DOE seeks to accelerate innovative solutions to address new load growth from computing, manufacturing, buildings, and transportation through use of a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA). This PIA complements the Connected Communities 2.0 funding opportunity, launched in July, which is designed to validate technology innovations at the grid edge—where electricity distribution transitions between utilities and end users—in real-world situations to help ensure grid readiness for load growth. Here, the PIA will accelerate collection and reporting of performance data at the grid edge, especially from electric and gas distribution systems working with utilities, and associated analysis to increase acceptance of new technologies and planning strategies as viable approaches for efficient infrastructure investment.

Grid-edge technology innovations include a wide range of solutions such as energy efficiency, demand-flexible building systems, low-power appliances, managed electric vehicle charging, thermal energy networks with energy storage, and distributed energy resources such as batteries and rooftop solar. Performance validation is essential to empower utilities, communities, suppliers, and regulators to incorporate these solutions into their distribution system planning.

Who Should Apply?

DOE aims to leverage existing field demonstrations and pilot programs to accelerate data collection and analysis. Applicant organizations—including research organizations, universities, utilities, community-based groups, and small and independent consulting firms—must have access to data from existing, ongoing projects running in collaboration with utilities to collect data from distribution systems and to validate grid-edge technology solutions.

DOE’s intention is to assist and strengthen the scope of existing pilot programs specifically for more customer and utility data collection, analysis, and reporting purposes. Communities with limited distribution capacity, such as locations with data centers and affordable housing, are a priority. Minority-owned or non-traditional organizations are encouraged to apply.

Summary

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

Description

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

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

This opportunity will help increase the acceptance of grid-edge technical measures and innovative planning strategies by utilities, communities, and regulators as viable approaches towards efficient infrastructure investment for decarbonization.

Objective

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

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