Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002160
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the EERE Building Technologies effort, issued this Request for Information (RFI) to collect stakeholder input that will shape the future direction of DOE's Lighting Research and Development (R&D) portfolio. Rather than soliciting proposals for funding, the RFI is meant to gather practical insights from across the lighting ecosystem so DOE can refine its research goals to better match evolving technology needs, energy-saving opportunities, and related R&D priorities tied to buildings and the built environment.
At the center of the RFI is DOE's interest in understanding where lighting R&D can deliver the biggest impact next, especially as lighting hardware, controls, and connected-building capabilities continue to advance. DOE is using the RFI to pressure-test and update its thinking, including how its planning documents should evolve. A major reference point is the 2018 DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Opportunities (RDO) document, which outlines prior and ongoing R&D needs; DOE is explicitly inviting feedback to identify gaps, confirm priorities, and strengthen the evidence behind proposed research directions.
The RFI asks for input across four topic areas. First, DOE wants to identify high-impact lighting R&D opportunities whose near-term applications fall outside traditional general illumination, but that could still reduce energy use in buildings. This includes lighting-adjacent or lighting-enabled applications that may not be framed as standard "lighting" (for example, sensing, communication, or other non-visual functions) yet can influence building energy performance through smarter operation, better controls, improved system integration, or new service models that reduce wasted energy.
Second, DOE is looking for impactful general illumination R&D opportunities that are missing from, or not sufficiently represented in, the 2018 SSL RDO document. This portion of the RFI is essentially a call to point out blind spots: emerging technical barriers, new performance targets, manufacturing challenges, optical or thermal design needs, reliability issues, human factors considerations, or next-generation control strategies that have become more important since 2018 or were not emphasized enough in prior planning.
Third, DOE asks stakeholders to validate the importance of the R&D opportunities that are already captured in the RDO. Respondents are encouraged to provide additional context, supporting rationale, real-world evidence, market signals, technical data, or use-case examples that confirm why certain R&D topics matter and how they could translate into measurable benefits such as energy savings, cost reductions, improved performance, easier adoption, or stronger interoperability across building systems.
Fourth, DOE invites any other comments that could improve the overall quality of the RDO document or inform the broader direction of the DOE Lighting R&D Program. This open-ended section allows respondents to recommend how DOE frames its portfolio, prioritizes topics, measures impact, coordinates with industry standards efforts, addresses adoption barriers, or connects lighting R&D to related building technology areas such as HVAC optimization, grid interactivity, commissioning and maintenance, cybersecurity for connected devices, or building analytics.
Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as a discretionary DOE action using an "Other" funding instrument type, and it is tied to the Energy funding activity category under CFDA 81.117. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning responses were open to any type of entity (subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full text). The RFI was created on November 5, 2019, and responses were required to be submitted electronically to LightingRFI@netl.doe.gov by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on December 19, 2019. Because this is an RFI, it does not commit DOE to making awards and is not structured as a typical grant competition; consistent with that, the expected number of awards is shown as zero. The listing also includes an "award ceiling" value, but in the context of an RFI this does not function like a standard maximum grant size because the purpose is information collection, not funding selection.
In practical terms, the RFI is best understood as DOE gathering roadmap-level input to decide what lighting research it should prioritize next, where the most consequential technical and market barriers remain, and how DOE can ensure its lighting R&D investments align with the highest-value opportunities for energy savings and performance in buildings.Apply for DE FOA 0002160
- The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information Building Technologies: Lighting R&D Opportunities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.117.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 05, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 19, 2019 Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to LightingRFI@netl.doe.gov no later than 500 (ET) on December 19, 2019.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this DOE opportunity?
This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the EERE Building Technologies effort. The purpose is to collect stakeholder input that will help shape the future direction of DOE's Lighting Research and Development (R&D) portfolio.
2) Is this a funding opportunity or a grant solicitation?
No. This is not a request for proposals and it is not a competitive grant solicitation. The RFI is intended to gather information and practical insights, and it does not commit DOE to making awards.
3) What is DOE trying to accomplish with this RFI?
DOE is using the RFI to pressure-test and update its thinking about where lighting R&D can deliver the biggest impact next. The goal is to refine research goals to better match evolving technology needs, energy-saving opportunities, and related R&D priorities tied to buildings and the built environment.
