Frequently Asked Questions

Select a FOA to view questions and answers for the specific funding opportunity. Alternatively select "Non-FOA related items" to view system FAQ items.

Question 1: Where will the 2015 Solar Decathlon competition be held?
Answer 1: The final location for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 has not been selected at this time.  Additional information will be posted to the Solar Decathlon website when a determination has been made but not before this Funding Opportunity Announcement closes and Universities have been selected.
Question 2: Are International Universities eligible to apply as a Prime Recipient and without partnering with a US University?
Answer 2: This Funding Opportunity Announcement requires potential International applicants to partner with a U.S. University for consideration.  Please see Section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION Part C.11.i for more information.
Question 3: Are Community Colleges/Trade Colleges and their students eligible to apply and participate in the Solar Decathlon?
Answer 3:

The US DOE Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement is open to all “Educational institutions that are incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular State or territory of the United States.” This includes all post-secondary institutions that are accredited by their state or another accrediting entity including a Community College and/or Trade College as a prime or subrecipient.  Please see Section III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION A. 1. for additional detail.

Question 4: When will the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement close?
Answer 4:

The Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement will close on December 20, 2013 at 5 pm EST.  Please see Section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION for additional detail.

Question 5: Where can applicants find more information on the Solar Decathlon?
Answer 5:

The US Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement can be viewed at the following web link https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov.  The Solar Decathlon web page is http://www.solardecathlon.gov/. Please see Section I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION subpart A. for additional detail.

Question 6: Can DOE provide applicants with application materials directly?
Answer 6:

The Department of Energy does not provide materials directly to potential applicants for Funding Opportunity Announcements. Please access the Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement online at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov.

Question 7: Cost sharing involves a minimum cost that the prime recipient has to provide to fund the project, in addition to what the EERE grants the recipient, which can be up to $100,000 as stated in the FOA. For example, if a grand total for the cost of a Solar Decathlon project turns out to be $500,000, then does that mean that the prime recipient's cost share is $50,000, the EERE provides $50,000, and the remaining portion of the $400,000 is 'extra' money raised by the institution and can be used for whatever should be allocated to that is left in the project? Is a foreign institution that is partnered up with a U.S. institution able to spend funding for the project without restrictions? Is any performance of work with the additional funds raised outside of the United States allowed with or without a waiver request? Would cash & in-kind donations raised have be to given by non-Federal sources within the U.S. only, or can be gained from outside the U.S.? Does the submission of a waiver request for any reason hinder an applicant's chances in being considered for the Solar Decathlon competition?
Answer 7:

The Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details a 50% cost sharing requirement of Federal Funds made with the award.  EERE anticipates making awards of $50,000 per recipient, however Federal regulation governing Federal and Cost Share funds to the project also apply to project funds raised through fundraising activities and sponsorships.  Please see Appendix B and C Cost share Information in the FOA for further details.

 

If the applicant should partner with a foreign university or if a foreign University should have an affiliation with a U.S. based University and wish to apply, cost share funds from foreign sources is allowable as total project cost.  The costs in the foreign country should be limited to necessary costs and actions they would not be able to do in the U.S., Federal regulation would still apply.

 

An applicant submitting a waiver request for any reason does not affect consideration in the merit review of the application.  The applicant will need to submit a waiver for any proposed expenses outside of the United States that are necessary to perform the project and the applicant is unable to perform this activity in the United States.

 

Please see section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION subpart C.11. Waiver Requests: Foreign Entities and Performance of Work in the United States for additional information pertaining to waivers.
Question 8: The FOA states that the cost share requirement is 50% of total project costs and that the awards made by the EERE will be $50,000 per participant. Does this mean that successful participants (i.e., those whose applications are accepted and who compete in the 2015 Decathlon) should expect to have to raise $50,000 from non-Federal sources--or should they expect to raise more (and if so, is there an amount they should have in mind)?
Answer 8:

The Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details a 50% cost sharing requirement of Federal Funds made with the award.  Please see section III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION for additional detail. 

 

Regarding Project Costs, historic costs can be referenced by visiting www.solardecathlon.gov and reviewing previous competitions.  The 50% cost share requirement is the minimum statutory authority amount required for this type of Cooperative Agreement.

