US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-09-17
Since 2013, the DOE Housing Innovation Awards have honored the very best in innovation on the path to zero energy ready homes by recognizing forward-thinking builders delivering American homebuyers with a better homeowner experience.

Award winners are selected in each of the following categories : Affordable Homes; Attached Homes; Custom Homes for Buyer; Custom Homes on Spec; Multi-Family Homes and Production Homes .

Download 2021 Housing Innovation Awards details HERE.

Tour of Zero details HERE. (Source: US DOE, EERE, PR, Sept., 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Net-Zero Energy news,  Energy Efficiency news,  US DOE EERE news,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-09-08
The U.S. DOE reports it has recognized the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, as part of its Building Envelope Campaign for the design of the Industrial Center Building Addition (ICB-A). The ICB-A was recognized as a new building that performs above code because it uses emerging high-performance technology for its building envelope -- windows, exterior walls and roofs. The Fermi building envelope surpassed the award's criteria of a 20 pct improvement over current building code, providing a 25 pct improvement. Building envelopes account for almost 33 pct of energy consumption in commercial buildings. For ICB-A, the building envelope specifications alone would have only achieved about a 15 pct improvement.

Because ICB-A connects two existing facilities, the addition was strategically located to provide direct access to surrounding assembly areas while eliminating over 7,000 square feet of building envelope exposed to the outdoor environment. Placement of the roughly 25,000-square-foot addition combined with energy-efficient windows, exterior walls and roofs gave the building its performance boost.

Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. (Source: US DOE, Office of Science, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Science, www.energy.gov/science Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, www.fnal.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Building Energy Efficiency,  US DOE,  

Date: 2021-09-08
The U.S. DOE reports it has recognized the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, as part of its Building Envelope Campaign for the design of the Industrial Center Building Addition (ICB-A). The ICB-A was recognized as a new building that performs above code because it uses emerging high-performance technology for its building envelope -- windows, exterior walls and roofs. The Fermi building envelope surpassed the award’s criteria of a 20 pct improvement over current building code, providing a 25 pct improvement. Building envelopes account for almost 33 pct of energy consumption in commercial buildings. For ICB-A, the building envelope specifications alone would have only achieved about a 15 pct improvement.

Because ICB-A connects two existing facilities, the addition was strategically located to provide direct access to surrounding assembly areas while eliminating over 7,000 square feet of building envelope exposed to the outdoor environment. Placement of the roughly 25,000-square-foot addition combined with energy-efficient windows, exterior walls and roofs gave the building its performance boost. Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. (Source: US DOE, Office of Science, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Science, www.energy.gov/science Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, www.fnal.gov

NREL
Date: 2021-09-08
The US DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reports it is in the late stages of prototype testing a new thermal energy storage technology that uses inexpensive silica sand as a storage medium. Economic Long-Duration Electricity Storage by Using Low-Cost Thermal Energy Storage and High-Efficiency Power Cycle (ENDURING) is a reliable, cost-effective, scalable and can be constructed using existing infrastructure such as retired coal- and gas-fired power plants.

ENDURING uses electricity from surplus solar or wind to heat silica sand as a thermal storage material. Particles are fed through an array of electric resistive heating elements to heat them to 1,200 degree C. The heated particles are then gravity-fed into insulated concrete silos for thermal energy storage. The baseline system is designed for economical storage of up to a 26,000 MWh of thermal energy. When energy is needed, the hot particles are gravity-fed through a heat exchanger, heating and pressurizing a working gas inside to drive turbines and spin generators that create electricity for the grid. Once discharged, the spent, cold particles are once again fed into insulated silos for storage for charging.

As a storage medium, abundant silica sand is stable and inexpensive at $30-$50/ton, and has a limited ecological impact both in extraction and end of life. Particle thermal energy storage is a less energy dense form of storage, but is very inexpensive ($2-$4 per kWh of thermal energy at a 900 degrees C charge-to-discharge temperature difference). The energy storage system is safe because inert silica sand is used as storage media, making it an ideal candidate for massive, long-duration energy storage. (Source: NREL, , Sept., 2021) Contact: NREL ENDURING Project, Zhiwen Ma, Principal Investigator, 303-275-3784 Zhiwen.Ma@nrel.gov, www.nrel.gov/research/staff/zhiwen-ma.html, www.nrel.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News NREL,  Energy Storage,  Thermal Energy Storage,  

DOE Science
Date: 2021-09-03
The U.S. DOE reports it has recognized the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, as part of its Building Envelope Campaign for the design of the Industrial Center Building Addition (ICB-A). The ICB-A was recognized as a new building that performs above code because it uses emerging high-performance technology for its building envelope -- windows, exterior walls and roofs. The Fermi building envelope surpassed the award’s criteria of a 20 pct improvement over current building code, providing a 25 pct improvement. Building envelopes account for almost 33 pct of energy consumption in commercial buildings. For ICB-A, the building envelope specifications alone would have only achieved about a 15 pct improvement.

Because ICB-A connects two existing facilities, the addition was strategically located to provide direct access to surrounding assembly areas while eliminating over 7,000 square feet of building envelope exposed to the outdoor environment. Placement of the roughly 25,000-square-foot addition combined with energy-efficient windows, exterior walls and roofs gave the building its performance boost. Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. (Source: US DOE, Office of Science, PR, Sept., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Science, www.energy.gov/science Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, www.fnal.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency news,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-08-25
The City of Bellevue Washington and Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) have developed a toolkit to give cities more detail on what is driving changes in local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from year to year. Supported by a financial assistance award from the Department of Energy Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning project.

the toolkit allows cities to attribute changes between two inventories to the impacts of policies and programs along with external drivers, such as growth or decline in the level of economic activity and changes to weather. This analysis will support policy-makers to better communicate about their progress and refine their policy approaches.

Download the Drivers of Change Analysis HERE. Download the toolkit HERE. (Source: US DOE EERE,Aug., 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, www.energy.gov/eere; ICLEI-USA, www.icleiusa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHGs,  Greenhouse Gas,  Climate Change,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-08-25
Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning demonstration project teams are led by local governments and have been selected to develop and pilot data-driven decision frameworks. To develop these frameworks, the local governments have partnered with academic institutions, technology companies, utilities, regional planning bodies, and non-governmental organizations for the following demonstration projects:

Drivers of Change for Local Greenhouse Gas Emissions Toolkit -- The Bellevue, WA and ICLEI-USA developed a toolkit to give cities details on what has been driving year-to-year changes in GHG emissions inventories. Report and details HERE

Powering Energy Efficiency and Impacts Project Framework (PEEIF) -- The Upper Coastal Plain COG team piloted a new framework to enhance low income energy service delivery to households in northeastern North Carolina. Report and details HERE

Policy, Permit, Perform: Using City Benchmarking Data and Building Construction Permit History to Identify Energy Performance Improvements -- Portland, OR evaluated the use of the DOE Building Energy Asset Score Tool and rating system to commercial buildings disclosing their energy use. Report and details HERE. (Source: US DOE EERE,Aug., 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, www.energy.gov/eere; ICLEIUSA, www.icleiusa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE/EERE,  Energy Efficiency,  Energy Benchmarking,  

University of Toledo,US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office
Date: 2021-08-23
In Ohio, the University of Toledo is reporting receipt of $3.2 million in US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office grant funding to advance technology that speeds up the capture of atmospheric CO2 to grow algae, a critical part of the process of turning algae into biofuel.

The award supports ongoing research by Dr Sridhar Viamajala, professor of chemical engineering, to speed up the production of microalgae using a farming technique called direct air capture, which minimises the loss of organic carbon, an issue that slows down algae production.

