Funding Notice: Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Benefits 2 (SolWEB2)

To the right, a photo shows five foxes resting in the shade of solar panels with text to the left: Funding Opportunity Solar Wildlife and Ecosystem Benefits 2

Office: Solar Energy Technologies Office
NOFO number: DE-FOA-0003492
Link to apply: Apply on EERE Exchange
NOFO Amount: $11 million

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced the Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Benefits 2 (SolWEB2) funding opportunity, which will award up to $11 million for research and development, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement activities that improve the compatibility of large-scale solar (LSS) facilities with wildlife and facilitate the dual use of land for agricultural and solar energy production, also known as agrivoltaics.

More than 5,000 LSS facilities have opened in the United States in the last 10 years—and this growth is expected to continue in the next decade. This expansion has increased interactions between LSS facilities and the surrounding environment, including natural wildlife habitats and agricultural areas. Land-use conflict due to siting and permitting of LSS facilities is already becoming more prevalent. SolWEB2 projects will help stakeholders make informed decisions about solar energy by testing and implementing strategies that improve LSS siting processes and outcomes for wildlife, ecosystems, and communities that host LSS facilities and produce energy locally.

SETO expects to make three to eight awards under the SolWEB2 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), each ranging from $1 million to $3 million.

Prior to submitting a full application for this opportunity, a mandatory concept paper is due on February 14, 2025, at 5 p.m. ET.

Topic Areas

Topic Area 1: Wildlife-Solar Energy Research, Technical Assistance, and Stakeholder Engagement – 2-5 projects, $1-3 million each

Projects in this topic area will improve stakeholders’ ability to implement strategies that increase the compatibility of LSS facilities with wildlife and ecosystems. This topic area has two areas of interest:

  1. Strategies to Mitigate Adverse Impacts on and/or Maximize Benefits to Wildlife: Projects in this area of interest will test new or existing strategies for improving compatibility of LSS facilities with wildlife and ecosystems, such as wildlife-permeable fencing, native vegetation management, wildlife movement corridors, and construction practices that minimize soil and vegetation disturbance.
  2. Wildlife-Solar Technical Assistance and Stakeholder Engagement: Projects in this area of interest will improve LSS siting and permitting processes by developing resources, facilitating multi-stakeholder conversations, and providing technical assistance to support stakeholders in applying the latest research findings on wildlife-solar interactions. 

Topic Area 2: Agrivoltaics Technical Assistance and Stakeholder Engagement – 1-3 projects, $1-3 million each

Projects in this topic area will develop and disseminate informational resources, make research and data more accessible, educate new audiences, facilitate collaborations between stakeholders from different sectors, and provide technical assistance on agrivoltaics. SETO is interested in initiatives and convenings that apply the latest research findings and benefit farmers, developers, and rural communities.

Teaming Partner List

DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List to facilitate the formation of project teams for this NOFO. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations that may wish to participate on a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships. The Teaming Partner List will be available on EERE eXCHANGE and will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: View the Teaming Partner List by visiting the EERE eXCHANGE homepage and clicking on “Teaming Partners” within the left-hand navigation pane. This page allows users to view published Teaming Partner Lists. To join the Teaming Partner List, submit a request within eXCHANGE. Select the appropriate Teaming Partner List from the drop-down menu and fill in the following information: Investigator Name, Organization Name, Organization Type, Topic Area, Background and Capabilities, Website, Contact Address, Contact Email, and Contact Phone.

DISCLAIMER: By submitting a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, the requesting organization consents to the publication of the above-referenced information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that are identifying themselves for placement on this Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for the development of such information.

Webinar 

SETO hosted an informational webinar on January 10, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the funding opportunity and the areas of focus. View the recording and download the slide deck.

Key Dates

NOFO Issue Date:12/23/2024
Submission Deadline for Concept Papers:2/14/2025 AT 5 p.m. ET
Submission Deadline for Full Applications:5/2/2025 at 5 p.m. ET
Expected Date for EERE Selection Notification:7/15/2025
Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations:July–December 2025

Additional Information