Recently in Grants Category

On June 18, 2009, the Department of Energy  announced provision of more than $453 million in Recovery Act funding to expand weatherization assistance programs in 15 additional states.

These funds, along with additional funds to be disbursed after the states meet certain Recovery Act milestones, will help these states achieve their goal of weatherizing more than 165,000 homes, lowering energy costs for low-income families that need it, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating green jobs across the country. 

The following states will receive 40% of their total weatherization funding authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today:

• California,
  
• Delaware,
  
• District of Columbia,
  
• Florida,
  
• Maryland,
  
• Montana,
  
• North Carolina,
  
• North Dakota,
  
• Nebraska,
  
• Nevada,
  
• Ohio,
  
• South Carolina,
  
• South Dakota,
  
• Utah, and
• West Virginia.
  

Under the Recovery Act, states may spend up to 20% of funds to hire and train workers.

"These awards demonstrate the Obama Administration's strong commitment to  creating jobs and doing important work for the American people--while ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly," said Secretary Chu. "Today's investments will save money for hard working families, reduce pollution, strengthen local economies and help move America toward a clean energy future."

DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program will be available to families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level--or about $44,000 a year for a family of four.

Weatherization projects allow low-income families to save money by making their homes more energy efficient, which results in average savings of 32% for heating bills and savings of hundreds of dollars per year on overall energy bills. States will spend approximately $6,500 to weatherize each home.

The funding allocations for the Weatherization Assistance Program follow a stage-gate process: on March 12, funding allocations by state were announced and the initial 10% of total funding was available to states and territories to support planning and ramp-up activities; comprehensive state applications were due on May 12; following a DOE reviews for each state, 40% allocations are awarded; and the remaining 50% of funds will be released when states meet reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.

This installment adds to the initial 10% of the states' funding allocations that were awarded previously for training and ramp-up activities. Following a review of their comprehensive state plans, these 15 states have now received 50% of their Recovery Act Weatherization Assistance Program funding. Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi and Oregon previously received this 40% funding allocation.

The Recovery Act includes a strong commitment to oversight and accountability, while emphasizing the necessity of rapidly awarding funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies.

Efficiency First, a new trade association formed for energy efficiency contractors in 2009, is working with DOL (Department of Labor) and DOE (Department of Energy) to create a new job classification for weatherization worker and weatherization crew chief. This should help in terms of ARRA (American Recovery & Reinvestment Act) funds.

But all stimulus funds do require prevailing wage.

In terms of climate bill. The Efficiency First trade association  has successfully lobbied to exclude REEP from prevailing wage requirements for all buildings except commercial over 6000 sq. Ft.

 

Created in 1993, the Corporation for National Service is a public-private partnership that engages Americans of all ages in service.

The Corporation for National and Community Service:

• Acts as a catalyst by providing strategic critical support to volunteer organizations that, in turn, deliver much-needed services to communities throughout the country.

• Promotes a healthy, vibrant non-profit volunteer sector that can deliver community services efficiency and effectively.

• Builds character and creates career and educational opportunities through the volunteer experience.

• Develops and cultivates knowledge that will enhance the overall success of volunteer and service programs.

• Cultivates the growth of a culture of citizenship and service in which contributing to your community becomes commonplace.

To accomplish these goals, the Corporation provides grants and training and technical assistance to developing and expanding volunteer organizations. In addition, the Corporation explores, develops, and models effective approaches for using volunteers to meet the nation's human needs and conducts and disseminates research that helps develop and cultivate knowledge that will enhance the overall effectiveness of national and community service programs.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides grants to national and local nonprofits, schools, government agencies, faith-based and other community organizations and other groups committed to strengthening their communities through volunteering.

Programs

• AmeriCorps NCCC
• AmeriCorps VISTA
• Senior Corps - RSVP
• Senior Corps - Foster Grandparent Program
• Senior Corps - Senior Companions
• Learn and Serve America Program Director's Handbook

RESOURCE:
Corporation for National and Community Service
www.nationalservice.org/ 

The Clean Energy Corps proposes combining job creation, service, and training to combat global warming, grow local economies, and create green pathways out of poverty. The CEC aims to launch a national effort to comprehensively apply cost-effective, energy-efficiency measures - from adding insulation to replacing inefficient boilers - to over 15 million existing buildings.