Oils and carbohydrates produced by the algae, which use sunlight and nutrients to grow, can be turned into fuels and commodity goods such as plastics -- products otherwise produced from petroleum. "This technology improved sustainability by removing CO2 while simultaneously creating pathways for the displacement of petroleum," according to Professor Sridhar Viamajala, Chemical Engineering, at the University of Toledo. (Source: University of Toledo, PR, 20 Aug., 2021) Contact: University of Toledo, Professor Sridhar Viamajala, www.utoledo.edu/engineering/chemical-engineering/facultystaff/sridharviamajala.html; US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Algae. Algae Biofuel,  Carbon Capture,  US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office,  Algae,  Biofuel,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-08-18
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $24 million in funding for nine research projects to explore and develop new materials, processes, chemistries and methods of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.

The nine awards are led by two national laboratories and seven universities, including North Carolina A&T State University. Projects were chosen based on peer review under a DOE funding opportunity announcement open to universities, national laboratories, industry and non-profit research organizations. {Source: US DOE, Website PR, 18 Aug., 2021)Contact: US DOE, www.energy.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Carbon Capture,  Direct Air Carbon Capture,  CCS,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-08-16
In Washington, the US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has awarded $82.6 million in funding to 44 projects that will lower Americans' energy bills and help meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by investing in new energy efficient building technologies, construction practices, and the U.S. buildings-sector workforce.

The 44 projects across 20 states will improve building energy efficiency through innovations in thermal energy storage, building envelopes, lighting, HVAC, water heating -- as well as by bolstering the energy efficiency workforce with trainings, educational programs, and other technical support. The following are among the 44 funded projects:

North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota will develop a novel absorption material that will efficiently store thermal energy.

Baryon Inc. based in Wilmington, Delaware will develop an innovative air-conditioning system based on a new method of evaporative cooling combined with dehumidification that can consume 50 to 85 pct less energy than traditional air conditioning systems.

In Sidney, Ohio, Emerson Commercial and Residential Solutions will design, fabricate, and validate a highly efficient refrigerated display case for use in supermarkets.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark will design, prototype, install, test, and evaluate a high-performance residential wall retrofit that can achieve estimated heating and cooling energy savings of 30 pct or more.

The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance in Atlanta, Georgia, will develop training resources on electrified building systems such as electric heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, electric vehicle charging systems, and battery storage systems. These resources will help members of the workforce learn how to educate consumers on the benefits of these technologies.

Download the full list of funded recipients HERE.

The mission of the DOE EERE is to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and solutions to equitably transition America to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050, and ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans. (Source: US DOE EERE, PR, 13 Aug., 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, Building Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency news,  DOE Building Technology Office news,  DOE EERE news,  

DOE Building Technology Office
Date: 2021-08-13
New DOE Health and Home Performance Infographic -- The Better Buildings Residential Network launched a new Health + Home Performance Infographic that illustrates the link between efficiency and health to better engage homeowners. Efficiency and also home health programs and contractors can use the infographic's easy-to-follow question-and-answer format to discover a homeowner's needs.

The infographic is ideal for the "kitchen table" conversations where people decide what to do -- and who they want to do it. It also has links for homeowners to find a qualified contractor if they do not already have one. Details: Health + Home Performance Infographic, www.energy.gov/eere/better-buildings-residential-network/articles/new-doe-health-home-performance-infographic

Map Offers Details of Energy Efficiency Careers -- An interactive career map funded by the DOE Building Technologies Office allows job seekers to explore 55 energy efficiency careers and provides information such as salary range, education requirements and future opportunities. Developed by the Interstate Renewable Industry Council and other industry groups, the Green Buildings Career map targets a broad group of workers with a variety of skills and education levels, providing hundreds of potential pathways to jobs in the green building industry. Details: Green Buildings Carrer Map, www.greenbuildingscareermap.org

CLEAResult Completes Over 263,000 Home Energy Upgrades -- Austin, Texas-based CLEAResult reports in fiscal year 2020, it completed 263,284 home energy upgrades, direct installations, and benefits to homes in 22 states, with 20 pct of upgrades completed in low-income homes. Contact: CLEAResult, 888-812-6146, www.clearesult.com

Efficiency Maine Completes 18,953 Upgrades -- Efficiency Maine reported 18,953 home energy upgrades in fiscal year 2020. Their residential customers are able to leverage a variety of programs, including Home Energy Savings, Low Income Initiatives, Retail Initiatives, and Distributor Initiatives. Contact: Efficiency Maine, 866-376-2463, www.efficiencymaine.com

DOE Home Energy Score Recognizes Partner Achievements, Upgrades Modeling Capabilities -- The DOE Home Energy Score™ team recognized three of its partners this month for their outstanding efforts to provide homeowners and renters with a Home Energy Score -- a miles per gallon-type rating that measures a home's energy efficiency. Award winners include the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which produced nearly 6,000 scores over the past year; Detroit-based Walker-Miller Energy Services, which used the score to reach under-served households in Michigan; and Energize Connecticut, which helped lead Connecticut's innovative efforts to expand Home Energy Score, including to renters. Currently 25 Home Energy Score Partners exist with a network of nearly 300 assessors actively producing scores nationwide.

The latest improvement to Home Energy Score™ enhances the tool's modeling capabilities by incorporating EnergyPlus™, a whole-building energy simulation already considered the standard by engineers, architects, and researchers for measuring energy consumption in buildings. The switch to EnergyPlus enables Home Energy Score to produce more accurate energy estimates through comprehensive modeling calculations. Details: Home Energy Score, www.betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/home-energy-score. (Source: US DOE Building Technology Office, 11 Aug., 2021) Contact: DOE Building Technology OfficeBetter Buildings Residential Network, www.bbresidentialnetwork@ee.doe.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Building Technology Office,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-08-11
In Washington, the U.S. DOE has announced nearly $34 million in funding for 11 projects that will support high-impact research and development to improve and produce biofuels, biopower and bioproducts from municipal solid waste (MSW) streams and algae for conversion into low-carbon transportation fuels.

Selected projects will both research and develop waste for energy conversion, improve algae farming practices to increase production, and further understanding of MSW potential as a fuel and energy source.

Awardees across six projects will investigate various strains and farming practices of algae and explore new ways to improve their growth.

Recipent list and details HERE. (Source: US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy , PR, Aug., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE EERE,  Algae Biofuel,  Municipal Solid Waste,  Alternative Fuel,  

Michigan State University
Date: 2021-08-09
In East Lansing, Michigan State University (MSU) reports it has been awarded $2.25 million over the next five years from the U.S. DOE for the creation of an Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) to work with Michigan manufacturers to shrink carbon footprints, improve energy efficiency and cut energy costs. The funding is part of a 1976 DOE initiative that presently supports 32 IACs nationwide.

The MSU College of Engineering with provide the nucleus for the IAC which will capitalize on the experience found in MSU Extension, the Office of Sustainability, Infrastructure, Planning, and Facilities and the Construction Management programs. The IAC will also utilize the Construction Management Education and Research Lab space for student training and will capitalize on existing teaching, outreach and research efforts related to safety, green building, sustainability, and energy efficiency at all the partner institutions.

Download US DOE IAC details HERE (Source: Michigan State University, PR, dbusiness, 9 Aug., 2021) Contact: MSU College of Engineering, www.egr.msu.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Michigan State University news,  Energy Efficiency news,  Green Building news,  

GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power
Date: 2021-07-30
GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power and GE Research, in partnership with the US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are reporting completion of the 2020 Automated Blade Finishing programme aimed at improving wind turbine blade quality, manufacturing, advancing knowledge of composite processing together with sensing, robotics and automation to develop low-cost solutions for wind blade finishing with potential to increase throughput by 30 pct.

