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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

81.118:  Solar Energy Partnership Support and Barrier Elimination

Popular Name:  Million Solar Roofs Initiative

Objectives:  To provide financial support for partnership development and barrier removal including, but not limited to, information dissemination, outreach, training and related technical analysis/assistance which will: (1) Stimulate increased use of solar energy applications in residential and commercial buildings and the Federal sector; and (2) accelerate the adoption of solar energy technologies to increase their use through the competitive solicitation of applications.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

81.118 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Million Solar Roofs State and Community Partnerships, profit organizations, individuals, private nonprofit institutions/organizations, public nonprofit institutions/organizations, State and local governments, Native American organizations, Alaskan Native corporations and universities may apply. DOE Laboratories are not eligible.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Million Solar Roofs State and Community Partnerships profit organizations, individuals, private nonprofit institutions/organizations, public nonprofit institutions/organizations, State and local governments, Native American organizations, Alaskan Native corporations and universities will benefit.

Credentials/Documentation:  Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21 for institutions of higher education.

81.118 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  The standard application forms as furnished by DOE and required by 10 CFR Part 600 must be used to apply for financial assistance, as further specified in the competitive solicitation(s). Application forms and instructions are available on the World Wide Web at www.ee.doe.gov and www.pr.doe.gov/solicit.html.

Award Procedure:  All applications which pass an initial review will receive an objective merit review. Objective Merit Review Committees will evaluate applications based on the evaluation criteria set forth in the competitive solicitation. After the Merit Review Committee has completed its evaluations, an EERE program official will evaluate the applications against program policy factors set forth in the competitive solicitation. Final decisions will be made by the EERE Assistant Secretary or his designee.

Deadlines:  Competitive solicitations with multiple deadlines will be issued several times a year.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  From 1 to 3 months.

Appeals:  None.

Renewals:  Applications for renewal are subject to review, availability of funds and acceptance by the Headquarters Office.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Selection will be based on an objective merit review recommendation, program policy factors, the amount of funds available, provisions of appropriation law and reports and as otherwise specified in the solicitation document.

Examples of Funded Projects:  Projects that are scheduled to be funded: Information dissemination, public outreach, and related technical analysis and barrier elimination activities to facilitate the adoption of solar energy technologies in residential and commercial buildings and communities. Support for State and Community Partnerships can be used for activities that encourage the use of solar energy technologies such as design charrettes; training for building officials, the construction industry, solar energy installers and utility personnel; studies of localized barriers to solar energy applications; efforts to develop and/or modify codes and standards that affect solar energy installations; and economic studies of the benefits of solar energy technologies.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  In fiscal year 1999, 24 grants were issued for a total of $950,000, ranging in value from $15,000 to $117,180; $39,583.

81.118 RELATED PROGRAMS:

81.118 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

81.118 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  OFFICE OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements).

Obligations:  (Grants and Cooperative Agreements) FY 99 $1,500,000; FY 00 est $1,500,000; and FY 01 est $3,000,000.

Budget Account Number:  89-0224-0-1-271.

Authorization:  Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 712; Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 5813(6)(7)(8); Energy Policy Act of 1992, 42 U.S.C. 13231.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  The following list represents an overview of regulations, guidelines, and literature: EERE Federal Register notices, "Doing Business with the Department of Energy," DOE Financial Assistance Regulations (10 CFR 600), and the DOE Guide to Financial Assistance, which may be accessed through the DOE Office of Procurement and Assistance Management homepage at: www.pr.doe.gov.

81.118 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  Not applicable. See Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Headquarters Office:  Peter Dreyfuss, EE-1, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Phone: (202) 586-8779.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

81.118 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  Cost-sharing is a mandatory factor for award in some components of these solicitations. For those solicitations where cost-sharing is not a mandatory factor, cost-sharing is encouraged and will be considered in the selection process.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Length and time phasing of assistance will vary with the program phase and activity. The maximum term of awards varies up to 1 year.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Financial assistance is provided in support of the program objectives as described in competitive solicitations, which will be issued several times a year. Restrictions on use of funds depend on the provisions of the specific project agreement.

81.118 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  The schedule for reports are arranged at the time of negotiations. Applicants will typically submit a semi-annual report, as specified in the award.

Audits:  Costs incurred may be subject to audit throughout the grant period and before final close-out. The extent and frequency of audits depends on the size of the award and the specific award provisions. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations, nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records:  A grantee is expected to maintain auditable records to substantiate the total costs incurred under the grant.