The Center For American Progress, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Energy Action Coalition, Green For All, and Laborers' International Union of North America - with the support of over eighty leading national and local labor, environmental, civic, and policy organizations - unveiled the Clean Energy Corps (CEC), a 2009 national effort to secure America's economic recovery and environmental health.

"At a time of severe hardship in the construction sector, retrofitting residential buildings to cut energy use can save consumers money, expand economic growth, reduce pollution, and create jobs," said Bracken Hendricks, senior fellow at Center for American Progress.

By retrofitting millions of structures, the Clean Energy Corps will create at least 600,000 living-wage, career- track jobs in green industries, train people for them, and directly engage millions of Americans in diverse service-learning and volunteer work related to climate protection.

"The beauty of the Clean Energy Corps is that it doesn't just create jobs," said Green For All Founder Van Jones, "it also creates pathways out of poverty." Jones continued, "By providing robust job training and ample service-learning opportunities, the CEC helps people with barriers to employment gain access to these new career opportunities in the green economy."

The CEC will work with employers, unions, educators and community organizations to offer job training and job placement programs.

It will also work to engage disconnected youth and jobseekers from disadvantaged communities and connect them to further education and training that result in industry- recognized credentials and places them on sustainable career paths.

"The Clean Energy Corps will be the vehicle through which the growing consensus to combat global warming through the creation of long-term, family-supporting jobs becomes a reality. We look forward to working through CEC with the full range of stakeholders - governmental bodies at the national, state and local levels, community organizations, environmental groups and our signatory employers - to improve and protect the lives of working men and women," said Theodore T. Green, advisor to the General President at Laborers' International Union of North America.

In addition to generating hundreds of thousands of jobs, the CEC would dramatically reduce America's greenhouse gas emissions.

Buildings Use 40% of Our Energy

Currently, buildings account for 40% of our nation's energy use and carbon emissions - more than transportation. By making our buildings more energy efficient, the CEC will not only curb global warming but will also lower utility bills for Americans.

CEC - Collaborative National Initiative

The CEC is intended as a collaborative and cost-effective national initiative entailing minimal new bureaucracy.

Retrofits would be financed out of a federal revolving loan fund, where the loan is paid back out of a portion of the savings on energy bills.

The CEC envisions funding running through both established programs -Department of Energy, Department of Labor, and Corporation for National and Community Service - and new programs.

CEC at State and Local Levels

The real work of the CEC will occur at the state and local levels. The CEC will encourage the alignment and coordination of complementary programs and strategies to realize its ambitious goals and award its grant funds directly to state task forces and local CEC partnerships.

Kentucky Clean Energy Corps

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is leading the way and proving that this model works with its recent unveiling of a Kentucky Clean Energy Corps pilot program. Under the stewardship of Governor Steve Beshear, the program is working with 100 low-income Kentucky households to make the homes more energy efficient and, in turn, reduce utility bills and engage Kentuckians in service.

RESOURCE:

The CEC will maintain a website, www.greenforall.org/clean-energy-corps, featuring the full Clean Energy Corps report, a petition in support of the proposal, Congressional updates, and a complete list of endorsers. 

The Clean Energy Corps is a proposal of the Clean Energy Corps Working Group. The Working Group includes representatives of the Apollo Alliance, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Corps Network, Energy Action Coalition, Green For All, Innovations in Civic Participation, and 1Sky. For more details on the Clean Energy Corps and to view a complete list of endorsers, visit www.greenforall.org/clean-energy-corps.  

The National Renewable Energies Lab's  Economic Development program links investors and entrepreneurs to provide avenues to financial services, and connects small businesses with the NREL Incubator Alliance.

NREL supports the growth of renewable energy and energy efficiency businesses.

Through the Enterprise Development program, NREL can help clean energy businesses develop market orientations by facilitating strong links with the financial community, as well as other key stakeholders in the commercialization process.

Contact Lawrence M. Murphy at (303) 275-3050 to learn more about NREL's economic development program.

The Clean Energy Alliance

Established by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, The Clean Energy Alliance  provides tailored business and financial services tailored to the clean-energy community.

Incubators

The Incubator Survey summary completed in December 2006 tracks companies, employees, revenues, and capital raised as a measure of the program's success. (PDF 73.7 KB)

To learn more visit The Clean Energy Alliance.

NREL welcomes inquires from clean energy entrepreneurs, incubators, and network collaborators. 

