The Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity, aims to advance grid-edge technology solutions that facilitate seamless integration and operation of various energy systems. This prize targets behind-the-meter technologies that support improved interaction between homeowners, business owners, and the electricity grid, transforming it into a two-way system. Participants are required to demonstrate how their technology enhances integration with different energy systems and outline plans for collaboration with grid-edge vendors. Up to two winning teams will receive $100,000 each and the opportunity to showcase their innovations at DISTRIBUTECH 2025 in Dallas, gaining exposure and partnership opportunities. This initiative is part of the Grid Resource Integration Technologies (GRIT) Prize Series, which seeks to improve the efficiency and reliability of the power system through enhanced integration of grid-edge technologies. The competition is open to companies and coalitions already working on relevant solutions. The deadline for showcasing at DISTRIBUTECH is March 25, 2025. For further details on participation requirements, refer to the Official Rules document.

The American-Made Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize offers up to $8.2 million in cash prizes to multi-stakeholder teams developing projects that explore the co-location of photovoltaics (PV) and cattle grazing operations. This initiative aims to support pilot and demonstration projects to gather data on best practices, use cases, costs, business models, and energy and agricultural outcomes of cattle agrivoltaics. By integrating solar deployment with agricultural operations, the LASSO Prize seeks to preserve farming activities, provide additional revenue streams for farmers and ranchers, benefit rural communities, and contribute to decarbonizing the electric grid. Additionally, it fosters relationship-building between the solar and agricultural sectors, promoting industry expansion. Teams interested in this opportunity should focus on creating impactful solutions that demonstrate the synergy between solar energy production and cattle grazing. The gathered data from these projects will help shape future agrivoltaic practices and business models.

The Fiscal Year 2025 Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator Notice of Funding Opportunity aims to stimulate private investment in the commercialization of innovative solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Managed by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), this initiative targets for-profit entities as prime recipients, with a broad range of eligible subrecipients including educational institutions, nonprofit entities, and governmental bodies. The funding opportunity is divided into three main topic areas: Crystalline silicon (c-Si) module technology, Cadmium telluride (CdTe) module technology, and non-module hardware technology that enhances PV system performance and reliability. Each area encompasses various segments of their respective supply chains, from input materials to recycling processes. This NOFO addresses gaps in private investment necessary for advancing research and development to market-ready stages. Successful applicants will leverage technical expertise and validation capabilities from subrecipients to achieve significant advancements in PV technology. The notice also underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among different types of organizations to drive innovation in solar energy solutions. Further details regarding application deadlines and specific funding amounts will be provided upon official issuance of the NOFO.

The Community Power Accelerator Prize Round 3 is a $10 million initiative designed to accelerate the development of equitable distributed solar projects, particularly targeting underserved populations. This three-phase competition—Ready!, Set!, and Grow!—supports new and expanding solar developers with cash prizes, training, coaching, and financial resources. Applicants must propose portfolios of solar projects that deliver meaningful benefits such as resilience, workforce development, economic opportunities, or household savings. The program aims to increase solar access for low- and moderate-income communities while promoting equity and consumer protection. Successful competitors will advance through each phase, receiving additional support to scale their projects and secure financing via an online marketplace. The competition begins in September 2024 and concludes in October 2026.

The Energy Storage Pilot Demonstrations grant supports the advancement of non-lithium energy storage solutions with a focus on long-duration (10+ hour discharge) technologies. The program aims to push these technologies toward commercial viability by generating high-quality operational data, building investor confidence, and addressing key challenges in technology readiness and supply chain maturation. Eligible applicants include state energy offices, Indian Tribes, educational institutions, electric utilities, and private energy storage companies. Individual awards range from $5 million to $20 million out of a total funding pool of $100 million. Concept papers are due by October 16, 2024, with full applications due February 13, 2025. Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate reliable performance at pilot scale and generate robust techno-economic models. Proposals should include partnerships with end-users and financiers to ensure future project scalability and commercialization. Additionally, projects must support community benefits such as meaningful labor engagement and advancing diversity and equity per the Justice40 Initiative. Applicants must justify their system's commercial relevance and show a clear path to market acceptance while meeting specified technical requirements for electrochemical, mechanical, or thermal solutions.