The programme is supported by the DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) , Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) . AMO, through the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation awarded NREL $800 000 which was matched by $400 000 from OEDIT and $600 000 in company matching contributions. (Source: GE Renewable Energy, PR, July, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News GE Renewable Energy news,  LM Wind Power news,  Wind Blade news,  Wind Energy news,  NREL news,  

GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power
Date: 2021-07-30
GE Renewable Energy, LM Wind Power and GE Research, in partnership with the US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are reporting completion of the 2020 Automated Blade Finishing programme aimed at improving wind turbine blade manufacturing auomation, quality, and advancing knowledge of composite processing to develop low-cost solutions for wind blade finishing with potential to increase throughput by 30 pct.

The programme is supported by the DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) . AMO, through the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. (Source: GE Renewable Energy, PR, July, 2021) Contact: LM Wind Power, www.lmwindpower.com; GE Renewable Energy, www.ge.com/renewableenergy/home

More Low-Carbon Energy News GE Renewable Energy,  LM Wind Power ,  Wind Blade,  

Titan Advanced Energy Solutions
Date: 2021-07-28
Salem, Mass.-based Titan Advanced Energy Solutions, focused on using ultrasound technology to help make batteries run better, safer, and longer lasting, is reporting receipt of $1.1 million in Phase II SBIR funding from the US DOE to develop and build a production-ready prototype of an early warning system that detects hazardous conditions in lithium-ion batteries.

The Titan award is one of 110 innovative projects from American small businesses and entrepreneurs that the DOE is funding for a total of $127 million.

The Phase II awards from the DOE's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program go to support the research and development of innovative clean energy technologies toward commercialization.

Statista, a global business data platform, projects that between 2020 and 2030, the global demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase elevenfold to more than 2 terawatt hours. (Source: Titan Advanced Energy Solutions, PR, 27 July, 2021) Contact: Titan Advanced Energy Solutions, (978) 414-5538, info@titanaes.com, www.titanaes.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Li-IonBattery,  Lithium Ion Battery,  Energy STorage,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-07-28
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in collaboration with Modelon and Objexx Engineering, have released the initial version of the Spawn of EnergyPlus (Spawn)

Spawn is not a replacement for EnergyPlus, at least not in the foreseeable future. Although it does perform whole-building energy simulation, it targets new use cases in advanced controls, district systems, and grid integration.

Spawn supports these new use cases by making fundamental use of coupled simulation via the Functional Mockup Interface standard. Spawn reuses the weather, envelope, lighting, and loads models from EnergyPlus and packages them as a single model. However, it replaces EnergyPlus' traditional, imperative, implicit, load-based HVAC and controls models with explicit declarative state-based models from the Modelica Buildings Library which are translated and automatically linked with the EnergyPlus model. By combining models in different configurations, Spawn is able to simulate either a single building or a collection of buildings linked by shared thermal, electrical, and control systems.

Spawn also fundamentally leverages the Modelica, a standard for equation-based modeling. The use of Modelica to model HVAC and control introduces capabilities that are not found in traditional energy simulation engines such as EnergyPlus. The most significant of these is the ability to simulate physically realistic control sequences using the same specification that is used in controller implementations. The ability to use a single control specification for both energy simulation and implementation aims to bridge these traditionally separate domains and promote the use of high-performance control sequences. Modelica also enables modeling of novel HVAC and district system components and configurations. Spawn HVAC and control models have been developed as part of a multi-year international effort led by IEA EBC Annex 60 and IBPSA-World Project 1 to develop Modelica models for building and community systems.

Spawn-of-EnergyPlus details HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 27 July, 2021) Contact: DOE, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE EERE,  Building Energy Efficiency,  Energy Efficiency Software,  DOE Building Technologies ,  DOE EnergyPlus ,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-07-16
In Washington, the U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm has announced the U.S. DOE's new goal to reduce the cost of grid-scale, long duration -- 10 hours or more -- energy storage by 90 pct within the decade -- the second target within DOE's Energy Earthshot Initiative.

Developing the technology and manufacturing to reach the Long Duration Storage Shot cost targets will also establish a new, U.S.-based energy storage related products manufacturing industry, increase local control of the power system and build resilience for communities, including by minimizing power grid disruptions.

The Long Duration Storage Shot will consider all types of technologies -- whether electrochemical, mechanical, thermal, chemical carriers, or any combination that has the potential to meet the necessary duration and cost targets for grid flexibility. Currently, pumped-storage hydropower is the largest source of long duration energy storage on the grid, and lithium ion is the primary source of new energy storage technology deployed on the grid in the United States, providing shorter duration storage capabilities.

ESGC and the Long Duration Shortage Shot are linked with integrated efforts across the DOE's Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Electricity, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Science, Nuclear Energy, and Technology Transitions, as well as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (Energy). (Source: US DOE, PR, 14 July, 2021) Contact: DOE Energy Earthshot Initiative, www.energy.gov/policy/energy-earthshots-initiative

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Storage,  DOE Energy Earthshot Initiative,  ,  

DOE Better Building Initiative
Date: 2021-07-14
In Washington, the Secretary of Energy has announced sweeping actions to power more American homes and buildings with cleaner, smarter, and more affordable energy services that sharply reduce the buildings sector's energy consumption and contributions to the climate crisis.

Residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of the climate-altering carbon pollution America releases each year, use about 40 pct of the nation's energy and waste more than $100 billion annually due to energy inefficiency, according to the DOE. To address energy waste and inefficiency the DOE Better Building Initiative "whole-building" solution calls for the following:

Investing in Buildings' Workforce of the Future -- New investments of up to $30 million for the American workforce will expand DOE's support for organizations -- including unions, trade associations, and educational institutions -- that train and support career pathways for a diverse, qualified, and well-paid workforce that enables high-performance buildings.

Advancing Efficiency in Heating and Cooling Systems -- A new national initiative focused on clean and efficient heating and cooling systems in buildings called the Initiative for Better Energy, Emissions, and Equity (E3) will advance the research, development, and deployment of clean heating and cooling systems like heat pumps, advanced water heaters, low-to-no global warming potential refrigerants, and smarter HVAC diagnostic tools.

Driving Adoption of Smart Building Technologies -- A National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings will chart a path to triple the energy efficiency and demand flexibility of U.S. buildings within the decade -- worth $100 to $200 billion in energy cost savings -- by implementing 14 practical recommendations that accelerate the ability of buildings to both reduce and change the timing of energy use through smart building operations sensitive to broader grid dynamics.

Collaborating with Industry to Decarbonize Buildings -- The Better Buildings Low Carbon Pilot, a project of the Better Buildings Initiative, will work with commercial, industrial, and multifamily organizations to set commitments and share pathways to low and no carbon emission buildings.

Opening Up Windows for Collaboration -- The Partnership for Advanced Window Solutions (PAWS) will accelerate the national availability and adoption of advanced and highly efficient windows and window attachments that improve comfort and reduce building energy use.

Started in 2011, the Better Buildings Initiative has partnered with leaders in the public and private sectors to make the nation's homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants more energy efficient by accelerating investment upgrades and products and sharing successful best practices. Better Buildings partners represent more than 30 of the country's Fortune 100 companies, 12 of the top 25 U.S. employers, 12 pct of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, and 13 pct of total commercial building space, as well as 17 federal agencies, 8 national laboratories, and more than 80 states and local governments. (Source: US DOE Building Technologies Office, PR, June, 2021) Contact: US DOE Building Technologies Office, 202-586-9127, buildings@ee.doe.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Better Building Initiative,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOEm
Date: 2021-07-14
In Washington, the U.S. DOE reports it is considering new energy efficiency standards for "manufactured" -- pre-assembled -- housing and will release a supplemental notice of proposed rule-emaking in August that will be based on the 2021 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

The new manufactured home standards would cover: the building thermal envelope; air sealing; installation of insulation; duct sealing; HVAC; service hot water systems; mechanical ventilation fan efficacy; and heating and cooling equipment sizing.

