Tabs \"LCOS Calculator - Project\" and \"LCOS Calculator - Future\", Cell I80 (Charge Time) is calculated by multiplying Cell I79 (Discharge Hrs.) and Cell I78 (Round Trip Efficiency % AC) under the assumption that the Charge: Discharge ratio is 1:1 for all technologies. \n \nSo, if we have a discharge time of 16 hours and a roundtrip efficiency of 65%, then the Calculator comes up with a charging time of 24.6 hours because of the assumption that the Charge:Dicharge Ratio is 1:1. This doesn’t make sense.  \n \nOur situation is as follows: \n\n[Company] will be submitting a funding application for a 5MW, 12-hour [Technology] system. Our technology uses [material], reducing our marginal cost of storage to near 0; therefore, we have the flexibility to roughly double compression size (charging) to provide adequate heat for expansion (discharge), giving us a C:D ratio of 2:1.\n\nIn the current sheet, the total charge time is being calculated as 18-24 hours given our RTE of 50-65% and discharge time of 12-hours. However, because we have a C:D ratio of 2:1, our system will really be charging for 8 hours and discharging for 12 hours.","Please see response to question 107."]
[116,"2023-01-12","Eligibility","DOE has stated that non-bidirectional generation flexibility technologies are not of interest in this FOA in its response to question 20. However, we are confused about the DOE’s definition of bi-directional. The DOE has reiterated that bi-directional means the input and the output must be electricity, but it is unclear whether this electricity output can come from the storage technology being paired with a turbine generation system, or if the power conversion method needs to be integral to the storage system itself. Please state in a yes or no fashion if a storage technology paired with a turbine generator to achieve an electrical output can be funded under this FOA. We understand that the turbine itself will not be funded.","DOE does not intend to fund projects that do not meet the criteria described in the FOA for a bidirectional energy storage system. Therefore, the power conversion method needs to be integral to the storage system itself."]
[117,"2023-01-16","Application Content/Format","1. Is the page limit of 12 for the Community Benefits Plan per application or per project location? I.e. a full application with the intention of having 3 different deployment locations in 3 different communities. Would that be ~4 pages per location or 12 pages per location?\n\n2. Will the DOE provide an extension for the full application submission? ","The page limit for the Community Benefits Plan is 12 pages per application.\n\nAt this time DOE does not plan to extend the full application deadline."]
[118,"2023-01-17","Other","We missed the December 22, 2022 timeline for submitting our LOI. \n\nWe respectfully request the opportunity to complete the LOI by January 20, 2023; we will have the application completed and submitted by the due date of March 8, 2023.","Please see response to question 106."]
[119,44944,"Eligibility","Regarding the FOA requirements, we intend to submit a proposal for an adjunct PV field connected to an existing PV field which will produce additional power over and above the PPA permitted limit of the field.  The intent is to store the excess power and dispatch it after the existing field loses daylight and ceases to produce power.\n\nI want to include the additional PV field and associated costs in the overall project cost.  Will this be permitted?","No. The purpose of these projects are to demonstrate Long Duration Energy Storage technologies at scale. "]
[120,44944,"Other","I have a question regarding DE-FOA-0002867. Some of the FOA pages reference Section IV.J. However, I couldn’t find Section IV.J in the call. What Section of the call should we refer to?\n\nFOA page 28:\nSee Section IV.J.vi and Appendix F for information on Buy America requirements.\n\nFOA page 51: \nEvery cost share contribution must be allowable under the applicable federal cost principles, as described in Section IV.J.i. of the FOA. In addition, cost share must be verifiable from the recipient’s records.\n\nFOA page 70:\nAs set forth in Section IV.J.iii., all work for projects selected under this FOA must be performed in the United States.\n\nFOA page 89:\nPlease refer to Section IV.J.ii. of the FOA for guidance on pre-award costs.\n\nFOA page 125:\nAs set forth in Section IV.J.iii.","These should say Section IV.I. and will be corrected in an upcoming FOA Modification."]
