[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3951-3953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1720]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Solicitation for Expressions of Interest; Low-Cost Prototype 
Inverters

AGENCY:  U.S. Department of Energy.

ACTION:  Notice of Solicitation for Participation in Competition to 
Create Low-Cost Inverters.

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SUMMARY:  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the 
National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Institute 
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and other sponsors 
announces an opportunity for qualified colleges and university 
engineering programs to submit proposals to compete for a cash prize 
for funds to build prototype, low-cost inverters, in a contest titled 
the 2001 Future Energy Challenge. This competition is open to schools 
with ABET-accredited engineering programs or the equivalent.

DATES:  Additional information on this competition and application 
requirements will be mailed beginning February 1, 2000, with a due date 
for receipt of application requirements of April 3, 2000. Schools 
selected to compete in the 2001 Future Energy Challenge will be 
notified by May 1, 2000. The competition will be scheduled for late May 
or early June 2001.

ADDRESSES:  If your school is interested in receiving an application 
requirements package for the 2001 Future Energy Challenge, complete the 
attached form and fax or mail it to the address on the form. You can 
also e-mail your response to: [email protected]. Be sure to 
include all the information requested on the form or in your e-mail 
message. The application requirements package will also provide 
information on how you might qualify for seed money from other 
sponsors. (Note: The agency or organization providing the seed money 
will solicit and evaluate the application requirements for seed 
funding, not DOE.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The 2001 Future Energy Challenge seeks to 
dramatically improve the design and reduce the cost of DC-AC inverters 
and interface systems for use in distributed generation systems. DOE is 
joining with NASEO, and possibly others, to sponsor this competition 
with the goal of making these interface systems practical and cost 
effective. The objectives are to design elegant, manufacturable systems 
that would reduce the costs of commercial interface systems by at least 
50% and, thereby, accelerate the deployment of distributed generation 
systems in homes and buildings. Schools with the capability to 
undertake the challenging task of designing complete systems or 
modifying commercial inverters to achieve design and manufacturability 
improvements that lead to cost reductions of 50% or better are invited 
to submit proposals to DOE to compete. Schools may elect to compete in 
one of three classes: an engineering design study class that involves a 
thorough design, analysis, cost, and simulation study; a scale 
prototype class in which hardware is built and demonstrated at a 
fraction of the target power level; and a full prototype class that 
leads to a comprehensive hardware system. Schools should plan to form 
multi-disciplinary teams to address the energy source characteristics 
(selected from fuel cells, solar panels, or other direct energy 
conversion devices), design the power electronics, design packaging and 
thermal management systems, develop filtering and other interface sub-
systems, analyze process costs and manufacturability, and perform 
economic and life-cycle cost analyses.
    The hardware prototypes judged as best will be tested by fuel cell 
manufacturers, at DOE energy technology centers, or at national 
laboratory facilities as interfaces for a fuel cell source. The school 
with the most cost-effective, fully functional design that can meet the 
aggressive cost target will win a prize of at least

[[Page 3952]]

$50,000. Proposals will be judged by a distinguished panel of experts 
from the IEEE.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., on January 14, 2000.
Robert W. Gee,
Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.
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[FR Doc. 00-1720 Filed 1-24-00; 8:45 am]
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