Question 9: Page 23 states, a one page limit for "key participating team members" while page 25 states a 3 page limit for PI and each "key participant". Can you please provide some clarification on the distinction between the two limits?
Answer 9:

The Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details that the resume page limit for the Principal Investigator and other Key Participants is three (3) pages.  The page limit for key participating team members, excluding the PI and other Key Participants, is one (1) page. 

 

The Technical Volume is inclusive of the "Qualifications, Experience, and Capabilities" document.  The one (1) page limit is for resumes of team members, not included in the Key Personnel definition below.

 

The resumes for the Principal Investigator and Key Personnel should be submitted in the Qualifications, Experience, and Capabilities document titled “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Resumes”.

 

"Key Personnel": Individuals who will have significant roles in planning and implementing the proposed Project on the part of the Applicant and Participants, including FFRDCs.

 

Team members encompass personnel not covered by the definition above.  Please see APPENDIX A. DEFINITIONS for additional information. 

Question 10: What are the rules for involving graduate students on the team?
Answer 10:

The Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement refers to the Solar Decathlon rules by clicking on the following link http://www.solardecathlon.gov/apply.html.  Graduate students are allowed to participate in the Solar Decathlon.  Please refer to this page regarding rules for information regarding project personnel.  Please see section I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT for additional detail regarding the Solar Decathlon.
Question 11: Are applicants supposed to secure the fifty percent cost share before the competition deadline?
Answer 11:

The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details Cost Share criteria in section III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION subpart B. COST SHARING.  “Applicants are required to provide written assurance of their proposed cost share contributions in their Full Applications.”

 

Please see the section mentioned above for additional detail regarding cost share.

Question 12: Can you clarify if the 12/4 webinar is for the sunshot initiative program? Can you elaborate on what the Solar Decathlon 2015 FOA is?
Answer 12:

The webinar on December 4th is for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement.  More information regarding the Solar Decathlon 2015 FOA can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.
Question 13: Is this grant opportunity for hosting the 2015 Solar Decathlon, and if so, is it open to communities outside of California?
Answer 13:

The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement is for Institutions of Higher Education to apply for the Solar Decathlon 2015 competition.  This Funding Opportunity Announcement is not for the opportunity to host the competition.

Question 14: Does the budget worksheet include just the $50,000 grant amount, or should it include the projected total budget? What level of partners’ commitment needs to included with the proposal—an overall “we’re going to participate” letter or one with in-kind or dollar amount commitment, or other details?
Answer 14:

The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details the term “budget” in APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS.  “’Budget’ means the cost expenditure plan submitted in the Application, including both the EERE contribution and the Applicant Cost Share.”

 

The Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details information on Successful Applicants and that Letters of Commitment from Third Parties may be required if an Applicant has been selected for award. DOE understands concept designs and project costs are preliminary at this time.  DOE is looking for best estimates based on sound methodology.

Letters of commitment are encouraged and helpful in our evaluation. Commitments can be monetary or in-kind support of materials and labor (consulting and mentoring).  Sponsors and outside support can be sought based upon selection into the competition. Funding does not need to be obtained up front.  Letters with pledges, promises and commitments should be conditional upon selection into the competition.  The letters are not required to be precise at the time of application, but the more defined the better.

 

Please see section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION subpart D. SUBMISSIONS FROM SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS.
Question 15: The FOA (page 31) says, "Fundraising has been adequately planned" and that ,"Industry involvement in the project is considered."" So our question is, how detailed does our funding justification need to be when we are not aware of the precise costs? How can we ask sponsors to commit to a project that pending on the admission results may or may not be admitted to compete? And how specific do those letters of commitment need to be, for example could a company just commit to helping the project, or do they need to precisely say how much they are willing to commit either financially or in in-kind contributions?
Answer 15:

Applicants selected for award under the Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement will be required to submit letters of commitment from Third Parties.  DOE understands concept designs and project costs are preliminary at this time, however DOE is looking for best estimates based on sound methodology.