[121,44945,"Application Content/Format","I am assisting with proposal development for DE-FOA-002867 “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: LDES Demonstrations” and have a question regarding the Locations of Work component. Does DOE want to see the locations in which any work will be performed on the project, or does the work location specifically refer to the site of the LDES unit? Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.","All locations in which work is being performed should be included in the full application."]
[122,44945,"Eligibility","The system we are proposing is a hybrid battery storage. A component of it will be a lithium battery and another component a vanadium redox flow battery. Which topic area should we submit our application under?\n\nTopic Area 1: Lithium based\nTopic Area 2: Non-lithium based","Please see Section I.B of the FOA for details on what types of technologies are eligible. Topic 1 is for lithium-based energy storage technologies and Topic 2 for non-lithium based energy storage technologies. Non-lithium based energy storage systems should not be included in proposals for Topic 1 and lithium-based energy storage systems should not be included in proposals for Topic 2. Additionally, the FOA states \"Each Full Application must be limited to a single concept\"."]
[123,44946,"Other","In the FOA under 2A its states that the applicant “MAY” consider multiple sites for regional diversity.  Our technology is sufficiently small enough that it can and will be housed in an environmentally control structure (building) and therefore is protected from regional extremes due to weather.\n\nQuestion: Are multiple sites required or can it be a single site?  If a single site is used does that impact the selection process negatively simply because it’s a single site?","Multiple sites are not required. The number of sites will not impact the selection process. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of federal funding and propose projects that include multiple demonstration sites if their budget allows it. "]
[124,"2023-01-23","Budget/Costs","In the Budget Justification Workbook, each sheet includes reference to Budget Period 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 , but there is no guidance about what these periods should be. Are these periods meant to be the same as the program phases 1-4 (with budget period 5 representing the post-funding operation of the system)? Or are the periods meant to be annual calendar year? Or are the periods meant to be annual government fiscal year? Or are the budget periods arbitrary based on milestones that are set by the applicant?","It is up to the applicant how they want to determine a budget period in the application. It is acceptable for the application to have each budget period aligned to the program's four phases and therefore no budgetary information is needed for budget period five. Budgets periods may be changed during project negotiations if selected for an award."]
[125,"2023-01-24","Other","Please share whether a utility that operates in a multistate footprint could submit a grant request for an LDES project in a DAC associated with 2A or 2B for a site that is not named or confirmed at this time.  Due to the regulatory cost recovery needs, having the ability to work with multiple states for the best siting option would be advantageous if allowed.  Please share any grant scoring impacts that this would create if allowed to move forward with an application as noted.  ","Please refer to Section I.B.iii Phase 1: Detailed Project Planning which states \"Teams will complete preliminary engineering, construction, and commercial-scale designs. This will include finalization of a Project Management Plan (PMP), a Risk Management Plan (RMP), an Intellectual Property Management Plan (IPMP), an initial financial model for the entire 4-phase effort, and final site selection...\""]
[126,"2023-01-24","Other","               If several entities are cooperating throughout a proposal process, can lead proposing entities OR principal investigators change?  If so, what is the process?\n\n  [removed information]\n\n               Personal matters have prevented [project lead] from participating as much as [they] would like during the proposal development process.  Is it possible to shift application entities OR principal investigators now or during the project?  All of our universities and companies are participating, but we would like carry some of [project lead] weight until he is able to aggressively participate again.","Please refer to Section IV.C of the FOA."]
[127,"2023-01-26","Other","The FOA was changed to require the applicant to argue a path to achieving the required LCOS of $0.05 instead of the original speciation of 50% RTE.  The Storage_Techno-Economic_Assessment  tool shows the assumed electricity cost to be $0.03/kWh in cell J19 in the Assumptions tab.\n\nWe are evaluating multiple areas where the average charging cost over a year is well less than $0.03/kWh ($30/MWh) and is likely to go down in the future as renewables penetration increases.  Can we provide evidence for these cases that would utilize a lower cost of charging energy in determining the future LCOS?","The LCOS target has always been in the FOA. There is more of a focus now that the RTE was removed. \n\nThe future cost of electricity can be adjusted if sufficient justification is provided."]
