 What’s Inside: This edition of the Water Wire shares recent announcements and opportunities, upcoming submission deadlines, a webinar, newly released products and publications, a STEM Spotlight, and other hot topics.
Continue to follow the Water Wire and emails from WPTO for the latest news and updates from the office. Reach out to WaterPowerTechnologiesOffice@ee.doe.gov with any inquiries or suggestions.
Estimated read time: 8 minutes
Announcements & Opportunities
DOE Announces SBIR/STTR FOA
On Monday, December 14, DOE released its FY 2021 Phase I Release 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Eligible small business can apply to receive up to $200,000 to test their innovative ideas over 12 months. Small businesses that win SBIR/STTR awards keep the rights to any technology developed and are encouraged to commercialize the technology. EERE is supporting 49 different SBIR/STTR research topics across its three technology sectors—transportation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, which include three topic areas supported by the Water Power Technologies Office: (1) Co-Development of Marine Energy Technology at Smaller Scales; (2) Low-Cost, User-Friendly Monitoring Tools for Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) Sites; and (3) Electric Systems—Generators and Motors (CABLE). Additionally, the Solar Energy Technologies Office released a topic to advance Floating Solar-Powered Aeration Systems.
Important dates for SBIR applicants:
Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project Releases Technical Assistance Application
Today, through its Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Program (ETIPP), the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced its technical assistance application release to ramp up resilience in remote and island communities. ETIPP—a partnership among DOE offices, national labs, and community organizations—will provide resources and access to on-the-ground support for remote and island communities in the United States seeking to transform their energy systems and lower their vulnerability to energy disruptions.
ETIPP partners will work alongside communities to address energy and infrastructure challenges in a way that prioritizes community values, needs, and goals. In its first phase, ETIPP plans to select 8–12 remote and island communities from the applicant pool to receive technical assistance. ETIPP will support energy system planning and implementation that prioritizes the safety, sustainability, and self-sufficiency. ETIPP is looking for community partners who are willing to:
- Identify potential community objectives to be achieved through energy resilience efforts at the completion of ETIPP technical assistance
- Implement plans developed through technical assistance
- Commit to support the technical assistance objectives developed by the community.
Applications are due by February 15, 2021.
WPTO Announces the Location of the Ocean Observing BUILD Contest
This week, WPTO and NOAA announced the location for the BUILD Contest of the American-Made Challenges Ocean Observing Prize: Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in West Bethesda, Maryland. The competition is focused on developing marine energy-powered, self-charging autonomous underwater vehicles for hurricane monitoring. Winning teams from the DESIGN Contest will have the opportunity to build their prototype designs and test them in a wave basin before moving onto sea trials in the SPLASH Contest. The BUILD Contest is designed to assess the functional performance and viability of prototype systems that show promise. Competitors will then refine their designs and participate in a series of events of increasing complexity over approximately five days at a state-of-the-art testing facility. Learn more about the DEVELOP Competition and how to get involved.
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Upcoming WPTO Deadlines
- The deadline to submit applications for the TEAMER Request for Technical Support is December 18, 2020.
- The deadline to submit concept papers for the HydroWIRES Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance has been extended to February 17, 2020.
- The deadline to submit applications for the DOE/DOI Ocean Energy Safety Institute 2.0 is December 28, 2020, 5 pm. ET.
- The deadline to submit Phase I Release 2 SBIR letter of intent is January 4, 2021, 5 pm. ET.
- The deadline to compete in the Groundbreaking Hydro Prize is January 21, 2021, 5 p.m. ET.
- The deadline to submit applications for ETIPP technical assistance is February 15, 2021.
- The deadline to compete in the first phase of the Ocean Observing Prize’s DEVELOP Competition and DESIGN Contest is February 16, 2021, 5 p.m. ET.
Upcoming Webinar
Join Sandia for Discussion on New Marine Energy Web Tool
Join Sandia National Laboratories and WPTO on Jan. 14, 2021, at 11 a.m. ET, for a webinar discussing the development of a web-based tool to streamline marine energy system technology design and certification following the International Electrotechnical Commission 62600-2 technical specification requirements. The tool will include a host of functions that will be demonstrated in a case study for the reference model 3 point absorber designed for the PACWAVE test site located off the Oregon Coast, including site mapping, data search to identify and download the best available information for the project site, data quality assurance and quality control checks, and a variety of univariate and bivariate statistical methods for estimating the extreme load conditions, e.g., the 50-year return period significant wave height that characterizes the extreme wave load condition. Please join us and use this opportunity to provide constructive feedback. Register today!