Applicants are encouraged to submit any attainable letters of commitment as it is helpful in evaluation. Commitments can be monetary or in-kind support of materials and labor (consulting and mentoring).  Sponsors and outside support can be sought based upon selection into the competition. Funding does not need to be obtained up front.  Letters with pledges, promises and commitments should be conditional upon selection into the competition.  The letters are not required to be precise at the time of application, but the more defined the better.

 

Please see section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION subpart D. SUBMISSIONS FROM SUCCESFUL APPLICANTS.
Question 16: Are there any prohibitions or limitations on DOE employees (even 50% FTE or less) who are also accredited faculty members of an university participating in an educational role (i.e. integrating Solar Decathlon into their curriculum), an advisory role, or any other role for a team?
Answer 16:

The Faculty member in question is allowed to participate in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement in their capacity as a member of the educational institution and as cost share to the project.  The Faculty member will not be allowed to count and funding/support by the FFRDC towards cost share or the project.
Question 17: According to the FOA, applicants are expected to use the Budget Justification template located in the EERE Exchange. I want to verify that this template is the same as the form "SF - 424 A" ?
Answer 17:

The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details in section IV APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION that the Budget Justification template is the PMC 123.1. The SF-424A mentioned in your question is the Budget Information form and is a high level breakdown of anticipated expenditures.  The Budget Justification (PMC 123.1) requests greater detail regarding the identified cost categories and their components. 

Question 18: With a quickly approaching deadline, how certain must consortium applicants about the team members involved? May applicants add team members? May applicants change advisers? May applicants add another school after entering?
Answer 18:

An application can be submitted by one of the Colleges as a representative of a College consortium.  It is not a requirement of the application to have every potential team member listed as some faculty, advisors and students may change during the two year project.  Colleges in the consortium but not included in the original application may be added at a later date.

 

Colleges outside of the accepted College consortium and not included in the original application may be added at a later date. These institutions will not be recognized as a participating institution in official documentation or brochures and students from these institutions will not be allowed to participate in the on-site competition. 

Question 19: If a project is going to cost $500,000 and the grant award plus required cost share is only $100,000 ($50,000 fed grant $50,000 cost match), do applicants have to do the budget narrative for the $500,000 or just the $50,000 in Federal funding?
Answer 19:

Applications to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement should be as detailed as possible given there will be some uncertainty in Total Project Value.  If your organization believes it can accurately estimate the anticipated Total Project Value, then it is advised that applicants use that value when completing the application materials (Federal Amount + Statutory Cost Share + Additional Estimated Project Expenses(Cost Share) = Total Project Value).
Question 20: Can applicants count a person, who is funding by another grant for 100% of their time, as part of the cost-share match in personnel or should applicants count this person at all since he is 100% grant paid?
Answer 20:

Please see APPENDIX B. – COST SHARE INFORMATION subpart (A) (5) in the Funding Opportunity Announcement.  For further reference and included in Appendix B of the Funding Opportunity Announcement, OMB 2 CFR 215.23 Cost Sharing or Matching:

 

“(a) All contributions, including cash and third party in-kind, shall be accepted as part of the recipient's cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the following criteria.”

 

“(5) Are not paid by the Federal Government under another award, except where authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or matching.”
Question 21: For the proposal do applications need an overall budget for proposed costs over the entire project, (i.e., 300 to 500k in our experience) or a budget showing how the team would use and provide matching funds for the $50,000 award? The FOA states that $50,000 is the average amount that will be awarded. Does that mean applicants are allowed to ask for more, or is $50,000 the maximum?
Answer 21:

Applications provided for consideration to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement should reflect the estimated Total Project Value and be as detailed as possible.

 

Please see section II. AWARD INFORMATION subpart A.1. ESTIMATED FUNDING.  “The maximum Federal award each team can receive is $50,000.”  
Question 22: Regarding the PMC 123.1 (Budget Justification), are the budget category sheets to be used only for the funds applicants are requesting from DOE, or should applicants include the cost share components on each of these sheets as well?
Answer 22:

The Budget Justification (PMC 123.1) requests detail regarding the identified cost categories and their components and should reflect the anticipated DOE funding and proposed cost share by the applicant.  Please see Section IV APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION for further details.
Question 23: Can you please clarify as to whether the total possible amount awarded from the DOE/EERE over the two year project period is $50,000 or $100,000 ($50k/year)?
Answer 23:

The estimated funding detailed in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement states “the maximum award each team can receive is $50,000.”  