[128,"2023-01-27","Other","In section IV.D.xiv, subrecipient budget justification, something appears to be missing from the first sentence:  “Applicants must provide a separate budget justification for each subrecipient (including FFRDCs) that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less).” Should it be  “…more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less)”? ","Thank you for catching this. \"(whichever is less)\" should have been removed. This will be corrected in an upcoming Mod."]
[129,"2023-01-27","Other","The LCOS calculator assumes the same MW power rating for charging and discharging. Our technology allows for different levels of charging and discharging. Is this something we can modify on the LCOS calculator ourselves or can DOE make a modification?","Yes, you can modify. Please see response to question 107"]
[130,"2023-02-01","Other","I’m writing to ask if there’s been a change to the submission date of FOA-DE- 0002867. I am aware that the orginial notice and change 3 indicate March 3rd, however our CEO has heard from multiple peers applying for the grant that there has been (or will be) a change to March 23rd. ","At this time DOE does not anticipate changing the Full Application submission date of March 3, 2023."]
[131,"2023-02-01","Other","I am concerned about the LCA portion of the full application. Section IV.D.i specifies a combined TEA and LCA projections document in MS Excel format (p. 58).\n\nThe downloadable template, however, only includes the LCOS calculations worksheets.\n\nMay I ask for clarification: in which particular form should the LCA projection be submitted? Could the TEA Excel sheet be amended and provided on the OCED website for download?\n\nOtherwise, could you please provide guidance on the format of an acceptable LCA projection?","LCA is a methodology for assessing the environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a product or process which are not part of the \"Storage_Techno-Economic_Assessment\" template. Please visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/life-cycle-assessment-and-techno-economic-analysis-training for more information about TEA and LCA.\n\nLCA calculations can be added as a seperate sheet in the the required MS excel file saved as \"ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TEA_LCA\""]
[132,"2023-02-02","Other","Page 8 of the FOA says, “These LDES demonstrations should have the capacity to discharge energy at a minimum of 100 kW for more than 10 hours at rated power and sufficient third-party testing/ validation to substantiate a pathway towards achieving a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of $0.05/kWh.”\n\nMust we have one 100 kW X 10+ hr (1,000+ kWhr) site demonstration OR is it acceptable to have multiple, smaller site demonstrations (e.g. 5 20 kW X 10+ hr = 1,000+ kWhr)?","Demonstration projects under Topic 1A must have the capacity to discharge energy at a minimum of 100 kW for more than 10 hours. If an application proposes mulitple demonstration sites, each site must have the capacity to discharge energy at a minimum of 100 kW for more than 10 hours."]
[133,44960,"Other","I see a new modification just came out today at 1:40 pm for the LDES FOA (Mod 4) but strangely when you download the doc, the actual doc still says Mod 3 (see below). Not sure if posted the wrong doc or if it is just named incorrectly on the front page.  ","Please check again. The FOA on OCED eXCHANGE is the most recent Mod."]
[134,44961,"Other","Is it too late to apply for LDES Projects?","Letters of Intent were due December 22, 2022. Letter of Intent was required to submit a Full Application by March 3, 2023."]
[135,44963,"Tech Topics"," I am coordinating efforts to develop five systems for [redacted] that meet the requirements of Topic Area 2B. Due to the extended wait times for deliverability from [redacted], [redacted] is taking a new approach to getting storage on their network:\n\n-\tSmaller (~4MW) assets are connected via [redacted] distribution network\n-\tThese assets are used for load modification to reduce RA requirements while [redacted] waits on transmission-level interconnection with [redacted]\n-\tAssets will be FTM assets participating in the wholesale energy market\n\nThese systems don’t seem to meet the requirement of connecting to the Bulk Power System as defined by 18 CFR § 39.1 (at least not initially), because they will be initially connected at the distribution level. These systems are critical to [redacted] effort to bring 100% renewable energy [redacted], though. Can you tell me if this approach will be acceptable for Topic Area 2B?\n\nIf a system is connected to the [redacted] distribution network under their FERC-regulated wholesale tariff, would that be a better fit for AOI 2A or 2B?","Please see response to question 77. \n\nAlso, as stated in the FOA, \"Applicants are not bound to the statements made in the Letter of Intent, it is reasonable for project partners, locations, or other factors to change during the application development process.\" If project objectives have changed and an applicant needs to change the AOI that they are applying for then the applicant should reach out to DOE via LDESFOA@hq.doe.gov with an explanation as to why the change is needed, the AOI that they submitted for, with the control number that they were assigned for that AOI, and which AOI they intend to submit the full application for."]
