Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002162
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), through the Building Technologies Office (BTO) and administered by the Golden Field Office, issued this Request for Information (RFI) under opportunity number DE-FOA-0002162 titled "Research and Development Opportunities for Opaque Building Envelopes." Even though the listing appears in the same ecosystem where funding announcements are posted, this particular notice is not a grant competition. It is a structured request for input meant to guide DOE thinking about future research, development, and deployment priorities related to opaque building envelope technologies, meaning non-window portions of the building shell such as walls, roofs, foundations, insulation systems, cladding assemblies, and related components that affect heat flow, moisture performance, durability, and overall building energy use.
The core purpose of the RFI is to collect feedback from a broad set of stakeholders, including industry, universities, national laboratories, government agencies, and other interested parties, on the current direction of BTO's opaque envelope program and where it should go next. To support more specific and actionable comments, BTO developed a companion report organized around five key areas of technology research and development. That report is intended to frame discussion by laying out (1) current characteristics and baseline performance of opaque envelope systems, (2) opportunities for research and development improvements, (3) approaches to integrating envelope technologies with other building systems and design practices, and (4) pathways for real-world implementation and market adoption. DOE is asking respondents to comment on each of these areas, essentially pressure-testing whether the report reflects reality in the field and whether the proposed directions address the most important technical and deployment barriers.
Beyond general program direction, DOE is also looking for detailed feedback on the specific technical objectives and technical targets it is considering, along with the tools and methods used to evaluate envelope performance. This includes comments on the overall portfolio of R&D activities DOE should pursue and informed estimates of the potential impacts of those activities. In practice, that means DOE wants stakeholders to weigh in on what performance goals are realistic and meaningful, what metrics should be used, where modeling and testing tools are strong or weak, what cost and manufacturability constraints matter most, and what kind of energy, emissions, resilience, durability, or comfort improvements could reasonably be expected if certain envelope innovations are developed and adopted at scale.
A key administrative point is that this notice is explicitly not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications, and there is no funding available through this RFI. DOE notes that it may decide to issue a future FOA informed by the content of the RFI and the responses received, but it also may choose not to issue any FOA at all. There is no guarantee of future funding, and responding to the RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage in any later competition if one is eventually released. Any future award amounts, number of awards, and schedule would depend on Congressional appropriations and agency direction.
Participation is open, with eligible applicants listed as "unrestricted," which aligns with the fact that this is an information-gathering request rather than a competitive assistance award. Responses had to be submitted electronically by email to BTOEnvelopeRDO@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Time on July 20, 2020. DOE required submissions as email attachments in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, limited to 10 pages, using 12-point font and 1-inch margins, and advised compressing files over 25 MB to avoid delivery issues. Only electronic submissions were accepted. Additional instructions, including where to direct questions and how to format responses, were provided in the full RFI document hosted on the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), which serves as DOE's primary portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy solicitations and related public notices.
In short, this opportunity is best understood as DOE setting the table for a potential future R&D agenda on opaque envelope technologies by asking the market and research community to critique its proposed framework, validate or correct its assumptions, and suggest priorities, targets, and pathways that are both technically credible and likely to translate into real-world building energy savings.Apply for DE FOA 0002162
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information (RFI): “Research and Development Opportunities for Opaque Building Envelopes”" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-06-04.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-07-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is DE-FOA-0002162 "Research and Development Opportunities for Opaque Building Envelopes"?
It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) through the Building Technologies Office (BTO) and administered by the Golden Field Office. The RFI is intended to gather stakeholder input to help guide DOE thinking on future research, development, and deployment priorities for opaque building envelope technologies.
Is this a grant or funding opportunity?
No. DOE explicitly states this notice is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). EERE is not accepting applications, and no funding is available through this RFI.
If it is not funding, why is it posted in the same ecosystem as funding announcements?
Although it appears in the same environment where funding opportunities are often posted, this specific item is a structured request for input. It is designed to collect feedback that may inform DOE program direction and any potential future actions.
What does DOE mean by "opaque building envelopes"?
"Opaque building envelopes" refers to non-window portions of the building shell. Examples include walls, roofs, foundations, insulation systems, cladding assemblies, and related components that influence heat flow, moisture performance, durability, and overall building energy use.
What is the main purpose of this RFI?
The purpose is to collect feedback from a broad set of stakeholders on the current direction of BTO's opaque envelope program and where it should go next, including technical priorities, targets, evaluation methods, and pathways to market adoption.
Who is DOE seeking input from?
DOE is seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders, including industry, universities, national laboratories, government agencies, and other interested parties.
What topics does DOE want respondents to comment on?
DOE asks respondents to comment on the program direction and on a companion report organized around five key areas of technology research and development, including: (1) current characteristics and baseline performance of opaque envelope systems, (2) opportunities for research and development improvements, (3) approaches for integrating envelope technologies with other building systems and design practices, and (4) pathways for real-world implementation and market adoption. DOE also requests input that helps validate whether the report reflects real-world conditions and addresses the most important barriers.
What is the companion report and why does it matter?
BTO developed a companion report to frame and focus stakeholder feedback. The report is meant to help respondents provide more specific and actionable comments by laying out baseline performance, R&D opportunities, integration approaches, and implementation pathways for opaque envelope technologies.
Does DOE want feedback on specific technical targets and objectives?
Yes. DOE is looking for detailed feedback on the specific technical objectives and technical targets under consideration, as well as the tools and methods used to evaluate envelope performance.
What kinds of performance and impact considerations does DOE want addressed?
DOE is asking stakeholders to weigh in on realistic and meaningful performance goals, appropriate metrics, strengths and weaknesses in modeling and testing tools, cost and manufacturability constraints, and informed estimates of potential impacts. Impacts may include improvements in energy use, emissions, resilience, durability, and occupant comfort if innovations are developed and adopted at scale.
Is participation restricted to certain applicant types?
No. The eligibility is listed as "unrestricted," consistent with the fact that this is an information-gathering request rather than a competitive assistance award.
How were responses required to be submitted?
Responses had to be submitted electronically by email to BTOEnvelopeRDO@ee.doe.gov.
What was the submission deadline?
The deadline was 5:00 pm Eastern Time on July 20, 2020.
What file format did DOE require for submissions?
DOE required submissions as email attachments in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.
Were there formatting or length limits for the response document?
Yes. Responses were limited to 10 pages and required 12-point font with 1-inch margins.
Were paper copies or other submission methods accepted?
No. Only electronic submissions were accepted.
What did DOE recommend for large files?
DOE advised compressing files over 25 MB to avoid email delivery issues.
Where could respondents find the full instructions and the official RFI document?
Additional instructions, including formatting guidance and where to direct questions, were provided in the full RFI document hosted on the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.
Does responding to the RFI improve chances in a future competition?
No. DOE states that responding to the RFI does not provide any advantage or disadvantage in any later competition if a future FOA is released.
Will DOE definitely issue a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) related to this topic?
No. DOE notes it may decide to issue a future FOA informed by the RFI and the responses received, but it may also choose not to issue any FOA at all.
If DOE issues a future FOA, are funding levels or timelines known?
No. DOE indicates that any future award amounts, number of awards, and schedule would depend on Congressional appropriations and agency direction.
In plain terms, what is DOE trying to accomplish with this RFI?
DOE is essentially "setting the table" for a potential future R&D agenda for opaque envelope technologies by asking the market and research community to critique DOE's proposed framework, validate or correct assumptions, and recommend priorities, targets, evaluation approaches, and deployment pathways likely to translate into real-world building energy savings.
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