Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Benefits 2 (SolWEB2)
This grant funds projects that test strategies to lessen solar farm's negative impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, promote agrivoltaics, and engage stakeholders.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
Golden Field Office has archived this opportunity.
Funder: Golden Field Office
Due Dates: February 14, 2025 (Concept Papers) | May 2, 2025 (Applications)
Funding Amounts: $1M–$3M per award; 24–48 month projects; $11M total available (FY25)
Summary: Funds R&D, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement to improve large-scale solar compatibility with wildlife, ecosystems, and agriculture.
Key Information: Cost share required for some topic areas; limited submission; U.S. work only; see topic-specific requirements.
Description
This funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) supports research, technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement to improve the compatibility of large-scale solar (LSS) facilities with wildlife, ecosystems, and agricultural land use (agrivoltaics). The program aims to address the environmental and community challenges associated with the rapid expansion of ground-mounted solar energy, focusing on strategies that mitigate negative impacts and maximize benefits for wildlife, ecosystems, and host communities.
Projects may include:
- Testing and evaluating strategies to reduce adverse impacts or enhance benefits to wildlife and ecosystems at LSS sites.
- Providing technical assistance and engagement to stakeholders to improve LSS siting, permitting, and management.
- Facilitating the adoption and understanding of agrivoltaics through outreach, education, and cross-sector collaboration.
The program is divided into two main topic areas:
- Wildlife-Solar Energy Research, Technical Assistance, and Stakeholder Engagement (with two sub-areas: mitigation strategies and technical assistance).
- Agrivoltaics Technical Assistance and Stakeholder Engagement.