Energy conservation portions of current manufactured housing regulations have not been adjusted since 1994. Roughly 7 million manufactured homes are in the U.S, Manufactured homes use 70 pct more energy per square foot than traditional "stick-built" homes, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). (Source: US DOE, ACEEE, 14 July, 2021) Contact: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, www2.aceee.org; International Energy Conservation Code, www.iccsafe.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  ACEEE,  International Energy Conservation Code,  

DOE BTO
Date: 2021-07-12
According to the U.S. DOE Building Technologies Office (BTO), U.S. homes and commercial built environment consume a staggering 40 pct of the country's total energy. To help decarbonize the built environment BTO has awarded $8.6 million to accelerate the commercialization of 20 research projects through a recent laboratory cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) call.

The 2021 BTO Laboratory CRADA Call leveraged the expertise of the DOE national laboratories by funding collaborative projects that involve one or more national laboratories and non-lab partners. The awards will fund projects across six areas of interest.

"We cannot meet clean energy goals without addressing building technology. This investment will accelerate the commercialization of U.S. building technologies and create new, clean energy jobs for Americans in construction, skilled trades, and engineering professions," according to Erika Gupta, Acting Manager of the BTO Emerging Technologies Program.

Download details HERE. (Source: US DOE BTO, PR, 9 July, 2021) Contact: DOE EERE, BTO Emerging Technologies Program, Erika Gupta, Acting Manager www.energy.gov/eere/office-energy-efficiency-renewable-energy

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-07-09
The US DOE reports it is providing $52.5 million in R&D funding through its new Hydrogen Energy Earthshot Initiative for 31 clean hydrogen technology projects to help bring about the decarbonisation of the electricity sector by 2035. The selected projects are expected to deliver technological progress and support the Initiative's aim to cut the cost of clean hydrogen by 80 pct to $1 per kg in one decade.

Of the total funding, the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is providing $36 million for 19 projects and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) is adding $16.5 million for 12 projects.

Download DOE Hydrogen Energy Earthshot details HERE. ( Source: US Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, PR, 7 July, 2021) Contact: US DOE EERE, www.energy.gov/eere

More Low-Carbon Energy News Hydrogen,  DOE EERE,  

DOE Better Buildings Initiative
Date: 2021-06-25
According to the 2021 Better Buildings Progress Report, the DOE Better Buildings Initiative in collaboration with nearly 1,000 businesses, government, and other partners, saved $13.5 billion in energy costs and more than 130 million metric tons of carbon emissions in the past year -- equivalent to the greenhouse gases emitted by 28.2 million vehicles in a single year.

"Through Better Buildings, leading organizations across the U.S. are demonstrating their commitment to use energy more efficiently. In partnership with DOE, they are sharing the solutions needed to tackle our climate crisis, create jobs, and build healthy, safe, and thriving communities," according Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

Download the 2021 Better Buildings Progress Report HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 22 June, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Better Buildings Initiative,  Energy Efficiency,  

Ameresco, Cannon AFB
Date: 2021-06-23
Framingham, Mass.-based renewable energy and energy efficiency specialist Ameresco, Inc. is reporting a partnership with Cannon Air Force Base (AFB) in New Mexico and the Defense Logistics Agency Energy (DLA Energy) for a $19 million Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) project featuring 1.9 MW of solar generation capacity, smart controls, and other energy conservation technologies.

Utilizing the US DOE ESPC vehicle, the project will enhance Cannon AFB's mission capabilities and address its energy and sustainability goals. The project designed by Ameresco will provide tangible facility improvements and enable recurring reductions in utility costs, while converting 4 pct of Cannon's electric energy usage to onsite renewable resources.

Planned improvements will include: upgrades to existing transformers; direct digital controls (DDC); HVAC equipment; a 1.9MW ground mount solar photovoltaic (PV) array; and LED lighting retrofits. These upgrades are projected to save Cannon AFB roughly $1.1 million in the first year alone and $33 million over the course of the performance period. (Source: Ameresco, Website PR, June, 2021). Contact: Cannon AFB, www.cannon.af.mil; Ameresco, Leila Dillon, 508-661-2264, news@ameresco.com, www.ameresco.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ameresco,  Cannon AFB,  Energy Efficiency,  Renewable Energy,  

Ocean Conservancy
Date: 2021-06-11
"By 2030, we want ships capable of running on well-to-wake zero-emission fuels -- such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol, and advanced biofuels -- to make up at least 5 pct of the global deep-sea fleet measured by fuel consumption." -- US DOE

"We're going to look to the ocean to continue to help reduce pollution." -- U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry, Apr., 2021

"We can decarbonize the sector by using zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, instead of dirty fuel oil, to power transoceanic vessels, but the shipping industry has been slow to make to the switch." -- John Lewis, Clean Air Task Force

In April, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry announced the U.S. will join an international effort to achieve zero emissions by 2050 in the global shipping industry -- which emits 1 billion metric tpy of CO2, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Roughly 90 pct of world trade is transported by sea and accounts for nearly 3 pct of the world's CO2 emissions. (Source: Ocean Conservancy, Various Media, June, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Alternative Fuel,  Maritime Fuel,  Low-Carbon Fuel,  

DOE EERE
Date: 2021-06-11
In Washington, the US DOE is reporting $54 million in funding for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development projects. As part of the funding, the Building Technologies Office (BTO) will invest $3.6 million in 21 projects across 14 states.

The SBIR/STTR Program helps small businesses conduct R&D for projects with the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR and STTR enable small businesses to explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from commercialization while stimulating technological progress.

SBIR/STTR-funded projects are one way DOE supports the development of a clean energy workforce and engages all levels of the energy economy to combat the climate crisis.

The BTO-funded projects will focus on modeling, data, and analytics; lighting R&D; energy management for indoor agriculture; healthy, efficient buildings; advanced building technologies; heat exchangers; and thermal energy storage technologies.

Download BTO SBIR/STTR Phase I grant details HERE. (Source: US DOE, EERE, PR, 10 June, 2021) Contact: US DOE, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings; Building Technologies Office, energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/bioenergy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE EERE,  Energy Efficiency,  DOE BETO,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-05-28
According to a new report released today, the U.S. DOE Better Buildings Initiative, in collaboration with nearly 1,000 businesses, government, and other partners, saved $13.5 billion in energy costs and more than 130 million metric tons of carbon emissions in the past year -- equivalent to the greenhouse gases emitted by 28.2 million vehicles in a single year.

Since 2011, the Better Buildings Initiative has partnered with public and private sector leaders to make the nation's homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants more energy efficient by accelerating investment in energy related upgrades,products and sharing best practices. The 2021 Better Buildings Progress Report outlines the progress and collaboration of Better Buildings partners, which represent more than 30 of the country's Fortune 100 companies, 12 of the top 25 U.S. employers, 12 pct of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, 13 pct of total commercial building space, as well as 17 federal agencies, eight national laboratories, and more than 80 states and local governments.

DOE also announced launching the Low Carbon Pilot, with more than 50 leading partners, including automakers, food service companies, universities, and local governments, working with DOE to share their experiences, successes, and challenges pursuing low-carbon strategies. The lessons learned help DOE and the broader energy market better understand the dynamics of emissions reduction, energy efficiency, cost savings, and resilience. Find the full list of partners participating in the Low Carbon Pilot HERE

The DOE has also launched the latest iteration of the L-Prize, a $12 million competition to spur the development of next-generation LED lighting by incentivizing the manufacture and installation of LEDs. The first L-Prize, which was awarded 10 years ago to a LED replacement for the 60-watt bulb, helped lay the groundwork for products that now save Americans $14.7 billion per year in avoided energy costs.

the Better Buildings Progress Report includes:

Financing for Energy Efficiency Projects -- Financial Allies, working with DOE, have extended more than $26 billion to date for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across a range of sectors and communities.