4) Which DOE organizations are involved?
The RFI is issued by DOE through NETL and the EERE Building Technologies effort.
5) What program area does the RFI relate to?
It relates to DOE's Lighting R&D Program and the broader building technologies context, with an emphasis on energy savings and performance improvements in buildings.
6) What document is DOE using as a major reference point?
DOE points to the 2018 DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Opportunities (RDO) document as a major reference. Respondents are invited to identify gaps, confirm priorities, and strengthen the evidence behind proposed research directions in that planning document.
7) What kinds of input is DOE looking for overall?
DOE is looking for roadmap-level input: practical insights, technical and market evidence, use cases, data, and rationale that can inform which lighting R&D topics should be prioritized and how planning documents like the RDO should evolve.
8) What are the four topic areas DOE asks about?
The RFI requests input across four areas: (1) high-impact lighting R&D opportunities outside traditional general illumination that could reduce building energy use, (2) general illumination R&D opportunities missing or underrepresented in the 2018 SSL RDO, (3) validation and supporting evidence for opportunities already captured in the RDO, and (4) any other comments to improve the RDO and inform the broader DOE Lighting R&D direction.
9) What does DOE mean by "outside traditional general illumination"?
DOE is interested in near-term applications that may not be framed as standard lighting, but are lighting-adjacent or lighting-enabled and could still reduce energy use in buildings. Examples mentioned include non-visual functions such as sensing or communication that can improve building operation, controls, integration, or service models in ways that reduce wasted energy.
10) What is included under general illumination R&D opportunities in this RFI?
DOE asks stakeholders to identify impactful general illumination R&D opportunities that are missing from, or not sufficiently represented in, the 2018 SSL RDO document. This is meant to surface blind spots and new or growing barriers since 2018.
11) What types of gaps or barriers does DOE specifically want highlighted?
The RFI calls out areas such as emerging technical barriers, new performance targets, manufacturing challenges, optical or thermal design needs, reliability issues, human factors considerations, and next-generation control strategies that may have become more important since 2018 or were not emphasized enough previously.
12) What does DOE mean by "validate the importance" of existing RDO opportunities?
DOE wants respondents to confirm and strengthen the case for R&D topics already listed in the RDO by providing context and evidence, such as real-world data, market signals, technical rationale, or use-case examples that show why the topics matter and what benefits they could produce.
13) What kinds of benefits does DOE want respondents to connect to R&D topics?
DOE mentions measurable benefits such as energy savings, cost reductions, improved performance, easier adoption, and stronger interoperability across building systems.
14) What can be included in the "other comments" section?
This open-ended topic allows respondents to suggest improvements to the RDO document and to the broader DOE Lighting R&D Program direction. Examples include recommendations on portfolio framing, prioritization, impact measurement, coordination with industry standards, addressing adoption barriers, and linking lighting R&D to related building technology areas.
15) What related building technology areas does DOE mention?
DOE cites connections to HVAC optimization, grid interactivity, commissioning and maintenance, cybersecurity for connected devices, and building analytics.
16) How is this opportunity categorized administratively?
The listing identifies it as a discretionary DOE action using an "Other" funding instrument type, tied to the Energy funding activity category under CFDA 81.117.
17) Who was eligible to respond?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning responses were open to any type of entity (subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full text of the RFI).
18) When was the RFI created?
The RFI was created on November 5, 2019.
19) What was the submission deadline?
Responses were required to be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on December 19, 2019.
20) How were responses submitted?
Responses were submitted electronically by email to LightingRFI@netl.doe.gov.
21) Does submitting to this RFI result in an award?
No. Because this is an RFI meant for information collection, it is not structured to make awards. The expected number of awards is shown as zero, and DOE does not commit to funding as a result of the RFI.
22) The listing includes an award ceiling. Does that mean funding is available?
Not in the way a typical grant competition works. The listing notes an "award ceiling" value, but in the context of an RFI it does not function like a standard maximum grant size because the purpose is information collection, not selecting projects for funding.
23) What is the practical takeaway for stakeholders considering responding?
The RFI is best understood as DOE gathering input to decide what lighting research to prioritize next, where key technical and market barriers remain, and how DOE can align its lighting R&D investments with the highest-value opportunities for energy savings and performance in buildings.
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