The Energy Department today released a new resource, the Better Buildings Residential Program Solution Center , to share proven methods for reducing energy waste and carbon emissions in U.S. buildings. A result of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program , the Solution Center shows how to design, implement, and evaluate efficiency programs to improve the energy efficiency of communities across the nation. It profiles solutions used to improve the efficiency of many homes and other buildings by 20% or more. Now available online, the Solution Center—a one-stop shop for residential energy efficiency program administrators and home performance professionals—highlights proven strategies that Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners used to make energy efficiency more accessible to homes and businesses. During the past four years, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program worked with more than 40 communities across the country to develop sustainable energy efficiency programs. The program helped to facilitate more than 100,000 energy-saving upgrades...

The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) today announced nine topics and 26 new subtopics under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (STTR) programs that will help small businesses develop and deliver market-driven clean energy technologies. This year, EERE's areas of interest range from energy-saving buildings and manufacturing to sustainable transportation and renewable electricity generation. Today’s announcement includes a new type of subtopic—the technology transfer opportunity—which aims to have small businesses commercialize intellectual property from Energy Department-funded labs and universities. Small businesses that are selected for any EERE SBIR/STTR funding keep the rights to new technologies they develop, and are encouraged to transfer these technologies to the marketplace. SBIR grant applications must respond to a specific EERE subtopic, which include: Carbon fiber production processesSolid-liquid separations for algal systemsIntegrated storage and distributed generation for buildingsTechnology transfer opportunity for fuel cell quality control devicesTechnology transfer opportunity...

As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to double energy productivity by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions in commercial buildings, the Energy Department today announced $9 million to encourage investments in energy-saving technologies that can be tested and deployed in offices, shops, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and other types of commercial buildings. The funding will facilitate the implementation of market-ready solutions across the U.S. to improve commercial building energy efficiency, with a goal of demonstrating 20 percent savings or more across a variety of approaches. Last year, commercial buildings accounted for approximately 20 percent of total U.S. energy use, equivalent to about 18 quadrillion British thermal units of energy. Owners and occupants could cut energy waste, saving an estimated tens of billions of dollars annually, if they operated their buildings more efficiently and invested in energy-saving technologies. Additionally, accelerating investment in efficiency upgrades could also lead to greater demand for new building...

EERE offers webinars to the public on a range of subjects, from adopting the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, to training for the clean energy workforce. Webinars are free; however, advanced registration is typically required. You can also watch archived webinars and browse previously aired videos, slides, and transcripts. Upcoming Webinars October 23: Live Webinar on High Performance Space Conditioning Systems: Part I Webinar Sponsor: Building Technologies Office The Energy Department will present a webinar titled "High Performance Space Conditioning Systems: Part I" on Thursday, October 23, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The webinar is part of a monthly series offered by the Building Technologies Office's Building America program, featuring the latest advances in residential building technologies and practices developed by the Building America research teams and national laboratory experts. This month's webinar features Andrew Poerschke of IBACOS, presenting information on HVAC for low-load homes...

This month we’ve been highlighting solar energy at home. Many people still do not realize that an off-grid solar electric system isn’t as difficult as it seems. I am here to tell you how to make it possible. Oftentimes an off-grid solar system makes sense in rural areas where it is difficult and expensive to extend existing power lines to connect with the grid (which can cost between $15,000 and $50,000 per mile), but an off-grid system can also make sense elsewhere. Step One The first step to installing an off-grid solar electric system in your home is to research the equipment you will need based on what you want the system to accomplish.  For all systems to transmit electricity safely, you will need “ balance-of-system ” equipment to condition the electricity, as well as transmit and/or store electricty for future use. Do you want your system to store power for...

Energy Department Announces $53 Million to Drive Innovation, Cut Cost of Solar Power           WASHINGTON – Building on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and continue U.S. leadership in clean energy innovation, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today announced more than $53 million for 40 innovative research and development (R&D) projects that aim to drive down the cost of solar energy, tackling key aspects of technology development in order to bring innovative ideas to the market more quickly. Supporting the development of next generation photovoltaic (PV) solar technologies and advanced manufacturing processes, and addressing both hardware and non-hardware “soft” costs of solar installation, these awards support advancements that will help reduce the cost of solar energy and make solar electricity more affordable and accessible for all Americans. “As U.S. solar installation increases and the cost of solar electricity continues to decline, solar energy is becoming an...

The Energy Department today announced up to $14 million to support landscape design approaches that maintain or enhance the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of cellulosic bioenergy through the improvement of feedstock production, logistics systems, and technology development. This supports the Department’s efforts to promote the commercialization of environmentally sustainable advanced bioenergy that reduces petroleum consumption and carbon emissions, as well as enhances national security. Applying landscape design to bioenergy production systems is a promising approach for meeting multiple environmental, social, and economic objectives, such as maintaining or enhancing ecosystem health, as well as food/feed/fiber production, and profitability for landowners. This funding will support interdisciplinary research and development projects that use landscape design principles to incorporate cellulosic feedstock production and logistics into existing agricultural or forestry systems. Examples might include growing energy crops on marginal lands to improve both agricultural productivity and water quality, or utilizing agricultural residue in a way that...

WASHINGTON — Marking another milestone in the Administration’s support of clean energy technologies that will diversify our energy portfolio and help transition the U.S. toward a low-carbon future, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will deliver remarks today at the grand opening of Abengoa’s second-generation cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas as part of Energy Action Month. Once operating at full commercial-scale, the biorefinery will produce up to 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year – enough to avoid 132,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and equivalent to taking 28,000 vehicles off the road. The cellulosic ethanol produced at the Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas (ABBK) facility, located about 90 miles southwest of Dodge City, Kansas, will be sold into the ethanol commodity market and used to fuel light duty vehicles. "Every gallon of cellulosic ethanol produced and used to fuel our vehicles reduces the impact of harmful greenhouse gas emissions...

As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to cut energy waste and double energy productivity by 2030, the Energy Department today announced $10 million to support research, development and manufacturing of solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies across the country. This funding will accelerate the development of high-quality light-emitting diode (LED) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products with the potential to reduce lighting energy use for American families and businesses by one half and enhance U.S. global competitiveness. During the past 10 years, the Department has helped accelerate SSL technology deployment, yielding an estimated energy savings of $1.8 billion in 2013. Solid-state lighting technologies, which include both LED and organic light emitting diode technologies, have the potential to save Americans $26 billion a year in energy costs by 2030. Today, available LED technology is about 150 lumens per watt; the Energy Department's target is 250 lumens per watt – a 75 percent increase....

There is a misconception that using solar energy for your home means you need photovolatic (PV) modules on your roof, a converter, and other technological gadgets. And while a solar electric system does need these things, you can also harness solar energy in other ways, too, like through passive solar home design. Passive solar design takes advantage of a building’s site, climate, and materials to minimize energy use. A well-designed passive solar home reduces heating and cooling loads through energy-efficiency strategies, which means lower heating and cooling costs. Using passive solar design to heat and cool your home can be both environmentally friendly and cost effective. In many cases, your heating costs can be reduced to less than half the cost of heating a typical home! Let's Get Down to the Basics A passive solar home collects heat as the sun shines through south-facing windows and retains it in materials that...