Contact NREL representative Dr. L. Marty Murphy, Manager of NREL Enterprise Development Programs, Golden, Colorado, at 303-275-3050, lawrence_murphy@nrel.gov or contact the incubators directly:

BizTech
Dick Reeves, CEO
515 Sparkman Dr
Huntsville, AL 35816
256-704-6000(office)

Blue Hill Partners, LLC
Joyce Ferris, Managing Partner
40 West Evergreen Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
215-247-2400

Business Innovation Center
Tom Siegwald, Director
1301 Azalea Road
Mobile, AL 36693
251-660-7002

Clean Energy Incubator
Kurt Faulhaber, Acting Director
3925 W. Braker Lane R5500
Austin, TX 78704
512-305-0038

Clean Energy Innovation Center
Marty Murphy
Denver, CO

CleanStart/McClellan Technology Incubator
Gary Simon
5022 Bailey Loop Rd
McClellan, CA 95652
916-566-1249

Energy & Environmental Technology Applications Center
Pradeep Haldar, Director
255 Fuller Rd
Albany, NY 12203
518-437-8686

Enterprise Center of Johnson County
Joel Wiggins, President & CEO
8527 Bluejacket Street
Lenexa, KS 66214
913-438-2282

Environmental Business Cluster
James Robbins, Executive Director
2N. First St., 4th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
408-938-3920

Georgia Institute of Technology - Venture Lab
Stephen Fleming, Chief Communications Officer
75 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 314
Atlanta, GA 30308
404-385-2360

Ignite Technology Ventures, LLC
Bruce Anderson, CEO
150 Lincoln St., #3C
Boston, MA 02111
617-290-9913

National Environmental Technology Incubator
Gerald T. Noel, Sr., Acting Executive
P.O. Box 1004
Wilberforce, OH 45384
937-376-6216

Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative
Jeff Morris, Director
300 Fluke Hall, Box #352140
Seattle, WA 98195
609-499-3600

Rensselaer Incubator Program
Michael Tentnowski, Director
110 8th Street/3101 J Building
Troy, NY 12180
518-276-6658

Rutgers EcoComplex
David Specca, Acting Director
1200 Florence-Columbus Rd
Bordertown, NJ 08505
609-499-3600

Technological Research and Development Authority
James N. Culp, Energy Program
5195 S. Washington Ave
Titusville, FL 32780
321-269-6330

Technology Ventures Corporation
Suzanne Roberts, Project Director
1155 University Blvd, SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-843-4091

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) works with industry and organizations to transfer renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies into the marketplace.

NREL offers  opportunities and ways for you to partner with the DOE. Learn more about  technology partnership agreements and services:

• Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
• Technologies Available for Licensing
• Technology Partnerships
• Work for Others
• Research Facilities

NREL also help promote the economic development of clean energy technologies, including the development of business connections and networks for entrepreneurs. As part of these efforts, NREL hosts the Industry Growth Forum.

NREL follows its principles for establishing mutually beneficial technology partnerships.

Principles

NREL develops and implements technology partnerships based on the standards established by the following principles:

Balancing Public and Private Interest

Form partnerships that serve the public interest and advance U.S. Department of Energy goals. Demonstrate appropriate stewardship of publicly funded assets, yielding national benefits. Provide value to the commercial partner.

Focusing on Outcomes

Develop mutually beneficial collaborations through processes, which are timely, flexible, efficient, and compliant with requirements. Align actions with business outcomes.

Reflecting Core Values

Conduct technology partnership processes through professional practices, action, and a respect for duty. Align with the fundamental values of honesty, integrity, fairness, stewardship, and quality.

Creating Transparency

Make goals, processes, and the availability of intellectual assets transparent. Keep partners informed of decisions and the status of actions as agreements are developed.

Ensuring Confidentiality

Maintain deep respect for proprietary business information and data.

Seeking Continuous Improvement

Measure, monitor, and seek feedback about processes and outcomes. Use this information to improve processes and practices.

Technologies Available for Licensing

• Advanced Vehicle and Fuels
• Basic Sciences
• Biomass
• Buildings
• Geothermal
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
• Solar
• Wind
• All Technologies

Contact Richard Bolin at (303) 275-3028 to learn more about licensing NREL technologies.

The Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP or the Solar Program), is a federal program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), working to advance  solar energy technologies in  four  areas:

• photovoltaics (PV)
• concentrating solar power (CSP)
• market transformation
• systems integration

These four programs support the Solar Program's goal of spreading solar electric technologies across the United States through applied research and development, demonstration, and market transformation activities.

