Solar Forecasting II Funding Opportunity Announcement | DE FOA 0001649

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001649

The Solar Forecasting II Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), number DE-FOA-0001649, is a U.S. Department of Energy opportunity administered through the DOE Golden Field Office. It is a discretionary funding program in the energy category (CFDA 81.087) and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the period of performance, such as active technical engagement, oversight, coordination, or collaboration as the project progresses rather than a more hands-off grant structure.

The central aim of this FOA is to advance solar forecasting capabilities so that the electric grid can support higher levels of solar power deployment at the lowest practical overall cost. As solar generation becomes a larger share of total electricity supply, the financial and operational consequences of forecast errors grow. When operators misjudge how much solar power will be available, they often have to compensate in real time by redispatching other generators, holding additional reserves, or committing units earlier than necessary. Those actions create additional balancing, dispatch, and unit commitment costs, and the FOA is explicitly focused on reducing those costs by improving the accuracy, speed, and usability of forecasting.

The opportunity emphasizes several linked technical and operational needs. First is advancement in forecasting science itself, meaning better methods for predicting solar power output, likely through improved modeling of weather and cloud dynamics, better interpretation of observations, and tighter coupling between meteorological forecasts and power-output models. Second is rapid execution of forecasting models, reflecting the operational reality that grid operators need forecasts produced quickly enough to be useful for short-term decisions and continuously updated as conditions change. Third is seamless integration of forecasting tools into electric system operations, pointing to a practical, deployment-oriented focus: a forecast that is accurate but difficult to use, poorly timed, or not compatible with operator workflows and systems does not deliver full value. The FOA is therefore oriented not only toward research improvements but also toward implementation pathways that make forecasts actionable within operational planning and real-time grid management.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, with the caveat that applicants must follow any additional eligibility clarifications provided in the FOA text. A key process requirement is that only applicants who submitted an eligible concept paper by December 30, 2016 were allowed to submit a full application, making the concept paper an initial gatekeeping step rather than an optional preliminary submission. The original closing date for the full application was March 24, 2017, and the FOA was created on November 14, 2016. The listed award ceiling is 2 (as provided in the source data), and the expected number of awards is shown as 0 in the dataset, which can reflect a placeholder, later updates, or reporting fields that do not always mirror final selections.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a grid-integration and cost-reduction effort focused on making solar power easier and cheaper to operate at scale. It targets the real-world operational impacts of variability and uncertainty in solar generation by funding improvements that reduce forecast error and, just as importantly, ensure those improved forecasts can run fast and fit cleanly into the tools and decision processes used by power system operators.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Solar Forecasting II Funding Opportunity Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 14, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 24, 2017 Only applicants who have submitted an eligible Concept Paper by 12/30/2016 will be eligible to submit a Full Application.. (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 (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for DE FOA 0001649

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