Solar Decathlon Program Administrator

and EERE are eager to create and support education and workforce development programs that are specific to applied energy, and are essential to carrying out DOE’s mission and advancing energy technologies for the future. The Solar Decathlon is a high-profile DOE-branded education and workforce development program for university-level students. The two-year program culminates in a competition among 20 solar-powered, high efficiency houses designed and built by multidisciplinary collegiate teams. The competition also serves as a public demonstration of EERE technologies. It promotes energy efficiency and increases awareness about residential energy use, fostering greater adoption of clean energy technologies. The competition demonstrates that an aesthetically beautiful and well-designed house can generate enough thermal and electrical energy to meet the needs of a single-family household. Held bi-annually since 2002 — first in Washington, D.C. and then in Irvine, California — 65,000-100,000 people visit the Solar Decathlon to tour the houses and see student teams’ use of EERE technologies in action. More information about past Solar Decathlons is available at http://www.solardecathlon.gov/. DOE intends to select one recipient to receive $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 to organize, manage, and conduct the Solar Decathlon competitions in 2017 and 2019. This Solar Decathlon Program Administrator will disperse $2,000,000 in prize money to the selected 2017 competitors. The FOA includes the following Area of Interest: Solar Decathlon Program Administrator Selection - DOE intends to select one recipient to organize, manage, and conduct the Solar Decathlon competitions in 2017 and 2019. This includes identifying and providing the competition location/venue, soliciting sponsorships, hosting the competitions, awarding prize money to the competitors, and promoting the mission and goals of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy through educational programs and outreach. A key near-term requirement will be to identify a new location/venue for the Solar Decathlon. The successful Program Administrator applicant will promote the educational, economic, and energy security benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy by demonstrating that the technology can be deployed effectively in the host community and elsewhere. By showcasing EERE technologies, this event should help launch additional workforce development and renewable energy activities both nationally and in the area that hosts the Decathlon. In addition to increasing public awareness, this event should stimulate the local economy by attracting visitors to the event. EERE envisions making one financial assistance award in the form of a cooperative agreement. The estimated period of performance for the Solar Decathlon Program Administrator Selection award will be approximately four years. EERE issued the FOA DE-FOA-0001371 via the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding this planned FOA, they should register in EERE Exchange. Applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange. Applications will not be accepted through Grant.gov. Organizations interested in applying to the 2017 Solar Decathlon College Team Competition Announcement should refer to DE-FOA-0001398 in EERE Exchange.