[136,44963,"Other","Our client has a few questions about the LCOS calculator. \n1.\tIf our future state technical solution is the same as the project solution, do we leave the future page blank or have it be a carbon copy of the project inputs?\n2.\tRow 78.  Our solution is DC (not AC).  Can we change the efficiency formula and document the change?","DOE will not comment on how an applicant will provide responses to the FOA.\n\nYes, you can modify the LCOS Calculator. Please see response to question 107 and 129."]
[137,44963,"Eligibility","We submitted two LOIs to Subtopic 2B before the deadline.  One LOI focused on a mechanical energy storage technology while the other focused on an electrochemical energy storage technology.  Our approach for the two applications is to have different projects co-located at the same site, with the same off-taker, and sharing the same collector station but different in their configurations (solar MW to LDES MW to onsite production capacity) and hence, their value proposition.  Does co-locating projects at the same site sharing the same off-taker and collector station violate the Eligibility for Review criteria of Section III.F?","It is up to the applicant's discretion on whether or not they believe that they are able to satisfy the FOA requirements. Please see Section III. Eligibility, Subsection G. Questions Regarding Eligibility, which states DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[138,44967,"Eligibility","•\tWould a project that includes on-site solar installation alongside our long duration energy storage (LDES) technology be eligible for this round of DOE funding?\no\tWe are interested in a BTM LDES Demonstration for a 500kW+ storage application (AOI2A). However, we want to integrate this with a solar installation to demonstrate the potential for a carbon-neutral energy solution. We believe that a solar installation at each project site will be necessary in demonstrating the true viability of LDES technology in advancing towards a carbon-free grid.\n","Costs for construction of generation systems (i.e. solar installations) are not allowable under this funding opportunity. "]
[139,44967,"Other","•\tIt is to our understanding that the FOA occurs on a rolling basis, and that the first deadline is March 3rd. Are there additional dates set for another FOA, and if so when is the earliest that we can apply?","This FOA does not occur on a rolling basis. Please see response to question 4."]
[140,44970,"Other","There appears to be a discrepancy between the FOA instructions and the Budget Justification Workbook instructions, which document takes priority?\nPer Question 128 in the Q&A Log and also as reflected in the FOA Mod 0004 – Section IV.D.xiv subrecipient justification was changed to reflect that budget justification is only required for subrecipients that represent more than 25% of the budget (no wording indicating $250,000 or whichever is less).\nHowever, the Budget Justification Workbook tab f.Contractural in item 2 of the instructions indicates that Sub-Recipients must provide a budget justification for (1) $250,000 or (2) 25% of total award costs.\nInstruction item 3 also includes wording that focuses on the $250,000 value.\nShould these references be removed or corrected to only 25% of the total costs?","Per the Budget Justification Workbook, Applicant's \"completing this form must provide ALL costs related to sub-recipients, contractors, and FFRDC partners in the applicable boxes...\"\n\nSubrecipients that will receive more than 25% of the project cost must also submit a Budget Justification describing all project costs and calculations per section IV.D.xiv of the FOA. DOE Contracting officer may ask for additional subrecipient Budget Justifications prior to award being made.\n\nA contractor quote must be provided if the contractor supplying commercial supplies or services used to support the project with total project costs of $250,000 or more."]