Generating Savings through Energy Management -- Partners in the Smart Energy Analytics Campaign closed out 2020 with a projected $95 million savings for participants annually through energy management information system technologies and ongoing monitoring practices.

Increasing Public and Private Better Buildings Partnerships -- More than 400 organizations are part of the Better Buildings Residential Network, which has completed nearly 300,000 home energy upgrades in the past year.

Recognizing High Performance and Healthy Buildings -- Green Lease Leaders are modernizing leases to spur collaborative action on energy efficiency, cost savings, improved air quality, and sustainability across nearly two billion square feet of building space. This DOE initiative is in partnership with the Institute for Market Transformation.

Download DOE Better Buildings Initiative details HERE.

Download the Better Buildings Progress Report HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 17 May, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News LED Light,  Green Building,  US DOE,  Better Buildings Initiative,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-05-26
The U.S.DOE Building Technologies Office (BTO)in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the Brattle Group has developed A National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings.

The Roadmap outlines DOE's national goal of tripling the energy efficiency and demand flexibility of the buildings sector by 2030 and defines technology attributes, integration considerations, and barriers to achieving the full potential, adoption and deployment of grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs). The report makes 14 recommendations to overcome those barriers in "action steps" that all key industry stakeholders can take to expand the prevalence of grid-interactivity in buildings.

GEBs can remake buildings into a clean and flexible energy resource. By combining smart technologies and distributed energy resources with energy efficient buildings, GEBs can provide comfort and convenience for building occupants, sell services to the power grid, and cut costs and pollution. All buildings, including federal buildings, can benefit from implementing GEB technologies. In fact, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently published a complementary blueprint for practical guidance and tools to integrate GEB technologies into federal energy savings performance contracts and has committed to 100 pct renewable energy for all federal buildings by 2025.

A grid-interactive efficient building can offer services that cut costs, eliminate waste, and improve grid operations. For example:

Efficient lighting and appliances plus a tight building envelope can cut electricity demand across the board.

Load shedding allows the building to cut demand during peak hours, or as requested by the grid manager.

Load shifting takes advantage of cheaper or cleaner power by shifting demand from one time of day to another when renewable energy is abundant on the grid.

Modulating load with batteries and other electronic devices allows the building to maintain grid frequency or control system voltage.

Generating power, like from rooftop solar, cuts bills, reduces losses on the grid, and reduces the need for more power plants. (Source: US DOE EERE, PR, May, June, 2021) Contact: US DOE, National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  LBNL,  Brattle Group,  

ACEEE
Date: 2021-05-24
The North American Strategic Energy Management Collaborative (NASEMC) is working to accelerate the adoption and enhance the effectiveness of Strategic Energy Management (SEM) offerings with the goal of producing economy-wide energy and cost savings as well as emission reductions.

On behalf of the NASEMC, the US DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and ACEEE jointly analyzed the cost effectiveness and prospective savings persistence of SEM programs across North America, surveying 24 active programs. All programs reported that SEM was cost effective. The total resource cost (TRC) test is by far the most common approach to analyzing program cost effectiveness. However, values are generally non-comparable due to varying inputs and assumptions.

This report finds that effective useful life (EUL) values vary widely; most are not based on primary research, and some include capital measures. Further, SEM programs vary widely in their implementation approaches, and the report's findings provide a rich resource for future program design. The report underscores that SEM's foundational concept of continual improvement challenges traditional cost-effectiveness metrics.

Download the report HERE, (Source: ACEEE, Website PR, May, 2021) Contact: ACEEE, www2.aceee.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News ACEEE news,  Energy Efficiency news,  Energy Management news,  

Pearl Certification
Date: 2021-05-21
Charlottesville, Virginia-based home energy efficiency and sustainability assessment service provider Pearl Certification reports it has raised $9.5 million to expand its third-party sustainability ratings which to date have certified and helped improve the energy efficiency of more than 72,000 homes. Clean Energy Ventures led funding round the round along with Keller Enterprises and the Felton Group. The National Association of Realtors, the Appraisal Institute and the US DOE Energy Star program also participated.

In 2020, Pearl launched its Green Door Web App, an online portal that enables homeowners to manage, maintain, and improve their home's energy-efficient performance. Pearl works with homeowners, contractors, and real estate professionals to set the global standard in high-performing, high-ROI home improvements. Pearl Certification drives demand by showcasing home improvements -- like efficient heating and cooling systems, solar, and smart home devices -- and capturing their value for resale and appraisal. Pearl is expanding its certification system to include other high-performing home features, like indoor air quality, energy storage and resilience. (Source: Pearl Certification, PR, Website, May, 2021) Contact: Pearl Certification, Cynthia Adams, CEO, (888) 557 5543, www.pearlcertification.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Pearl Certification,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-05-21
On Tuesday the 18th, the U.S. DOE unveiled the Initiative for Better Energy, Emissions, and Equity (E3), a program designed to increase energy efficiency in buildings through the use of sustainable heating and cooling (heat pump and HVAC) technologies. E3 will also leverage the expertise of national labs to work with manufacturers and develop cost-competitive, low-emission refrigerants and water heater technologies. Furthermore, E3 will support the newly formed Partnership for Advanced Window Solutions, a collaborative organization that will expand the availability of highly efficient windows and window attachments. E3 will also facilitate advancements in other key elements of building infrastructure.

To that end, the DOE's national laboratories recently made $8.5 million in funding available to parties interested in advancing building efficiency. According to the DOE, homes and buildings generate more than one-third of the carbon pollution released by the U.S. each year, use about 40 pct of the country's energy, and result in more than $100 billion of waste due to energy inefficiency. (Source: US DOE, PR, 18 May, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News HVAC,  Energy Efficiency,  

US DOE ECOSynBio
Date: 2021-05-17
In Washington, the US DOE Energy Carbon Optimised Synthesis for the Bioeconomy (ECOSynBio) programme reports it is awarding $35 million to 15 research projects aimed at decarbonising biorefining processes across the transportation and agriculture sectors.

Ethanol, biodiesel and other products derived from organic material are almost exclusively produced by fermentation processes that create carbon as a by-product, with some processes wasting more than a third of this carbon as CO2 emissions. Accordingly, new pathways is needed for biofuel conversion that reduces carbon waste, prevents the loss of CO2 emissions, and in turn, maximises the amount of renewable fuel a conversion process yields.

The ECOSynBio award winners will work on the following methods to optimise biofuel production: carbon-optimised fermentation strains that avoid CO2 waste; engineered organisms that can use a mix of different sources of energy and carbon and avoid evolving CO2; biomass-derived sugar or carbon oxide gas fermentation with internal CO2 recycling; cell-free carbon-optimised biocatalytic biomass conversion and/or CO2 use; and cross-cutting carbon-optimided bioconversion methods that have the potential for high-impact emissions reductions, according to the release. (Source: US DOE, May, 2021) Contact: US DOE ECOSynBio, www.arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/programs/ecosynbio

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel news,  Biofuel Carbon Footprint news,  

US DOE EERE
Date: 2021-05-14
In Washington, The U.S. DOE is reporting the selection of four projects totaling $1 million to conduct cutting-edge applied R&D concerning the interaction between promising biofuels and combustion engines. The projects will leverage a range of National Laboratory capabilities as part of the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative, and aim to help bring these fuel-engine combinations closer to commercial adoption. The Co-Optima initiative provides American industry with the scientific knowledge needed to maximize vehicle performance and efficiency, leverage domestic fuel resources, and reduce life cycle emissions. DOE awarded funding to the following projects:

Aramco Services Company (Houston, Texas), Marathon Petroleum Company (Findlay, Ohio), and Caterpillar (Peoria, Illinois) will work with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to identify bio-blendstock characteristics that will provide the best 87 anti-knock index gasoline for heavy-duty gasoline compression ignition engines.

