Performance Data for Solar Photovoltaic Systems: Acquisition, Access, and Sharing RFI | DE FOA 0002876

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002876

Performance Data for Solar Photovoltaic Systems: Acquisition, Access, and Sharing RFI (DE FOA 0002876) is a U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) request for information rather than a traditional grant solicitation. The focus is on understanding what it truly costs, and what the practical benefits are, to acquire solar photovoltaic (PV) system performance data, to gain access to that data when it is held by others, and to share it in ways that are useful to the broader solar community. DOE is essentially trying to map out the real-world barriers and opportunities around PV performance data so it can shape future programs, research priorities, and data-related initiatives that help speed up solar technology improvement and deployment.

The opportunity is open-ended in terms of who can respond. Eligible participants are described as unrestricted, meaning responses are welcome from nearly any kind of organization or individual stakeholder, including private industry, universities, government entities, national laboratories, researchers, data platform providers, and organizations that own or operate PV systems. DOE is explicitly interested in hearing from multiple perspectives across the solar data ecosystem: data owners (entities that control datasets), data users (researchers, modelers, insurers, financiers, planners, and others who need performance information), and system owners, operators, and developers who generate or interact with performance data during development and operations. This broad targeting reflects how PV performance data is created and used across many different parts of the market, and how decisions about data access and sharing can affect innovation, reliability, and costs.

The RFI centers on the value proposition of PV performance data and the tradeoffs involved in making it more available. On the cost side, DOE is looking for detail on the full lifecycle of data acquisition and use: instrumentation and sensor needs, metering configurations, communications and networking, data logging and storage, data cleaning and validation, cybersecurity and privacy protections, integration with other systems, ongoing maintenance, and staff time for governance and compliance. On the value side, DOE is seeking insight into how performance data drives outcomes such as improved system reliability, better forecasting, quicker detection of faults, reduced downtime, more accurate performance models, better benchmarking, stronger investor confidence, lower financing risk, improved warranty and insurance decisions, more effective O and M strategies, and better-informed standards and policy. In practice, the RFI is about identifying what types of data access and sharing create the most benefit relative to their cost, and where the biggest leverage points are for public action.

Another major theme is data access and sharing, including the practical and legal constraints that often prevent broader use of performance datasets. DOE is likely trying to understand common friction points such as proprietary concerns, competitive sensitivity, customer privacy, contract limitations, inconsistent data formats, lack of metadata, unclear data rights, the cost of anonymization, and fear of misinterpretation or misuse of data. By collecting stakeholder input, SETO can better determine what kinds of frameworks, standards, incentives, or partnerships might reduce these barriers while still respecting legitimate confidentiality and business constraints. This kind of input can also inform what “good” looks like for data governance, including consent, licensing, access controls, and standardized approaches to data quality and documentation.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed under the Department of Energy, Golden Field Office, with activity categorized under Energy and CFDA number 81.087. The instrument type is listed as “Other,” which aligns with an RFI being an information-gathering activity rather than a funding vehicle. The posting indicates an award ceiling of 1 and expected awards of 0, reinforcing that this is not designed to make grants; instead it is designed to collect information to guide DOE decision-making. The RFI was created on October 14, 2022, with an original closing date of November 18, 2022, and the full instructions and submission details are housed on EERE Exchange.

Overall, this RFI is best understood as DOE SETO seeking practical, on-the-ground intelligence about PV performance data: what data exists, what it costs to obtain and manage, who benefits from access, what prevents sharing, and what approaches could unlock higher-value use of data across the solar sector. The responses are intended to inform future SETO activities tied to PV system performance and the data infrastructure that supports research, development, and deployment, potentially shaping later funding opportunities, standards efforts, or collaborative programs aimed at making solar more reliable, bankable, and cost-effective.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Performance Data for Solar Photovoltaic Systems: Acquisition, Access, and Sharing RFI" 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 Oct 14, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 18, 2022. (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 $1.00 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.

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