The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that it has launched the second phase of its grant funding program aimed at helping federal agencies implement net-zero building projects.
Administered through Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies, or AFFECT, this phase builds on an initial disbursement of $104 million, announced in January, for clean energy, net-zero and energy conservation projects at 31 federal facilities selected by the department’s Federal Energy Management Program.
The program’s second phase broadens the range of initiatives eligible for funding, reflecting “a commitment to replicability, department-wide scalability, and innovation,” the DOE said in a March 21 news release. The department said it also updated criteria for all topic areas to improve scoring clarity and transparency, while including benchmark examples and adjusting application forms for consistency.
The expanded scope of this phase will specifically involve providing applicants assistance to initiate and develop a net-zero building project that will contribute to compliance with energy and water management requirements, focused on helping projects overcome barriers that occur between initial concept and project phases, according to a DOE program document.
Examples of such assistance include feasibility studies or techno-economic analyses that examine the potential of incorporating early or underutilized commercially viable technologies; analysis of alternative fuels, technologies or strategies for a site or campus to transition from fossil-fuel based district heating or cogeneration systems to all-electric systems; and financial analysis for optimal leverage of funding mechanisms and financial incentives to enable the greatest scope and impact of projects.
The AFFECT federal agency call has also been expanded to include assistance for initiating, developing or modifying agency programs and procedures to create a pipeline of replicable and scalable net-zero building projects. This assistance would “catalyze agency efforts to achieve net-zero building portfolio goals by establishing a programmatic foundation” that results in “more efficient, effective, and comprehensive project development,” per the DOE’s program document.
Examples of this form of assistance include portfolio-level analysis and prioritization of viable net-zero buildings opportunities across facilities within a region or bureau; campus or site-wide master plans or design criteria for net-zero emissions, water and waste; and developing a strategy to transition multiple buildings or a campus from fossil fuel-based district heating or cogeneration systems to all-electric systems.
All applicants are “strongly advised to coordinate with their agency headquarters’ energy and sustainability points of contacts,” such as an agency chief sustainability officer, for internal review and project prioritization, the DOE said.
Applications are due June 27. This deadline will allow federal agencies ample time “for through project planning and submission,” the DOE said.
The department noted that this funding opportunity furthers the goals outlined in President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which sets a target for federal buildings to cut 65% of their emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the news release said.
The funding is part of $250 million allocated under the bipartisan infrastructure law and disbursements will be made over three phases in total.
