The Building Technologies Office develops, demonstrates, and accelerates the adoption of cost-effective technologies, techniques, tools and services that enable high-performing, energy-efficient and demand-flexible residential and commercial buildings in both the new & existing buildings markets, in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system by 2050, starting with a decarbonized power sector by 2035. Learn more about BTO. 

News, Blogs, and Success Stories

U.S. Department of Energy Announces the Buildings Upgrade Prize

Buildings UP is designed to accelerate transformation of U.S. buildings into energy-efficient and clean energy-ready homes, commercial spaces, and communities.

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Zero Energy Ready Homes Are Coming to a Neighborhood Near You
Assistant Secretary Moreno discusses new efforts to help subsidize construction of Zero Energy Ready Homes.
January 27, 2023
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DOE Releases New National Requirements for Zero Energy Ready Single-Family Homes
DOE’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program in EERE’s Building Technologies Office (BTO) has released Version 2 of its national program requirements for single-family homes (ZERH V2).
January 26, 2023
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U.S. Department of Energy Announces the Buildings Upgrade Prize
Buildings UP is designed to accelerate the transformation of U.S. buildings into energy-efficient and clean energy-ready homes, commercial spaces, and communities
January 18, 2023
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Advanced Building Construction Shines at Summer Study
As much of the country hunkers down for a cold winter, we recall a warmer time from this past August when buildings experts and thought leaders convened at the ACEEE’s biennial Summer Study on Energy Efficient Buildings.
January 5, 2023
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DOE Proposes New Efficiency Standards For Distribution Transformers
New Rule Would Strengthen Grid Resiliency, Cut Carbon Emissions, and Deliver up to $15 Billion in Savings to the Nation
December 28, 2022
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $45 Million From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Support Resilient and Efficient Building Energy Codes
Funding Will Support State and Local Adoption and Implementation of Building Energy Codes to Dramatically Cut Carbon Emissions, Generate Up To $138 Billion in Savings for Homes and Businesses, and Improve Health and Safety
December 19, 2022
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Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Raising Efficiency Standard for Light Bulbs
President Biden Surpasses Goal of Completing 100 Actions in 2022 to Strengthen Efficiency Standards, Save Families Money, and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
December 19, 2022
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BTO Releases BENEFIT 2022/23 Funding Opportunity for Innovations that Electrify, Optimize, and Decarbonize Building Operations
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office (BTO) announced its Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2022/23 funding opportunity announcement (FOA).
December 14, 2022
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DOE Launches EAS-E Prize to Accelerate Equitable, Affordable, and Simple Solutions for Home Electrification
The American-Made Equitable and Affordable Solutions to Electrification Prize (EAS-E Prize) is offering $2.4 million in cash prizes and technical assistance vouchers to innovators who can help simplify the electrification processes for contractors and imp
December 14, 2022
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Steps to Electrify and Cut Emissions from Federal Buildings
First-Ever Proposed Emissions Standard for New Federal Buildings is Projected to Save $8 Million Per Year in Costs and Decrease Long-Term Carbon Emissions
December 7, 2022
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BTO's Program Areas

Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships

Energy, Emissions and Equity (E3) Initiative
Better Energy, Emissions, and Equity (E3) Initiative
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Advanced Building Construction Initiative
The ABC Initiative integrates energy-efficiency solutions into highly productive U.S. construction practices for new buildings and retrofits.
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Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings
We’re conducting Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings research to help bring connectedness and the related energy savings across the buildings sector.
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Tech-to-Market
T2M activities accelerate innovative R&D concepts to become commercially viable and available products.
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Better Buildings
Partners in DOE’s Better Buildings Initiative set ambitious goals and contribute real-world solutions that help accelerate our clean energy economy.
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Green Building Workforce Development Initiatives
Achieving DOE’s high-level goals of combating climate change, creating clean energy union jobs, and promoting energy justice, requires improving the energy efficiency of America’s nearly 130 million buildings.
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Resource Dashboard

Find technical reports, technology roadmaps, fact sheets, relevant and authorizing statutes, and quick links to BTO’s decision tools.

Project Map

The Building Technologies Office Projects Map is a searchable table and map of BTO’s active projects that have been competitively awarded and funded through DOE’s national labs all across the United States. Dive into any project to learn more about its funding amount, who’s leading the work, the project term, what the project is developing, and its most recent progress.

Map of Solar Projects

BTO Career Opportunities

Ready to start building our clean energy future with a new career in BTO? Whether you’re looking for building energy-efficiency research or engineering jobs, or you’re interested in business support careers in the building energy-efficiency industry, BTO may have a position for you.

See the available opportunities.