Photovoltaics

The photovoltaic (PV) subprogram partners with industry, national labs, and universities to accelerate cost reductions and ensure reliability of PV technologies. The subprogram supports research to improve efficiencies of solar cells, modules, and systems; reduce solar manufacturing and installation costs; and increase solar system operating life and reliability.

Concentrating Solar Power

The concentrating solar power (CSP) subprogram collaborates with industry and national labs to advance the development of CSP systems and storage technologies. DOE is dedicating increasing resources to CSP research and deployment efforts.

Market Transformation

The market transformation subprogram focuses on reducing barriers to the adoption of solar technologies through targeted activities that encompass

• solar codes and standards,
  
• workforce development,
  
• analysis of system financing options,
  
• strategic industry partnerships.

Systems Integration

The systems integration subprogram focuses on reducing the technical and economic barriers that prohibit high levels of renewable energy on the electric power system. Systems integration activities include collaborating with organizations, such as the DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, to work with utilities and industry to develop the technologies and methods that will enable widespread penetration of distributed solar technologies

Funding Opportunities in DOE Solar Programs

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Program (SETP or Solar Program) posts current and past funding opportunities for all program areas, including research and development (R&D), market transformation, and systems integration projects. In addition, links to related opportunities from DOE national laboratories and other federal agencies are available.  DOE Solar Funding Opportunities

David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency , appeared before Congress to discuss the potential for increased energy efficiency in new and existing buildings to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Public Education and Outreach for Market Penetration

The Department of Energy is also focusing on broad public education and outreach in order to facilitate widespread market penetration of energy efficient technologies

Public campaigns, such as the "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign, have been used to drive public awareness. Each fall the Department, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, encourages consumers to change out old incandescent bulbs for new compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that have earned the ENERGY STAR seal of approval. The "Change a Light, Change the World campaign" is now in its seventh year.

DOE Outreach Partnership with Walt Disney

In order to further encourage consumer adoption of energy efficient technologies like compact fluorescent lamps, DOE has embarked upon an innovative partnership with the Walt Disney Corporation. DOE announced in 2007 that it had teamed up with Disney in a nationwide campaign to promote energy efficiency through a TV spot based on the Disney Pixar film "Ratatouille." The 30-second animated spot features the characters from the movie, and urges viewers to make the switch from incandescent bulbs to ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent lights. The spot, showcased nationwide during primetime viewing hours, reached more than 117 million households between June 15 and August 15, 2007, through networks including HGTV, Food Network, and DIY.

DOE Campaign to Target 8 to 12 Year Old Children

Also, we are working on a campaign to be launched late this summer targeting 8 to 12 years old on they can  learn to become more energy efficient.

DOE Military Base Campaign

Another campaign, launched this past Earth Day, challenges military bases nationwide to replace their incandescent light bulbs with CFLs in on-base housing. The joint DOE and Department of Defense campaign, called "Operation Change Out," will help bases across the country increase energy efficiency, save money on utility bills and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

DOE Influences Policymakers, Industry and Consumers

Through these and other campaigns, the Department is committed to motivating policymakers, industry, and consumers to embrace energy efficiency values in their states, cities, and homes.

DOE Building Technologies Program Best Practices Website

The Department's Building Technologies Program website is also a helpful educational resource for the public.

The site details best practice guidelines for realizing 30% energy savings, and is aimed at homeowners, builders, or designers who seek to incorporate energy-efficient building practices into a new or existing home.

The Building Technologies guidelines address each step of the home-building process, based on an integrated or whole building, approach. They cover the planning and financing of a home or renovation project, the design and construction phase, and ongoing maintenance. While many best practice guidelines apply regardless of geography, others are tailored to the challenges of a specific climate zone, a key consideration in creating an energy-efficient home.

SOURCE: 
Testimony of David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, United States House of Representatives. Topic: Buildings Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gases, July 17, 2008, EERE Energy Efficiency

For the purposes of transparency, the Recovery Act requires a website to be established and maintained to track how and where tax dollars are being spent.  The url for this website is http://www.recovery.gov/.  Grantees are required to provide information regarding the expenditure of Recovery funds through this website.   
 
