July 2020
Monthly Update
Jim Saber, President & CEO

Greetings!

I hope that all of you reading this are enjoying your summer, are healthy and staying safe! Our summer has kicked off with a fast pace of new projects and resuming some activities that were delayed by COVID-19. I’m excited to share some of our new work with you.

NextEnergy has partnered with Heat X , a developer of magnetocaloric/magnetic induction technology to accelerate the commercialization of their technology for space and water heating, cooking, and automotive applications. As part of our work with Heat X , we will be integrating and demonstrating technology within the smart home located on the I2C campus later this year highlighting the opportunities for all electric homes and buildings moving forward. We’re excited about the potential of this technology to contribute to a clean energy future.
 
We have also partnered with The City of Detroit's Office of Mobility Innovation, NUMO, MoGo, SPIN and General Motors to provide mobility solutions for essential workers during the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic. A fleet of 125 e-bikes and 150 e-scooters are being deployed to provide clean and accessible mobility solutions for essential workers who live within six miles of their employment.

These new partnerships are important to our mission of accelerating clean, smart, and accessible solutions for communities and cities. As we move towards this future, it is imperative that these solutions positively impact the livelihood of all our citizens and create greater economic opportunity and inclusion. Please check out Eric McDonald’s Smart Divide blog on the importance of including all in the build out and deployment of smart technology within our communities.
Stay tuned for updates on our work and activities via our website and social media channels, and as always, please feel free to connect with our team virtually.

Stay safe,

Jim
Whether you are an innovator offering smart mobility or smart grid technology solutions, or a community, city or organization in need of solutions to address your most pressing challenges; our established network can provide opportunities and connections to help you achieve your goals.
The Smart Divide
By: Eric McDonald
Director, Testing & Infrastructure Development

The Detroit Regional Chamber notes that Michigan “leads the nation in the number of projects and legislation passed for connected and automated vehicle testing.” Funding for smart mobility infrastructure primarily focuses on moving individual automobile commuters swiftly to and through upper-income communities, communities with the resources to readily use the technology. In Detroit and other lower-income communities and communities of color, vehicles are older and less likely to be compatible with smart technologies such as accident avoidance, GPS sensors, roadside sensors, machine learning and autonomous vehicles; therefore, those communities do not see similar investments in smart mobility infrastructure.

While seemingly logical, this approach exacerbates the smart divide, the disparity between those who are and those who are not able to use, access or benefit from smart grids and smart mobility infrastructure. This divide impacts not only the automobile industry, but also utilities. Are leaders in these industries aware of the smart divide – and what can be done to address it? Read more.
Upcoming Virtual Conferences
The Michigan Energy Providers Conference is a forum to educate individuals regarding energy issues, enable partnerships within the industry and facilitate communication regarding energy policy in Michigan.

CAR MBS is an exceptional forum to hear from industry visionaries as they deliver thought-provoking talks and engage in lively panels about the future of the global automotive industry.

The theme for the 2020 Summer Study is “Efficiency: The Core of a Clean Energy Future.” This theme is in recognition of the rapidly evolving ecosystem of the energy industry.


The content of the half-day virtual conference will feature prominent speakers and panelists who will discuss the latest energy-related topics and innovations. The last hour of the conference will be a fun Virtual Happy Hour, which will give attendees the opportunity to socialize and network.
Nominate a 40 Under 40 Leader Working to Accelerate America’s Transition to a Clean Energy Economy! 
NextEnergy is a proud partner of the 6th annual Energy News Network ‘40 Under 40’ awards program that seeks to highlight emerging leaders and innovators from across the U.S. who work to accelerate America’s transition to a clean energy economy.

The program is open to all who are under 40 at the time of their nomination. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 pm CT on August 7. 

