Energy Storage Innovations Prize

Yes, but it’s quick and easy. Just click the “Solve this Challenge” button on this page and follow the instructions to complete your registration. All you need to provide is your name and email address.

If you have a question not answered in the FAQ, we recommend that you post it in the Forum where someone will respond to you. This way, others who may have the same question will be able to see it.

You can also send an email to storageinnovations@nrel.gov.

Power Connector organizations are a core group of Connectors that will work alongside NREL to implement parts of the program and secure additional resources and partners.

Discover who they are and how they will help innovators succeed.

https://americanmadechallenges.org/power_connectors

If you encounter an issue when attempting to submit an entry to the challenge, you may need to contact HeroX or the Prize Administrator.

You may try to connect with HeroX using the online form which appears in the bottom right corner of your browser window, it says Leave a Message.

You may also send a message to the Prize Administrator inbox at StorageInnovations@nrel.gov.

Please allow at least 1 business day for a response.

All of your files are uploaded as part of the submission form, access this by clicking the Begin Entry button.  The submission form contains an upload option for each of the required file entries.  Only PDF files will be accepted for upload.

The competition is open to private entities (for-profits and nonprofits), non-federal government entities such as states, counties, tribes, and municipalities, academic institutions, and individuals, subject to the following requirements:  

Private entities must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. 

Academic institutions must be based in the United States.  

An individual prize competitor or group of competitors who are not competing as part of an incorporated private entity must all be United States citizens or legal permanent residents.  

Individuals competing as part of an incorporated private entity may participate if they are legally allowed to work in the United States.   

Competitor Eligibility 

DOE employees, employees of sponsoring organizations, members of their immediate families (e.g., spouses, children, siblings, or parents), and persons living in the same household as such persons, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in the prize.  

Individuals who worked at DOE (federal employees or support service contractors) within six months prior to the submission deadline of any contest are not eligible to participate in any prize contests in this program. 

Federal entities and federal employees are not eligible to participate in any portion of the prize.  

DOE national laboratory employees cannot compete in the prize.  

Entities and individuals publicly banned from doing business with the U.S. government such as entities and individuals debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in Federal programs are not eligible to compete.  

Entities and individuals identified as a restricted party on one or more screening lists of Department of Commerce, State and the Treasury are not eligible to compete. See Consolidated Screening List. 

This prize competition is expected to positively impact U.S. economic competitiveness. Participation in a foreign government talent recruitment program0F² could conflict with this objective by resulting in unauthorized transfer of scientific and technical information to foreign government entities. Therefore, individuals participating in foreign government talent recruitment programs of foreign countries of risk are not eligible to compete. Further, teams that include individuals participating in foreign government talent recruitment programs of foreign countries of risk1F³ are not eligible to compete.  

As part of your submission to this prize program, you will be required to sign the following statement:  

I am providing this submission package as part of my participation in this prize. I understand that I am providing this submission to the Federal Government. I certify under penalty of perjury that the named competitor meets the eligibility requirements for this prize competition and complies with all other rules contained in the Official Rules document. I further represent that the information contained in the submission is true and contains no misrepresentations. I understand false statements or misrepresentations to the Federal Government may result in civil and/or criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and § 287. 

In keeping with the goal of growing a community of innovators, competitors are encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams while developing their concept. The HeroX platform provides a space where parties interested in collaboration can post information about themselves and learn about others who are also interested in competing in this contest.  

The Energy Storage Innovations prize administration team is not able to give specific recommendations to potential applicants about their technology. The goal of this prize is to explore innovative storage solutions that go beyond those listed in Table 2 of the Official Rules.

The rules state that a submitted innovation must go beyond the "historical or projected" trajectory for a technology area. For a technology in Table 2 to be qualified to compete, it must redefine the technology family in a significant way. Improvements around areas such as cost, performance, and safety, would fall in the "historical or projected" trajectory for a technology.

If your technology falls into the latter category, DOE would still like your input around your technology innovations. Through the Storage Innovations (SI) Framework and the SI Flight Paths efforts, your input will be critical to help shape DOE’s storage strategy for the rest of the decade. Please find more information about events and opportunities to get involved on this page: https://www.energy.gov/oe/storage-innovations-2030

The rules state that competitors “will propose their grid-scale, long-duration-capable energy storage innovation.” This statement clarifies that the technology submitted must itself be an energy storage system capable of long duration discharge (10+ hours). This prize supports the Long Duration Storage Shot, which aims to reduce the cost of grid-scale energy storage by 90% for systems that deliver 10+ hours of duration by 2030. These systems are the target of this prize. Read more about the Long Duration Storage Shot: https://www.energy.gov/eere/long-duration-storage-shot