 

Please see section II. AWARD INFORMATION subpart A.1. ESTIMATED FUNDING. The maximum funding from DOE/EERE for the two year project period is $50,000.

Question 24: For the Work Breakdown Structure, the FOA requires all tasks and subtasks to be in terms of months. For the WBS, should applicants be talking about bigger picture tasks and subtasks? For instance instead of a task being "Installing Solar Array" and its subtask being "Mount Solar Panels on Roof," should tasks be more like "Construction Phase" and then its subtasks would be "Prepare Site," "Create Foundation," "Crane Shipping Containers," etc.?
Answer 24:

The Work Breakdown Structure to be included in an application to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement requires all tasks and subtasks to be in terms of months.  The Work Breakdown Structure will show activities over the two year project duration with detail requested in monthly increments and no shorter.

Question 25: Applicants are required to submit the proposal through the EERE system. By "Applicant," can that be the Principal Investigator himself or it must be an authorized official? The reason for the inquiry is the application requires an electronic approval from the authorized official, can an authorized official endorse and electronically sign the proposal and the PI would then submit the approved application through the EERE system?
Answer 25:

Please see Appendix A. DEFINITIONS for the definition of an Authorized Organization Representative.  The definition is as follows:

 

“Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)” is the person with assigned privileges who is authorized to submit grant applications through Grants.gov on behalf of an organization. The privileges are assigned by the organization’s E-Business Point of Contact designated in the SAM.

 

Regarding the submission process in EERE-eXCHANGE, please reference the Applicant User Guide which is available on the Manuals page of EERE eXCHANGE. 

Question 26: Can the Control Number (in the top right-hand corner of each sheet) and page numbers (at the bottom of pages) be placed within the 1” margins? Since the Conceptual Design is included in the 30-page maximum, can it be combined with the rest of the Technical Volume as a single document, or is required to be submitted separately? If submitted separately, should page numbers continue from one document to another as though they were one document that was simply cut into two pieces?
Answer 26:

Control Numbers on applications to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement “must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page.”

 

The Conceptual Design document “must be submitted as a separate, stand-alone document and is part of the 30-page technical proposal limit.”

 

Please see section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION subparts A. and C. (2) for additional detail.

Question 28: Do the Milestone Summary Table and Gantt Chart count toward the total 30 page limit for the Technical Volume?
Answer 28:

Please see section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION subpart C. (2):

 

“The Technical Volume to the Full Application may not be more than 30 pages, including the cover page, table of contents, and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics, and must include all of the information in the table below. The applicant should consider the weighting of each of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A.2 of the FOA) when preparing the Technical Volume.”
Question 29: 1. Will more than 20 teams be selected for the negotiation period? What happens if one of the 20 teams you negotiate with ends up not being in position to compete. Is there a waiting list? Will the teams selected for negotiation be able to decline the negotiation if possible? 2. The review criteria you present on page 31 is not consistent with the technical volume requirements on page 16-24 of the FOA. This review criteria is composed of the technical volume requirements from previous decathlons. What is the value in presenting this review criteria if we will not be writing about it. Example: Curriculum Integration, the technical volume does not require this section as it did in other years. Are you still using it to review the submissions?
Answer 29:

In addition to the 20 applicants selected for award negotiation from the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement, there will be a group of applicants considered to be alternates in the event negotiations do not proceed with an applicant selected for award.

 

As stated in Section V.A.1 of the FOA (pages 30-31), applications will be evaluated against the merit review criteria.  The challenge to the teams competing in the Solar Decathlon 2015 is to safely and successfully design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive in less than 24 months.  EERE has developed a uniform template for its FOAs which incorporates the minimum requirements and expectations, in terms of project impact, technology innovation, and project management systems and capabilities, that any recipient of EERE financial assistance is expected to meet.  The application should address the evaluation criteria within the technical volume framework.  For example, curriculum integration could be described in the project overview, technical description, and workplan (e.g., milestones and work breakdown structure) sections of the technical volume.  Applicants are responsible for structuring their responses to address the merit review criteria within the technical volume.