Do you know a strong emerging leader and/or innovator who fits these criteria? Nominate your leader(s) today.
What we're reading

We've asked the NextEnergy team to share the industry-related news, stories and information that have grabbed their attention this month. We hope you find it useful! For more recommendations you can explore past editions on our website .
Jim Saber, President & CEO
What he's reading: Hydrogen Fuel Economy Is Finally Going Mainstream
Media: oilprice.com
What makes it interesting: Interesting update on the state of the hydrogen economy and investments countries are making to accelerate it.
Tim Slusser, Director, Smart Mobility Initiatives
What he's reading: Gotcha TO GO Offers an Alternative and Affordable Delivery Option
What makes it interesting: As the world adapts to COVID-19, the mobility industry is going to be significantly impacted. Mobility-as-a-service providers are going to need to find new models to drive revenue and stay relevant in uncertain times. Gotcha has created a new business model to work with local businesses and lower their cost of delivery.
Angella Durkin, Chief Operating Officer
What she's reading: The Seven Essential Elements of a Smart City Ecosystem
What makes it interesting: The most successful smart city projects require having the right teams in place. Who should be on your team? This article explores just that.
Eric McDonald, Director, Faculties & Infrastructure Development
What he's reading: COVID-19 Crisis Reveals Turbulent Future for US Electricity Markets
Media: T&D World
What makes it interesting: Decreased daytime demand for electricity resulted in more stored renewable electricity to be used during peaks hours and less need to generate carbon based electricity.
Wayne Snyder, Director, Technology Department
What he's reading: $3 trillion over three years could see world meet climate goals, IEA says
What makes it interesting: A crisis like COVID-19 is also an opportunity for systemic change. The International Energy Agency believes that time is now. Economic and policy reform in all nations could set the world back on track to meeting the goals of the Paris climate change agreement.
Funding Opportunities
View our full list here
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Deadline: Sept. 28, 2020
Awards: $10M

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office to fund projects that generate and disseminate data on the field performance of novel approaches to integrate advanced building technologies, that can inform commercial and multi-family building efficiency, demand flexibility, and building-to-grid programs. Projects funded through this FOA will have the potential to significantly reduce energy use in U.S. commercial buildings, develop new value streams for commercial building owners, and provide the end use flexibility required to dynamically balance the distribution grid.


Deadline: July 31, 2020
Awards: TBD

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is soliciting feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to challenges and opportunities in the upstream and midstream critical materials battery supply chains. EERE is specifically interested in information on raw minerals production and refining and processing of cathode materials including cobalt, lithium, and nickel.


Deadline: July 31, 2020
Awards: $11M

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)’s mission is to help federal agencies advance the energy efficiency, resilience, and security of their operations. FEMP assists Federal agencies in meeting energy-related goals by bringing expertise from all levels of project and policy implementation to identify affordable solutions and facilitate public-private partnerships.
The purpose of the AFFECT 2020 FAC funding is to initiate, supplement, improve or otherwise increase the viability and adoption of energy efficiency and operational resilience at U.S. Federal government-owned facilities. This is accomplished through leveraging the use of a privately financed performance contract in the form of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), ENABLE contract, or Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) to enhance Federal agency energy efficiency goals at mission critical sites.


Deadline: July 31, 2020
Awards: $3–5M

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requests proposals for research and development projects that support DOE’s vision for large-scale, affordable hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and utilization across multiple sectors. Through this request from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, is requesting proposals for collaborative R&D projects addressing two priority areas of interest: Advancing hydrogen fueling technologies for medium- and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicle and addressing technical barriers to hydrogen blending in natural gas.


Deadline: Open subject to availability of funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office
Awards: TBD

The objective of these BTRIC Technical Collaborations is to collaborate with industry to investigate, improve, develop, and deploy innovative energy efficient building technologies. In so doing, creating and preserving domestic jobs is a goal of this solicitation.
The primary focus of this announcement is to target projects that will impact the following technical areas:  HVAC, water heating, and appliances, Windows and building envelope, Solid-state lighting, Building energy modeling, Sensors and controls, Grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEB),  Residential building integration and Commercial building integration.


Deadline: Oct. 20, 2020
Awards: TBD

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The  Design Challenge is a one-to-two-semester, design-only competition, while the  Build Challenge is a multiyear design-build competition. The most successful teams will complement architectural and engineering excellence with innovation, market potential, building efficiency, and smart energy production. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon continues to “push the envelope” on the design of high-performance, efficient, affordable, innovative buildings while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities.


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