The transparency requirements of the Recovery Act are intended to ensure that the crucial
accountability objectives are met:  
 

• Funds are awarded and distributed in a prompt, fair, and reasonable manner;
• The recipients and uses of all funds are transparent to the public, and the public benefit of these funds are reported clearly, accurately, and in a timely manner; 
• Funds are used for authorized purposes, and instances of fraud, waste, error, and abuse are mitigated; 
• Projects funded under this Act avoid unnecessary delays and cost overruns 
• Program goals are achieved, including specific program outcomes and improved results on broader economic indicators. 

These stipulations may require additional information be collected from the Grantees and
subgrantees.  DOE will provide Grantees with guidance on any additional reporting
requirements, once available.

Even with the increase in funding, Grantees are reminded that leveraging remains an important component of the Program.  Otherwise, there are no changes to this section.Even with the increase in funding, Grantees are reminded that leveraging remains an important component of the Program.

Training and Technical Assistance Funding

The Recovery Act adjusted the allowable percentage DOE may permit the Weatherization Assistance Program to use for T&TA.  In the Recovery Act, allowance is made for the Program not to exceed 20 percent of the funds appropriated for T&TA activities. 

All other aspects of T&TA allowable expenditures remain the same. The percentage of funds for PY 09 reflects the full percentage of T&TA.  To effectively address the Weatherization
network's needs, DOE will retain 3 percent of the T&TA for national training and  technical assistance initiatives and transmit 17 percent to the Grantees. The Recovery Act adjusted the allowable percentage DOE may permit the Weatherization Assistance Program to use for T&TA.  In the Recovery Act, allowance is made for the Program not to exceed 20 percent of the funds appropriated for T&TA activities.  All other aspects of T&TA allowable expenditures remain the same. The percentage of funds for PY 09 reflects the full percentage of T&TA.  To effectively address the Weatherization network's needs, DOE will retain 3 percent of the T&TA for national training and technical assistance initiatives and transmit 17 percent to the Grantees.

ENERGY STAR^TM
Recommends Duct Sealing

SOURCE:

"Field Test of Advanced Duct-Sealing Technologies within the Weatherization Assistance Program" November 2001; Mark P. Ternes, Ho-Ling Hwang.  Prepared by the
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. A copy of the complete research report is at:  http://weatherization.ornl.gov/Publications.htm

 

The Weatherization Assistance Program has been assigned a significant role in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The successful execution of this Program is an important part of achieving the goals in the Recovery Act set forth below. The Recovery Act will increase the DOE portion of funding for local weatherization efforts by more than twenty times over a two year period based on FY 08 funding levels.

With the additional funds, it is expected that each Weatherization Grantee will ramp up to meet the goals and expectations laid out for this Program.

Project Management Center (PMC) Project Officers and other DOE staff and contractors will assist Grantees throughout the ramp up process.

In recent years, several Weatherization Grantees have received large funding increases for weatherization from non-DOE sources, and thus have gone through a major ramp-up process similar to what will be required of all Grantees with the Recovery Act funding. To assist the network with Recovery Act ramp-up efforts, a variety of resources provided by these Grantees, based on their experiences, will be posted on www.waptac.org.

AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

On February 17, 2009, the President signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-005. The purposes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are:

• To preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery;
  
• to assist those most impacted by the recession;
  
• to provide investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances in science and health;
  
• to invest in transportation, environmental protection, and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits; and,
  
• to stabilize State and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases

GRANT APPLICATION:  Due to the extraordinary expansion of Grantee and
subgrantee activities required by the Recovery Act, in developing the required application
package all Grantees should use the State Plan process to identify the means by which the
objectives of the Recovery Act can best be accomplished.  
 
State Plans should explicitly recognize the challenges faced by Grantees in areas that  include, but are not limited to, work-force training, monitoring and oversight, quality  control, intake and qualification, management information systems, and equipment and  supplies, and how these challenges can be met.  In addition, State Plans should include  provisions to ensure full compliance with the Recovery Act reporting requirements.   These plan elements are critical not only to DOE's efforts to provide systematic support  and assistance to the Weatherization Grantee and subgrantee network in accomplishing  the goals of the Recovery Act, but to ensuring the transparency and accountability that  are essential features of the Act.

This guidance should be used in conjunction with Weatherization Program Notice (WPN) 09-1A, Grant Guidance for Program Years 2008 and 2009 to Access the $250 Million Supplemental Funding, dated October 27, 2008, and WPN 09-1, Program Year 2009 Weatherization Grant Guidance, dated November 17, 2008.  See WAPTAC for detailed information.