Question 30: Assuming the total project value is $500K (50K federal, 50K cost share, and 400K anticipated third party cost share/in-kind). Applicants have to budget for the total project value of $500K and they do have a letter of commitment for the required $50K cost share but do they need letters for the other $400K or will soft commitments and a fundraising plan be sufficient at this stage?
Answer 30:

The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details information on Successful Applicants and that Letters of Commitment from Third Parties may be required if an Applicant has been selected for award. DOE understands concept designs and project costs are preliminary at this time.  DOE is looking for best estimates based on sound methodology.  Letters of commitment are encouraged and helpful in our evaluation. Commitments can be monetary or in-kind support of materials and labor (consulting and mentoring).  Sponsors and outside support can be sought based upon selection into the competition. Funding does not need to be obtained up front.  Letters with pledges, promises and commitments should be conditional upon selection into the competition.  The letters are not required to be precise at the time of application, but the more defined the better.

 

Please see section IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION subpart D. SUBMISSIONS FROM SUCCESFUL APPLICANTS.
Question 31: Who may be defined as the "PI" and "Key Participants"?
Answer 31:

Please reference APPENDIX A - DEFINITIONS in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement for DOE's definition of PI and Key Participants.

Question 32: "The Prime Recipient may not use the following sources to meet its cost share obligations including, but not limited to: • Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity" Does this include proceeds from the prospective sale of the Solar Decathlon competition house following the competition?
Answer 32:

Cost share may not come from proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity since the transaction has not occurred and the funds from that transaction hinge on the completion of negotiation.  Please refer to 10 CFR 600.123 Cost Sharing or Matching for additional information pertaining to Cost Sharing.

Question 33: Can you tell me who from the University would be considered an "Authorized Representative" for the SF 424? The detailed outline of the Technical Volume does not mention much about curricular integration plans, but the selection criteria make clear that this bears 15% of the selection weight. Is it intended that curricular plans be fitted into the Work Breakdown Structure? Would this material be more appropriately placed in an appendix? Should the starting point of the project be considered to be April, when awards are made, or February, when selections are first announced? The FOA mentions that this is a 2-year agreement. Should we anticipate deliverables being required into spring of 2016?
Answer 33:

An “Authorized Representative” for the SF 424 is defined in APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS under Authorized Organization Representative. 

 

“Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)” is the person with assigned privileges who is authorized to submit grant applications through Grants.gov on behalf of an organization. The privileges are assigned by the organization’s E-Business Point of Contact designated in the SAM.

 

The Technical Volume should include a Curriculum and Integration Plan.

 

The starting point of the projects will be the point at which awards have been made to the successful applicants.  Competition Deliverables are detailed in the Solar Decathlon rules on SolarDecathlon.gov.  The revised rules for the 2015 competition will be released after the FOA closes on December 20, 2013.  Please refer to the 2013 rules for details pertaining to deliverables.

Question 34: The University faculty member who is preparing the application and would be the Principal Investigator of the Solar Decathlon grant is proposing volunteering his effort on the grant during the summer and using the value of that effort to satisfy part of the cost share commitment. The faculty member in question has a 9 month faculty appointment. His effort expended on the grant during the summer would be uncompensated by the University but would be valued based on 1/9 or 2/9 (depending on time and effort actually expended) of his academic year base salary. In addition to the value of the faculty member’s donated or volunteer effort, the value of the salary cost share would be increased by the University summer faculty compensation fringe benefit rate and the value of the indirect costs that would normally apply. May applicants propose uncompensated time based on a percent of effort and the fringe and indirect costs the applicant would otherwise incur as cost share?
Answer 34: An applicant may propose a percent of effort calculation for donated time to the project which will be considered as cost share for the project. The application submitted to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement can only include the value of the uncompensated time for this individual.  The fringe and indirect costs associated with their uncompensated time are unallowable since the individual is not causing the institution to incur fringe costs or indirect costs with their volunteered time.
Question 35: What qualifies as a "subawardee"? If the applicant is not planning to work with any other universities, does this mean they do not have to fill out the 9th document, "Subaward budget justification PMC 123.1"? Would it be possible to decide to work with another university at a later date, following submission of a funding application? Is a "Subrecipient" the same as a "Subawardee"? If the applicant does not intend to pay people to advocate for their application, is it necessary to fill out form 10 (SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities)? If the applicant is a domestic applicant, is it necessary to fill out form 11 (Waiver Request)? What specifically is meant by "cost-share"? The FOA announces that "The cost share must be at least 50% of the total allowable costs for demonstration projects." Does this mean that the money received from external funding sources must be at least equivalent to the amount of money the applicant is receiving from the DOE / EERE? Which application forms are relevant to cost share? Are there any particular concerns related to cost share that applicants should be aware of as they complete applications?
Answer 35:

The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement details the requirements for a subawardee in section IV, APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION. The subawardee budget justification will need to be submitted if the applicant proposes any work to be done with any organization above $250,000 and is not limited to universities. A subrecipient is a subawardee.

 

 The applicant may add partnering universities to the project at a later date, however, the competition brochures and publication materials will not feature the partner university's information and team members from that university may not participate on site at the competition.

 

The SF-LLL discloses if the applicant has lobbied in general and is not tied directly to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. 

 

It is assumed that domestic entities will not submit a waiver for Foreign entities to perform work outside of the United States unless the applicant has proposed partnering with a Foreign entity or a Foreign entity is partnering with a domestic institution for consideration.

 

The cost share requirement for this Funding Opportunity Announcement is 50%.  The Federal award size is $50,000.  The cost share requirement is on Total Project Value.  The applicant must propose at least $50,000 in cost share which is 50% of a Total Project Value of $100,000.  The historical Total Project Value for participants in the Solar Decathlon is above $100,000. 

 

Please refer to 10 CFR600.123 for DOE rules pertaining to cost share and 2 CFR 220 for Cost Principals and allowable costs for Educational Institutions. 

 

Cost Share will be reflected on the SF-424, SF-424A, and PMC 123.1. 

Question 36: The PI is described in the FOA document as the technical point of contact/project manager, yet in the rules, a student project manager is listed as one of the key roles. Can the PI assume the role as solely the technical point of contact, or must he also serve as the manager?
Answer 36:

Applicants to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement should designate a Faculty Advisor as the Principal Investigator and technical point of contact to DOE for the award.  The student roles as members of the applicant team should be listed and described in the technical volume, including the student project manager role.    Faculty members are only eligible to fill the “faculty advisor” team officer position.  Eligible decathletes must fill all other team officer positions.
Question 37: 1. In the personnel tab, are the tasks intended to match the tasks listed in the work breakdown structure, or is less temporal detail intended here? 2. Should construction materials be categorized as "equipment" and "supplies" (based on cost and durability) or classified under "construction"? 3. Should applicants assume that the 3 budget periods listed are FY 2014, FY 2015, and FY 2016?
Answer 37:

PMC 123.1s submitted with applications to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement should meet the following recommendations.

 

The personnel tab of the budget justification should list key personnel by title for each tasks.  All other personnel should be identified either by title or a group category.  State the amounts of time (e.g., hours or % of time) to be expended, the base pay rate (or composite base pay rate for group category), total direct personnel compensation, and identify the rate basis (e.g., actual salary, labor distribution report, technical estimate, state civil service rates, etc.).  The information can be organized by major tasks, with sub-tasks incorporated in the costs provided for each task.   Explanatory detail justifying personnel costs should be provided in the additional comments box at the bottom of the form.

 

Construction materials should be categorized under equipment or supplies depending on the type of purchase, useful life and cost.  See the PMC 123.1 instructions for additional information on classifying materials as equipment  or supplies.

 

Awards for the Solar Decathlon will have two budget periods.  The third year budget period provided on the PMC 123.1 should be left blank.
Question 38: Will there be any sort of notice that EERE has successfully received the application?
Answer 38:

A successful application to the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Funding Opportunity Announcement through “the eXCHANGE website is acknowledged by a message on the screen, as well as by an automatically generated email notification containing the date/time stamp of the submission to the applicant.”

 

Please see the eXCHANGE Applicant User Guide for additional details.