[141,"2023-02-16","Other","1.)\tCurrently the TEA does not allow for a quicker charge time than discharge time. The system we are working with has a higher charging capacity, can we adjust the TEA to allow for differing charging capacity vs different discharging capacities? I.e. Can we create an additional line that now reads “Rated Power Charge Capacity” and can we alter the charge time to accurately reflect our technology? \n\n2.)\tShould we include a separate LCOS sheet for each of our three locations? ","Please see response to question 107.\n\nYou may submit a separate LCOS calculation if you suspect the LCOS would be different for each site."]
[142,"2023-02-16","Budget/Costs","Could Solar PPA costs be accounted for as a cost share if not paid for by federal funds?","No, the cost of technologies outside the scope of the award are not permissable as cost share. Please refer to Section III.B. of the FOA."]
[143,"2023-02-16","Budget/Costs","In the “Q&A Log” two questions ask whether energy generation costs can be included in project costs.  In both cases, the answer was “no.”  Could you clarify whether energy generation technologies (solar, fuel cell, other) that are designed to participate with the LDES technology but which are explicitly and solely funded by non-DOE and non-Federal resources may be utilized as cost share for DE-FOA-0002867?","No, the cost of technologies outside the scope of the award are not permissable as cost share. Please refer to Section III.B. of the FOA."]
[144,"2023-02-17","Other","Our team is currently working on the Long-Duration Energy Storage opportunity application. One question that has come up on the Community Partnership Documentation is how to address the letters? I understand they should be on organization letterhead, and signed by the lead. But how should they be addressed to the DOE and to whom?","OCED does not have a preference on who the letter is addressed to. It can be addressed to the Director of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, the Secretary of Energy, or something more generic. Letters will be treated the same regardless of how they are addressed."]
[145,"2023-02-17","Budget/Costs","Are you allowed to include contingency costs in the budget, and if so, where should those costs be included in the budget justification workbook? ","Please see Section II.A.i for more information about contingency reserve requirements."]
[146,"2023-02-23","Other","Why does a change to the “Rated Storage Duration” have no effect on the LCOS?  The calculation relies entirely on the cost of the power capacity.  A unit operating at 1MW with a rated storage capacity of 10 hours has and identical LCOS to the same unit rated at 24 hours.  For a calculation dependent on time, i.e. $/kWh, this is logically impossible.","The LCOS is the average revenue per kWh discharged required to recover the costs of building and operating a storage asset over a specified time period. It is not a measure of the average revenue required per rated kWh of the storage system, which is determined by taking the rated power capacity (kW) multiplied by the rated storage duration (hr) of the storage system. \n\nFor two systems with the same rated power and same rated efficiency, the number of hours the systems discharge in a year will be the same. Regardless of whether it is a 1 MW, 1 hr or a 1 MW, 100 hr system, the number of hours per year they will discharge will be 8760 / (1 + (1/RTE)). For two systems with RTE = 50%, for example, this will be 2920 hours. Both systems are discharging for the same number of hours per year with the same power capacity, so the annual energy discharged will be the same (2920 MWh in this example). If these systems are also equivalent in cost, their LCOS will be the same. "]
[147,"2023-02-24","Other","1. Are there formatting requirements for the Community Benefits Plan, i.e. margins, fonts, lines and letter spacing?\n\n2. Since the document is “in addition” to the main application, can it be under its own cover page?\n\n3. Is it permissible to include graphics, photos, colors?\n\n4. With respect to J40 and DEIA, if the project is of a small scale, and teams are already in place to do the work; and the project is not in proximity to impact residents directly; can awarded funds be used for community programming to address the J40 and DEIA component? For example, working with a community to address community needs (education, housing, etc) per their established needs assessment.","1. Please refer to Section IV.A of the FOA for formatting instructions. \n\n2. Yes, the CBP may be under its own cover page.\n\n3. Yes\n\n4. Funding for unrelated activities are not allowable. "]
[148,"2023-02-24","Other","On page 48, it states ‘The funding for the FFRDC will flow through the prime recipient’.\nOn page 54, under section “Funding, Cost Share and Subaward with FFRDCs’, it states that DOE will not fund FFRDCs through the DOE field work Authorization process.\n\nHowever, on page 69 of the call, under D. Content and Form of the Full Application, xv. DOE Work Proposal for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable), it states if an FFRDC is to perform a portion of the work, the applicant must provide a DOE WP …\n\nPlease confirm whether an FFRDC that is a subrecipient on a proposal to this call needs to submit an WP (Field Work Proposal).","A Field Work Proposal from DOE/NNSA FFRDC is not required to be submitted with the Full Application."]
