by Brianna Crandall — March 23, 2012—As part of the Obama Administration’s blueprint for an American economy built to last, Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced the availability of up to $5.2 million in fiscal year 2012 to develop improved building efficiency technologies, including advanced heating and cooling systems and high-efficiency insulation, windows and roofs. This funding will advance the research, development, demonstration, and manufacture of innovative building technologies to speed the commercialization of affordable, high-performance products that will save money for American households and businesses, whether for new construction or retrofits.
Homes and commercial buildings consume approximately 40 percent of the energy used in the United States, costing American consumers more than $400 billion, and nearly a third of that energy is used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), notes the Department of Energy (DOE). Advancing HVAC building technologies and improving the design and materials that make up a building’s “envelope,” or air seal, will significantly reduce the cost of heating and cooling buildings, while providing the opportunity to cut carbon emissions and reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels, DOE adds. This effort supports the department’s commitment to an all-out, all-of-the-above approach to American energy, which includes saving money by saving energy.
The department seeks applicants for up to $5.2 million in funding to support breakthroughs in energy-saving HVAC systems and building envelope solutions. Eligible mechanical HVAC system projects should aim to increase the efficiency of cost-effective systems and components suitable for both existing buildings and new construction. Eligible building envelope projects will focus on advancing high performance, cost-effective and attractive solutions to minimize energy loss in homes and commercial buildings. The Energy Department is particularly interested in proposals for innovative technologies for use in existing buildings, especially if they can help accelerate adoption of energy-efficient building upgrades.
As part of a planned three-year initiative, Congress has appropriated an initial $5.2 million in fiscal year 2012, including $1.2 million for HVAC and building envelope projects that develop advanced manufacturing processes or equipment to help lower the life-cycle energy cost of manufactured products and improve the performance of energy-efficient building technologies. The Energy Department plans to make additional requests totaling $10.8 million to Congress over the next two years to support these innovative building efficiency technologies.
Applications will be accepted through April 17, 2012. For more information on this funding opportunity and others, see DOE’s Funding Opportunity Exchange Web site.
The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) speeds development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. To learn more about EERE’s efforts to develop and promote efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly building technologies, systems, and practices, and to find out more about EERE’s work to increase energy productivity and foster innovations in advanced manufacturing, visit the EERE Web site.