The Coordinating Research Council (Alpharetta, Georgia) will work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to develop an isotope ratio mass spectrometry method as a cost-effective means to identify renewable content in co-processed biomass- and fossil-derived fuels.

Cummins (Columbus, Indiana) will work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to develop a deeper fundamental understanding of how physical and chemical fuel properties affect mixing-controlled compression ignition combustion in medium-duty engines through computational fluid dynamics simulations.

Shell (Houston, Texas) will work with ORNL and ANL to quantify how fuel volatility can be used to increase anti-knock performance, in order to increase engine efficiency and the use of biomass-derived fuels.

Each awardee will receive up to $250,000 in National Laboratory assistance for experimental or computational projects that leverage innovative capabilities in the areas of bioblendstock fuel property, production, and combustion performance research. The projects will also focus on the impacts of adoption of co-optimized fuel-engine combinations. Each of the awardees has committed to a 20 pct cost share contribution.

Sponsored by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy's (EERE) Vehicle Technologies and Bioenergy Technologies Offices, Co-Optima partners include ANL, LANL, PNNL, ORNL, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories, as well as more than 20 university and industry partners.

EERE is focused on decarbonizing the transportation sector, the single largest source of domestic greenhouse gas emissions.

Download Co-Optima Initiative details HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 10 May, 2021)

More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE EERE,  Biofuel,  

UL, NREL
Date: 2021-05-07
Northbrook, Illinois-based Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the US DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are reporting a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the further development and commercialization of Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus (SolarAPP+) software that will automate the permitting process for residential solar systems.

The SolarAPP+ enables local governments to shorten the time required to grant a permit from a national average of five business days to zero. NREL released a US DOE-funded pilot version of the free SolarAPP+ software in 2020. (Source: UL, PR, 5 May., 2021) Contact: UL, Steven Brewster, (847) 664-8425, ulnews@ul.com, www.ul.com; NREL, Wayne Hicks, (303) 275-4051, wayne.hicks@nrel.gov, www.nrel.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News UL,  NREL ,  Solar,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-04-21
In Washington, the U.S. DOE Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) has announced it will work with 11 remote and island communities around the U.S and provide federal assistance to bolster their renewable energy and energy infrastructure, energy efficiency reduce the risk of outages, and improve their future energy and economic outlook, advance local clean energy solutions and improve resilience.

To that end, ETIPP will use a community-led and inclusive approach to identify the each community's energy challenges and provide strategic assistance and funding to help communities determine and direct their energy transition. The 11 selected communities include: Sitka, Alaska; Dillingham, Alaska; Eastport, Maine; Honolulu, Hawaii; Islesboro, Maine; Kauai, Hawaii; Nags Head, North Carolina; Ocracoke Island, North Carolina; Ouzinkie, Alaska; Sitka, Alaska; and Wainwright, Alaska.

These projects are funded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Energy Transition Initiative, Solar Energy Technologies Office, Water Power Technologies Office, and are supported by the DOE's Office of Electricity. Five regional stakeholder engagement partners will help communities identify and prioritize their energy resilience needs and connect them to experts from DOE's NREL, PNNL, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories. (Source: US DOE, ETIPP, PR, 20 Apr., 2021) Contact: ETIPP, www.energy.gov/eere/energy-transitions-initiative-partnership-project-who-we-are

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy,  

Enegy Storage
Date: 2021-04-16
Cambridge, Mass,-based thermal energy storage specialist Malta Inc. and retail electricity and power generation company Vistra, in collaboration with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have won US DOE grant funding to study how Malta's energy storage system can improve the environmental and economic performance of a natural gas-powered power plant.

The study will focus on integration of the Malta Pumped Heat Energy System (PHES) with a Vistra owned natural gas-fired plant to optimize its environmental and economic performance. The Malta system will convert and store that energy as heat then convert it back to electricity that can be redistributed on demand and can store eletric power for up to 200 hours. (Source: Malta Inc., PR, Website, Apr., 2021) Contact: Malta Inc., Matt Burke, matt.burke@maltainc.com, info@maltainc.com, www.maltainc.com; Vistra, www.vistracorp.com/sustainability; SwRI, Adam Hamilton, Pres., CEO, (210) 684-5111, www.swri.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Southwest Research Institute ,  Vistra,  Energy Storage,  

Hunt Perovskite Technologies
Date: 2021-04-16
Dallas-based Hunt Perovskite Technologies (HPT) reports it has been selected to receive $2.5 million in funding from the US DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 Perovskite Funding Program for research and development of more efficient and commercially viable perovskite photovoltaic (PV) devices. HPT is one of the 22 selected to receive a total of $40 million.

The DOE funding is for projects that could increase access to reliable electricity by improving the country's understanding of perovskite stability. Eventually, the department hopes to enable the domestic production of high-efficiency perovskite devices. (Source: Hunt Perovskite Technologies, PR, Website, Apr., 2021) Contact: Hunt Perovskite Technologies, Scott Burton, CEO, info@huntperovskite.com, www.huntperovskite.com; US DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-energy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Solar Cell,  PV,  Perovskite,  

National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium
Date: 2021-03-31
The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, which was established with funding from U.S. DOE, has selected 15 new projects to receive a total of $8 million for offshore wind support structure innovation, U.S.-based supply chain development, electrical systems innovation, and solutions for impacts on wildlife and radar.

The selections announced today include:

Four projects to develop innovative support structures (including foundations and moorings) for very large fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind turbines to achieve economies of scale;

Three projects that propose innovative solutions to supply chain and installation challenges including spiral welded towers, a self-positioning blade installation tool, and unmanned aerial devices for inspections;

Five projects to support innovations in grid interconnection and transmission;

Three technology development projects to mitigate use conflicts, including wildlife monitoring and radar interference. The 15 new projects bring the Consortium’s total funding portfolio to $28 million for 40 projects. This announcement supports a goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of U.S. offshore wind by 2030.

DOE established the National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium in 2018 to address research priorities for offshore wind as defined in the National Offshore Wind Strategy, which was developed jointly by DOE and the DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

The Consortium is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) with DOE and NYSERDA each providing $20.5 million to fund high-impact research projects that lower the costs of U.S. offshore wind.

Download details HERE (Source: US DOE, Wind Energy Technology Office, National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium, PR, 29 Mar., 2021) Contact: National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium, www.nationaloffshorewind.org; NYSERDA, Doreen Harris, Acting CEO, (518) 862-1090, www.nyserda.ny.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News NYSERDA,  National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium,  Offshore Wind,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-03-19
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $20 million for R&D that will advance the manufacturability of mid-sized flow battery systems.

With this funding opportunity, DOE will partner with industry to address technical and manufacturing challenges that have prevented flow battery systems from achieving cost targets and commercial viability. DOE seeks proposals for collaborative, multi-stage R&D projects that improve manufacturing processes for individual flow battery components and integrate those new or improved components into a prototype system with a mid-sized capacity for grid, industrial, or transportation applications.

Projects selected will: enable cost-effective, scalable manufacturing for mid-sized (i.e., 10-100 kilowatt hour) flow battery systems; test and validate the flow battery system's manufacturability; and strengthen domestic flow battery supply chains by connecting battery manufacturing stakeholders.