Papers, Products, & Publications
The Batteries of the Future Are Weightless and Invisible
A recent WIRED article highlighted the innovative and game-changing research taking place to substantially reduce the size and weight of batteries needed to power our lives. Among the researchers shaping the future of batteries is Jie Xiao, chief scientist and manager of the Batteries & Materials group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). At PNNL, Xiao and her colleagues have studied some of the fundamental issues with the design of micro-batteries, and her team has worked on several niche scientific applications for micro structural batteries, like injectable tracking tags for salmon and bats. Read the full story.
Improving Hydropower Representation in Power System Models
PNNL and NREL held a DOE-sponsored workshop with the goal of understanding research needs to improve the representation of hydropower in electric power system models. The workshop brought together 40 diverse experts from 25 organizations to address critical challenges associated with modeling hydropower systems in the power grid. Workshop discussions focused on how hydropower modeling could be improved to better represent its dynamic role in a changing grid. An overview of the workshop is available for review in a recently released report summary.
STEM Spotlight
U.S Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Initiative Winners Announced
This month, DOE recognized nine accomplished women for their achievements and leadership in clean energy as part of the U.S Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative. The winners of the 2020 U.S. C3E Awards, who will be honored at the Ninth Annual U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, represent diverse women making important contributions through their careers in clean energy. The U.S. C3E Initiative is led by DOE, in collaboration with the MIT Energy Initiative, Stanford Energy, and the Texas A&M Energy Institute. Among the winners was Lindsay Dubbs, the Associate Director of the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), where she leads environmental assessment and permitting and conducts research associated with marine hydrokinetic energy. CSI is partnering with WPTO in the Waves to Water DRINK Stage and is a recently selected partner for the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Program.
In Case You Missed It
EERE Launches New Portal for Applying to Funding Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency (EERE) is excited to introduce the EERE Program Information Center—EERE’s new portal for funding opportunities.
All new EERE opportunities will be posted and managed in the EERE Program Information Center, instead of the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange. Organizations interested in working with EERE can use the EERE Program Information Center to identify and apply to open funding opportunities.
Anyone can view opportunities in the EERE Program Information Center, but to apply to any opportunities, you must first create an account. Your account will need to be approved by your organization’s Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) (from SAM.gov) or an Account Administrator from your organization. For this reason, early registration is encouraged to ensure your organization can submit applications once new opportunities are posted.
Learn more about the EERE Program Information Center and sign up for training today.
ARPA-E Announces Project Selections for Hydrokinetic Program
Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy announced $35 million in funding for 11 projects as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Submarine Hydrokinetic and Riverine Kilo-megawatt Systems (SHARKS) program. SHARKS teams will develop new, economically competitive Hydrokinetic Turbines (HKT) designs for tidal and riverine currents. Learn more about the projects.
PNNL Testing Campaign Verifies Environmental Performance of Natel’s Restoration Hydropower Turbines
In late September 2020, PNNL measured a 100% survival rate for fish passing through Natel Energy’s low-head Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) at the Monroe Drop Site in Madras, Oregon. PNNL’s assessment applied the Sensor Fish and clusters of the Sensor Fish Mini technologies to gather hydraulic and biological data from almost 120 juvenile rainbow trout as they passed through the RHT. Early conclusions from the tests revealed minimal injury or impacts to fish—even when the RHT was at full power. These results provide important evidence that, if designed correctly, even small hydropower facilities do not have to compromise between generation efficiency and fish survival. Read the full success story to learn more.
Apply Now To Become an MHK Technology Manager in WPTO
Are you interested in working in WPTO? We’re looking for a new member to join our team as a General Engineer with WPTO’s Marine and Hydrokinetics (MHK) Program. As a MHK Technology Manager and Technical Project Officer, you will manage research, development, and demonstration activities related to marine energy technologies. The candidate must have expertise in marine energy, experience in project management, and oral and written communication skills. We encourage candidates to apply by December 31, 2020. Please see WPTO’s announcement for details about the position and instructions on how to apply. Submit your application via the general announcement on USAJobs today!
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