DOE Building America Retrofit Solutions Teams (RFP)

DOE Building America Retrofit Solutions Teams

Administering Agency: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Geographic Scope: United States, focused on community-based deployment

Program Overview

DOE issued an RFP for multi-disciplinary expert teams to address technical challenges of decarbonizing the U.S. residential housing stock through community-based retrofit initiatives. Teams will develop, validate, and demonstrate scalable retrofit solutions for broader nationwide implementation.

Objectives

• Address technical challenges in residential energy efficiency retrofits
• Develop equitable and scalable retrofit solutions
• Create guidance for broader community-focused implementation
• Support President Biden's goal of cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030

Focus Areas

• Field Validation & Demonstration: Real-world retrofit projects in homes
• Measurement & Verification: Documenting energy savings and improvements
• Workforce Training: Building capacity for retrofit deployment
• Carbon Emissions Reduction: Home energy efficiency improvements
• Community-Focused Solutions: Tailored to regional decarbonization challenges

Team Composition Requirements

DOE specifies teams must include four key member types:

1. Team Lead

• Engages multiple communities to identify needs and appropriate solutions
• Coordinates retrofit demonstration and validation projects
• Manages stakeholder relationships

2. Research Member

• Applies energy and building science expertise
• Conducts modeling, design, and analysis
• Documents best practices and conducts data collection
• Expertise in measurement and verification

3. Implementation Member

• Demonstrates programmatic knowledge (financing, incentives, models)
• Shows retrofit deployment capabilities
• Navigates finance mechanisms and incentive structures
• Understands implementation limitations and opportunities

4. Industry Member

• Provides market conditions perspective
• Identifies integration and installation challenges/opportunities
• Aligns technical solutions with business models
• Represents industry knowledge and practical constraints

Additional Requirements

• Capacity to execute in-the-field demonstration projects
• Integration with DOE, National Labs, and industry experts
• Collaboration capability across disciplines
• Full technical criteria available on DOE Building America website

Application Process

Deadline: May 9, 2023 (deadline has passed)

Team Formation & Submission

1. Identify Team Members
   • Secure commitment from Team Lead
   • Identify Research Member with building science expertise
   • Identify Implementation Member with retrofit deployment experience
   • Identify Industry Member representing installation/integration perspective
2. Prepare RFP Response
   • Detail team composition and member qualifications
   • Document relevant experience in retrofit projects
   • Demonstrate multi-disciplinary capacity
   • Show understanding of technical challenges
   • Outline approach to field validation and demonstration
3. Technical Criteria Compliance
   • Address all technical requirements specified by DOE
   • Reference full technical criteria from DOE Building America website
   • Detail capability in measurement and verification
   • Include workforce training component
4. Submission
   • Submit via DOE Building America portal
   • Follow RFP format and requirements
   • Include all required documentation

Key Questions to Address

• How will your team identify community retrofit needs?
• What retrofit solutions will you demonstrate and validate?
• How will you measure and verify results?
• What workforce training approach will you implement?
• How will results be scaled to other communities?