Funding will be provided by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office. Additionally, DOE's Office of Electricity (OE) will support testing for selected projects at facilities like the $75 million Grid Storage Launchpad at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The Flow Battery Systems Manufacturing funding opportunity is part of DOE's Energy Storage Grand Challenge to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage.

DOE anticipates making four to six awards. A minimum cost-share of 20 pct for R&D projects is required. Concept papers are due on April 29, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Additional details, including application and submission requirements are HERE. (Source: US DOE, PR, 17 Mar., 2021) Contact: DOE Energy Storage Grand Challenge, www.energy.gov/energy-storage-grand-challenge/energy-storage-grand-challenge

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Storage,  US DOE,  Flow Battery,  Battery,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-03-17
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has selected the following projects to receive $2 million in funding for cost-shared research and development the Enabling Gasification of Blended Coal, Biomass and Plastic Wastes to Produce Hydrogen with Potential for Net Negative Carbon Dioxide Emissions program.

This FOA focuses on the advancement of net-negative carbon emitting technologies that aim to produce hydrogen or other high-value fuels, whether as the sole product or as a co-product. Developing co-gasification technologies is a way to introduce net-negative carbon technologies that can help alleviate concerns about potential feedstock availability and other operational issues. The four projects selected are described below:

Fluidized-Bed Gasification of Coal-Biomass-Plastics for Hydrogen Production -- Auburn University in Alabama plans to study the gasification performance of select feedstock mixtures in a laboratory-scale fluidized-bed gasifier. Specific objectives are to (1) study coal-plastic-biomass mixture flowability for consistent feeding in the gasifier; (2) understand gasification behavior of the mixtures in steam and oxygen environments; (3) characterize thermal properties of ash/slag from the mixture feedstock and investigate the interaction between slag/ash and refractory materials; and (4) develop process models to determine the technology needed for cleaning up syngas and removing contaminants for hydrogen production. -- Funding: DOE: $499,485; Non-DOE: $126,971; Total: $626,456

Performance Testing of a Moving-Bed Gasifier Using Coal, Biomass, and Waste Plastic Blends to Generate White Hydrogen -- Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI) plans to qualify coal, biomass, and plastic waste blends based on performance testing of selected pellet recipes in a laboratory-scale updraft moving-bed gasifier. The testing will provide relevant data to advance the commercial-scale design of the moving-bed gasifier to use these feedstocks to produce hydrogen. The effects of waste plastics on feedstock development and the resulting products will be a focus of the research. The research team will review data, determine figures of merit, and interpret results to specify the range of feedstock blends that can be successfully gasified, as well as quantify gasifier outputs based on specific blends. -- Funding: DOE: $500,002; Non-DOE: $125,000; Total: $625,002

Development and Characterization of Densified Biomass-Plastic Blend for Entrained Flow Gasification -- University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington plans to develop and study a coal/biomass/plastic blend fuel by (1) producing hydrophobic layer encapsulated biomass suitable for slurry with solid content with greater than 60 wt pct of blended coal/biomass and plastic suitable for oxygen-blown entrained flow gasification with slurry feed; (2) conducting lab-scale kinetic and gasification studies on the feedstock blend; and (3) demonstrating practical operations in a commercially relevant 1 ton/day entrained flow gasifier.--Funding: DOE: $500,000; Non-DOE: $125,559; Total: $625,559

Enabling Entrained-Flow Gasification of Blends of Coal, Biomass and Plastics -- University of Utah plans to leverage a high-pressure, slurry-fed, oxygen-blown entrained-flow system to enable co-gasification of biomass and waste plastic by creating slurries of coal, biomass pyrolysis liquids, and liquefied plastic oil. Gasification performance of the most promising mixtures will be evaluated in the University of Utah's 1 ton/day pressurized oxygen-blown gasifier fitted with a custom-built hot oxygen burner. -- Funding: DOE: $500,000; Non-DOE: $291,157; Total: $791,157

The Office of Fossil Energy funds research and development projects to advance fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the Nation's fossil resources. (Source: US DOE, Office of Fossil Energy, PR, 15 Mar., 2021) Contact: National Energy Technology Laboratory, www.netl.doe.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE,  Hydrogen,  

BIRD, US DOE
Date: 2021-03-17
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with Israel's Ministry of Energy and the Israel Innovation Authority, is reporting the availability of $4 million in funding for innovative clean energy technologies. This funding comes from Binational Industrial Research & Development (BIRD) Energy, a program that promotes U.S.-Israel partnerships in bringing renewable and energy efficiency technologies to market.

Established by the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, BIRD Energy supports research and development that benefits both the U.S. and Israel, with a focus on commercializing sustainable energy technologies, create jobs, and increase energy security.

From 2009 to 2020, BIRD Energy funded 55 projects totaling $42 million. In addition to an estimated $55 million in funding matched by the private sector, BIRD Energy has attracted more than $700 million in venture capital and other follow-on investment to commercialize clean energy technologies.

For this funding offer, the deadline for executive summaries is June 30, 2021 with final proposals due August 13, 2021. (Source: US DOE, BIRD Energy, 15 Mar., 2021) Contact: BIRD Energy, www.birdf.com/bird-energy-call-proposals: US DOE, 202-586-5000, www.doe.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News BIRD news,  Clean Energy news,  Renewable Energy news,  BIRD Energy news,  

US DOE
Date: 2021-03-10
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is reporting the availability of up to $52.5 million for DOE's Industrial Assessment Centers aimed at helping manufacturers and wastewater treatment facilities improve energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.

The funding will be distributed through DOE's Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) -- university-based programs that train students and offer no-cost efficiency improvement recommendations to small and medium-sized manufacturing facilities. To date, the IAC program has provided nearly 20,000 assessments and more than 145,000 recommendations for improvement measures. As a part of this funding opportunity, DOE will also launch a pilot project to expand IAC engagement with under served communities.

Assessments typically identify more than $130,000 in potential annual savings opportunities. (Source: US DOE. PR, Mar., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Advanced Manufacturing Office, www.energy.gov/eere/amo/advanced-manufacturing-office; . EERE Building Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE,  Energy Efficiency Funding,  

Siemens Energy ,Intermountain Power Agency
Date: 2021-03-03
Munich, Germany-based Siemens Energy AG reports receipt of $200,000 in US DOE grant funding to support a conceptual design study to integrate hydrogen production and storage at the coal-fired, 1,800-MW Intermountain Generating Station in Delta, Utah.

The initiative aims to analyze the overall efficiency and reliability of CO2-free power supply involving the large-scale production and storage of hydrogen and to analyze costs, sizing and other various aspects of integrating the system into an existing power plant and transmission grid.

The Intermountain Power Agency, which owns the Delta plant, last summer picked Black & Veatch Corp. as the chief engineering company to oversee the facility's conversion into an 840-MW combined cycle facility that will run initially on a mix of natural gas and hydrogen, and then ultimately operate on hydrogen alone. The Intermountain plant plans to integrate 30 pct hydrogen fuel at startup in 2025, switching to 100 pct hydrogen by 2045.

"By switching from coal to a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen we can reduce carbon emissions by more than 75 pct", according to Intermountain Power. (Source: Siemens Energy, Power Mag.,1 Mar., 2021) Contact: Intermountain Power Agency, Dan Eldredge, GM. (801) 938-1333, www.ipautah.com; Siemens Energy AG, www.siemens-energy.com/global/en.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Siemens Energy,  Intermountain Power Agency,  Carbon Emissions,  

Date: 2021-03-03
In the Badger State, the City of Madison is reporting Dane County, the City of Madison, and local nonprofit Slipstream will receive nearly $1 million through the US DOE Building Technologies Proving Ground -- Public Sector Field Validation Funding Opportunity for an energy efficiency retrofit of the City-County Building.

