DOE Offers $5.2 Million for Building Efficiency Technologies
March 14, 2012
DOE announced on March 9 the availability of up to $5.2 million in fiscal year 2012 to develop improved building efficiency technologies. This funding opportunity includes advanced heating and cooling systems and high efficiency insulation, windows, and roofs. The funding will advance the research and development, demonstration, and manufacture of innovative building technologies to speed the commercialization of affordable, high-performance products.
Homes and commercial buildings consume approximately 40% of the energy used in the United States, costing American consumers more than $400 billion annually. Nearly a third of that energy is used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). 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 residential and commercial buildings. DOE seeks applicants for funding to support breakthroughs in energy-saving HVAC systems and building envelope solutions. Mechanical HVAC system projects should aim to increase the efficiency of cost-effective systems and components suitable for both existing buildings and new construction, while building envelope projects will focus on advancing high-performance cost-effective ways to minimize energy loss in homes and commercial buildings, particularly existing buildings. Applications will be accepted through April 17, 2012. See the DOE Progress Alert and DOE's Funding Opportunity Exchange website.