NREL Notice of Intent Invites Us Manufacturers to Develop Next-Generation Distributed Wind Energy Technology

Wedoany.com Report-Nov 27,The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a notice of intent under the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP), calling for U.S. manufacturers of small- and medium-sized wind turbine technology to develop project ideas and teams in preparation for a 2025 request for proposals (RFP).

NREL also invites interested parties to register to attend a two-day virtual workshop to learn about applying to CIP on Dec. 4 and 5, 2024, 12:30 to 3 p.m. MT.

Managed by NREL on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Energy Technologies Office, CIP awards cost-shared subcontracts and national laboratory technical assistance to component suppliers and manufacturers of small- and medium-sized wind turbines.

“CIP plays a key role in reducing the costs of distributed wind energy technologies, advancing innovative products into testing, and increasing the number of certified wind turbines available on the U.S. market,” said Brent Summerville, NREL’s CIP lead. “Through this notice of intent and upcoming workshop, NREL is preparing distributed wind manufacturers for the next CIP solicitation in 2025.”

CIP supports innovation to advance wind energy as a cost-effective, reliable, and compatible distributed energy resource option by:

Reducing component and system costs

Optimizing designs for increased energy production

Developing advanced manufacturing processes to reduce hardware costs and meet growing demand

Improving compatibility with other distributed energy resources and grid-support capabilities

Ensuring that distributed energy consumers have wind technology options that are certified to national performance and quality standards.

Workshop Supports Successful CIP Proposals

The December 2024 virtual workshop will present an overview of CIP and review previous topic areas, evaluation criteria, testing and certification requirements, and laboratory-based technical assistance opportunities.

“Designed specifically for companies interested in applying to the 2025 CIP solicitation, this workshop will help attendees understand the RFP process and criteria in preparation for submitting on-target proposals,” Summerville said.

Speakers will cover these and a variety of other topic areas, including:

Previous CIP solicitation topics and guidance on which potential topic areas may be the most appropriate for different turbine technology development stages

Merit criteria and expectations for information to be included in proposals

Overview of turbine and component testing and certification processes

Technical assistance opportunities

Contracting requirements and the RFP process.