The funding will be used to retrofit the City-County Building with triple-paned windows, cost-effective LED lighting and integrated automation control systems. The project will demonstrate whole-building energy savings resulting from integrated HVAC and lighting systems that save 10 pct and 60 pct, respectively, while providing key grid services simultaneously.

The project is expected to total about $1.5 million, with Dane County with the City of Madison contributing approximately $500,000 in matching funds.

The project, which is expected to get underway this spring and continue through 2022, will also leverage technical expertise from Focus on Energy and MGE, the local energy utility. (Source: City of Madison, PR, 1 Feb., 2021) Contact: Dane County, Ariana Vruwink, vruwink.ariana@countyofdane.com; City of Madison, Katie Crawley, 608-335-7071, kcrawley@cityofmadison.com

ORNL, Sparkz
Date: 2021-02-05
The US DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is reporting Knoxville, Tennessee-based battery energy storage start-up Sparkz Energy Systems (SPARKZ) has exclusively licensed ORNL's "fast formation cycling" technology that enables the rapid production of lithium-ion batteries commonly used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. The technology reduces production time significantly and also enhances battery performance, which can lead to reduced costs.

SPARKZ is presently seeking a location for an R&D and prototyping facility to scale their licensed battery technologies to meet the demands of customers in the mobility and grid sectors, according to the release. (Source: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy, PR, Feb., 2021) Contact: ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy, www.ornl.gov/partnerships; Sparkz Energy Systems, Sanjiv Malhotra, CEO, www.sparkz.energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News ORNL,  Battery,  Sparkz,  

General Electric, LM Wind
Date: 2021-02-05
General Electric is reportings its GE Research, GE Renewable Energy, and LM Wind Power units were recently selected by the US DOE to research the design and manufacture of 3-D printed wind turbine blades.

The GE units will partner with the Oakridge National Lab (ORNL) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) on the 25-month, $6.7 million project to develop and demonstrate an integrated additive manufacturing process for novel high-performance blade designs for large rotors.

The project will deliver a full-size blade tip ready to be structurally tested, as well as three blade tips that will be installed on a wind turbine. (Source: General Electric, PR, OE, 5 Feb., 2021) Contact: GE Renewable Energy, www.ge.com/renewableenergy.com; LM Wind Power, www.lmwindpower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News LM Wind,  Wind Blade,  GE Renewable Energy,  

Madison Wisconsin
Date: 2021-02-03
In the Badger State, Dane County, the City of Madison and local nonprofit Slipstream are reporting receipt of nearly $1 million in grant funding from the US DOE Building Technologies Proving Ground -- Public Sector Field Validation Funding Opportunity for energy efficiency upgrades to the City-County municipal building.

The upgrades will include triple-paned windows , LED lighting, HVAC systems and others. The project is expected to cost about $1.5 million, with Dane County and the City of Madison allocating $500,000 in matching funds. (Source: City of Madison, Dane County Wisc., 1 Feb., 2021) Contact: Dane County Wisc., Joe Parisi, www.countyofdane.com US DOE Building Technologies Proving Ground -- Public Sector Field Validation Funding Opportunity , www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/events/building-technologies-proving-ground-public-sector-field-validation-applicant

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US DOE Office of Fossil Energy
Date: 2021-01-25
The US DOE Office of Fossil Energy has announced plans to make $8 million in Federal funding available for cost-shared research, development, and testing of technologies that can utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) from power systems or other industrial sources for bio-mediated uptake by algal systems to create valuable products and services.

Funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002403, Engineering-Scale Testing and Validation of Algae-Based Technologies and Bioproducts, will support the goals of DOE's Carbon Utilization Program. The primary objective of carbon utilization technology development is to lower the near-term cost of carbon capture through the creation of value-added products from the conversion of CO2.

The intent of the FOA is to seek applications that aim to perform engineering-scale testing and validation of algae-based technologies and bioproducts. Technologies that convert CO2 must show a net decrease in CO2 emissions through life cycle analysis, display a potential to generate a marketable product and show that the product displays beneficial aspects when compared to commercially available products produced with existing state-of-the-art technology.

Information on this notice of intent can be found HERE.

The Office of Fossil Energy funds R&D projects to reduce the cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of the nation's fossil resources. (Source: DOE Office of Fossil Energy,, PR, 20 Jan., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Fossil Energy, 202-586-6660, www.energy.gov/fe/office-fossil-energy; National Energy Technology Laboratory, www.doe.netl.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News NETL,  US DOE Office of Fossil EnergyCO2,  Algae,  

US DOE Office of Fossil Energy
Date: 2021-01-25
The US DOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has announced up to $15 million in federally funded financial assistance for cost-shared research and development projects under the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002402, Carbon Capture R&D: Bench-Scale Testing of Direct Air Capture Components (TRL 3) and Initial Engineering Design for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Systems from Air (TRL 6).

Since 2001, DOE-FE's Carbon Capture Program has been identifying and advancing technologies with the goal of removing CO2 from point sources such as fossil fuel-based power plants and industrial processes or directly from the atmosphere. The technologies should incur minimum costs and minimum energy penalties.

The Carbon Capture Program aims to develop efficient processes and components utilizing transformational materials to lower the cost of DAC systems. Project researchers should achieve a better understanding of system costs, performance, and other factors to accelerate development of this climate-critical technology. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the projects, which will develop lower-cost, scalable technologies for CO2 capture from air and support DOE's Carbon Capture Program. The FOA focuses on two areas of interest:

Bench-Scale Testing of Structured Material Systems or Component Designs for Optimized Direct Air Capture -- Projects will support testing and validation of advanced carbon capture structured material systems (e.g., monoliths, laminate structures, membrane bundles or electrodes) or component designs (e.g., air contactors, desorbers or electrochemical cells) under environmentally relevant conditions for DAC. The objective of this bench-scale R&D effort is to advance promising structured material systems or component designs for DAC to a sufficient maturity level that can justify their scale-up in a subsequent program.

Initial Engineering Design of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Systems for Direct Air Capture -- Projects will support the completion of an initial design of a commercial-scale carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)- DAC system that separates, stores, or utilizes a minimum of 100,000 tpy net CO2 from air. Chosen projects will enable a better understanding of CCUS-DAC system costs, performance and business case options and facilitate a better focus on DAC R&D needs. Applicants are encouraged to propose teams that consist of both the carbon capture technology developer and partnering organization(s) with demonstrated experience in engineering, procurement, construction, and managing projects of similar size, scope, and complexity.

DOE anticipates selecting up to 8 projects for this FOA. (Source: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy 25 Jan., 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Fossil Energy, 202-586-6660, www.energy.gov/fe/office-fossil-energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News US DOE Office of Fossil Energy,  Direct Air Carbon Capture,  

Verdant Power
Date: 2021-01-06
As previously reported, NYC-based marine renewable energy start-up Verdant Power has installed three tidal power turbine generators at its Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project in the city's East River tidal strait. The deployment of Verdant's technology is the first licensed tidal power project in the US.

The RITE project received $6 million US DOE funding and support from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), as well New York-based private equity capital support.

The company notes it is waiting for an independent performance assessment from the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) tidal testing facility to deploy the technology outside of the US.

Since installation on 22 October, the TriFrame unit has generated an average 1MWh of power per day -- sufficient power power for 500 Manhattan apartments, according to the company. (Source: Verdant Power, Website, PowerTechnology, 4 Dec., 2020) Contact: Verdant Power, Trey Taylor, CMO, www.linkedin.com/company/verdant-power

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