[149,"2023-02-27","Other","For AIO 1A, please confirm to the total output requirement.\nArea 1 Requirements state that demonstration sites should have capacity to discharge at 100+ kW for 10+ hours. (FOA mod4 p.10)\nThe second paragraph under “Performance Projections” states that “LDES Demonstrations will be required to demonstrate at least 500kW continuous output for 10-24 hour durations for AOIs 1A, 1B, and 2A…” (mod4 p.27)\nIs it correctly understood that under AIO 1A, the total system must be capable of delivering 500kW for 10 hours, with an option to distribute this capacity across several sites, with each site meeting the 100kW x 10hr requirement?","Section I.B.iv paragraph \"Performance Projections\" should say, \" LDES Demonstrations will be required to demonstrate at least 100kW continuous output for more than 10 hours for AOIs 1A and 1B, 500 kW continuous output for 10 – 24 hour durations for AOI 2A, 5 MW continuous output for 10-24 hour durations for AOI 2B, or 5 MW continuous output for over 24 hours for AOI 2C\" This will be correct in FOA Modification 000005."]
[150,"2023-02-27","Other","I am looking for some clarification around Section xvii. SF-LL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities. This section appears to be asking all recipients of federal funds to fill out this form in order to indicate that no federal funds are being used to lobby congressional action. However, the second sentence refers to “non-federal funds.”  Do each of these disclosure requirements apply to entities that are already “recipients” of federal funds and are also applying for the LDES FOA or do each of these disclosure requirements apply to all entities who are “applicants” for the LDES FOA regardless of whether they are already receiving federal funds from another source? Additionally, is this intended to be a prohibition on using non-federal funds to conduct advocacy around this funding opportunity? Will applicants who disclose non-federal lobbying expenses be excluded from consideration or otherwise disadvantaged in the LDES FOA competition?","Disclosure of this information is required by 31 U.S.C. § 1352 and does not affect an applicant’s eligibility or competitiveness under this FOA."]
[151,"2023-02-28","Other","The TEA spreadsheet does not properly update/calculate LOCS values, as input values are changed.  This is particularly the case with duration of storage but also appears true for Fixed O&M.  This is the case for both the current version of MS Excel as well as other applications (Google Sheets, MS Office 365 online).  I am unable to trace the error.  We would prefer to use DOE's method of calculating LCOS but that would require a fix/update on DOE's part prior to submission deadline.","Please see response to question 146, for two systems of the same rated power capacity and rated RTE, a change in storage duration will give the same LCOS. \n\nAs for Fixed O&M, the LCOS does change when you modify this input but the difference may only become noticeable with large changes. For example, with everything else held equal, changing the Fixed O&M cost from $10/kW-year to $20/kW-year may only increase the LCOS by half a cent. The LCOS value may appear unchanged for them because the spreadsheet only shows the LCOS results to a few decimal places."]
[152,"2023-02-28","Other","Is LDES (2867) subject to Executive Order 12372 review?  This is a required question on the SF-424. ","No, it is not."]
[153,"2023-03-01","Other","To clarify, does the control number need to be on every page of every document submitted for this FOA, or only on cover and titles pages, or only certain documents?","Per Section IV.A of the FOA \"The Control Number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page\""]
[154,"2023-03-01","Other","I need more rows in the contractual section to complete my entries.\n\nAlthough the Instructions tab says that more rows can be inserted in tabs a through j, the formulae in the blue cells do not update, and I can’t examine what is in the blue cells.\n\nAny advice?","\nTo insert additional sheet cells try to select “unprotect sheet” under Format in the cells section and then \"insert sheet rows\" under Insert in the cells section."]

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["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
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["Other"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
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