Advanced Controls R&D
On this page you'll find information about advanced building controls research and development and links to other resources.
Advanced building controls play a significant role in improving building energy performance. Advanced controls promise unprecedented levels of sensing and automated response to changes in the internal and external environment. The delivery of continuous, up-to-date information on building system and component performance will enable more cost-effective equipment servicing and optimized building operation. Building owners and operators will see lower maintenance and operating costs, and building occupants will enjoy greater levels of comfort and personalized control.
The Building Technologies Program has been involved in a process of developing research and development plans for advanced control technologies for building applications. The goal of the process is to identify opportunities for targeted R&D that will result in significantly increased use of control technologies that yield energy savings.
The culmination of several workshops and white papers is summarized in the report, Advanced Sensors and Controls for Building Applications: Market Assessment and Potential R&D Pathways. The findings of this report are being integrated into the development of a formal five-year R&D plan. Research has already begun, however, in the promising area of wireless controls, including the development of wireless end-use metering technology.