Status:
Alumni
Release Date:
Project Count:
39

Program Description:

In 2015, ARPA-E issued its third open funding opportunity designed to catalyze transformational breakthroughs across the entire spectrum of energy technologies. ARPA-E received more than 2,000 concept papers for OPEN 2015, which hundreds of scientists and engineers thoroughly reviewed over the course of several months. In the end, ARPA-E selected 41 projects for its OPEN 2015 program, awarding them a total of $125 million in federal funding. OPEN 2015 projects cut across ten technology areas: building efficiency, industrial processes and waste heat, data management and communication, wind, solar, tidal and distributed generation, grid scale storage, power electronics, power grid system performance, vehicle efficiency, storage for electric vehicles, and alternative fuels and bio-energy.

Innovation Need:

Much of ARPA-E’s funding is awarded to projects in specific energy-related technology areas, but ARPA-E also provides open funding opportunities for high-potential projects that address the full range of energy-related technologies and concepts. ARPA-E’s “OPEN” funding opportunities are announced periodically and evaluated based on their compatibility with ARPA-E’s mission, the novelty of their approach to energy innovation, and the extent to which they meet technical needs currently underserved by other parts of Department of Energy (DOE) or the private sector.

Potential Impact:

If successful, the game-changing projects from OPEN 2015 would help ARPA-E achieve its mission and ensure the U.S. maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies.

Security:

Increased access to and use of domestically produced sources of energy would help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and increase our nation’s energy security.

Environment:

Developing new and renewable sources of energy would reduce our reliance on fossil fuels that create harmful greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to global warming.

Economy:

Inexpensive sources of energy would help the millions of American consumers and small business owners who can’t afford the energy they need to live and work.

Contact

Program Director:
Multiple Program Directors manage this program. For specific PD information please refer to the project slick sheet.
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov

Project Listing

• Accio Energy - New Option for Wind Energy
• Achates Power - Efficient Engine Design
• Boston Electrometallurgical Corporation - High-Efficiency Titanium Production
• Case Western Reserve University - Virtual Building Energy Audits
• Colorado State University (CSU) - Paintable Heat-Reflective Coatings for Low-Cost Energy Efficient Windows
• Colorado State University (CSU) - Heat-Reflective Window Coating
• Cummins Corporate Research & Technology - High-Efficiency Engines
• Dioxide Materials - Alkaline Water Electrolyzer for Improved Power-To-Gas System
• Gas Technology Institute (GTI) - Reactor Engine
• General Electric (GE) Global Research - Silicon Carbide Superjunction
• INFINIUM - Low-Energy Magnesium Recycling
• Iowa State University (ISU) - Low-Cost, Robust Battery
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - High-Efficiency PV Cells
• Newton Energy Group - Gas-Electric Co-Optimization
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Novel Proton-Selective Membranes For Energy Storage
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Robust Metal Alloys
• Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) - Marine Hydrokinetic Turbine
• Oregon State University (OSU) - Natural Gas to Fuels
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) - Power-Grid Optimization
• Pajarito Powder - High-Efficiency Hydrogen Production
• Princeton Optronics - New Device Architecture For Faster Data Transfer
• ProsumerGrid - Distribution Operator Simulation Studio
• Proton Energy Systems - Energy Conversion and Storage System
• RedWave Energy - Electricity from Waste-Heat Harvesting
• Stanford University - High-Efficiency Energy Converters
• Starfire Energy - Energy-Efficient and Economical Ammonia Production
• Texas A&M Agrilife Research - Radar for Bioenergy Crop Imaging
• The Mackinac Technology Company - Single Pane Window Retrofit System
• Tibbar Technologies - Plasma-Based Electrical Transformers
• University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) - High-Efficiency Data Transfer
• University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) - Laser-Based Solid State Lighting
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) - Biomass Water Efficiency
• University of Michigan - Enhanced Engine Improvements
• University of New Mexico (UNM) - Efficient Ammonia Production
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) - Smart and Flexible Microgrid
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) - Advanced Bioengineering for Biofuels
• University of Virginia (UVA) - Ultra-Large Wind Turbine
• Vanderbilt University - Software for Smarter Grids
• Zakuro - Transitioning Advanced Ceramic Electrolytes into Manufacturable Solid-State EV Batteries