Connected Communities Funding Opportunity Announced – Learn more
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The Building Technologies Office research is helping make buildings become smarter about the amount and timing of energy use through the Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) Initiative. In addition to improving the energy efficiency of the overall building, this research focuses on making equipment more intelligent through next-generation sensors, controls, connectivity and communication. These capabilities give building occupants more control in managing building comfort and productivity while saving money on energy bills, plus they can benefit the electric grid by enhancing grid reliability and resilience, deferring capital expenditures, and helping balance the supply of renewable generation.
In direct support of the GEB Initiative and Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC), the Building Technologies Office is focused on thermal storage research, development and field validation, seeking to accelerate the commercialization and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage.
See the R&D targets for Next Generation Thermal Storage Materials.
Technical Reports
- Overview of Research Challenges and Gaps GEB Technical Report
- Whole-Building Controls, Sensors, Modeling, and Analytics GEB Technical Report
- Windows and Opaque Envelope GEB Technical Report
- HVAC, Water Heating, Appliances and Refrigeration GEB Technical Report
- Lighting and Electronics GEB Technical Report
Other Publications
- A Conceptual Framework to Describe Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Interactions
- Connected Communities: A Multi-Building Energy Management Approach
- Challenges and Opportunities to Secure Buildings from Cyber Threats
- SEE Action: Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: An Introduction for State and Local Governments
- SEE Action: Determining Utility System Value of Demand Flexibility from Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings
- SEE Action: Performance Assessments of Demand Flexibility from Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Issues and Considerations
- Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBs) Tri-Region Status Report
- End-Use Load Profiles for the U.S. Building Stock
- Time-Sensitive Valuation of Efficiency – Use Cases in Electricity Sector Planning and Programs Temporal Analysis and Use Cases
- Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Fact Sheet
Useful Resources
- ACEEE - Integrating Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Programs
- ACEEE - State of the Market: Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings Utility Programs
- ASHRAE - Position Document on Resiliency in the Built Environment
- NASEO - Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: State Briefing Paper
- NASEO - Residential GEB Technology and Policy: Harnessing the Power of Homes for a Clean, Affordable, and Resilient Grid of the Future
- Rocky Mountain Institute - Value Potential for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings in the GSA Portfolio: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Simmons visits grand opening of Alabama Power’s Smart Neighborhood – June 13, 2018 – U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Energy Institute’s Energy Innovates initiative
- Annex 67 Building Flexibility Project – International Energy Agency’s Energy in Buildings and Communities Programme
- Testimony by Acting Assistant Secretary EERE Daniel Simmons - October 31, 2017 - U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
Presentations
- Assessing the Potential for Energy Flexibility Alongside Energy Efficiency - June 19, 2020
- Connected Communities Examples: Spotlight on Reynolds Landing – May 4, 2020
- PLMA Load Management Dialogue – Future Connected Communities: Validating Buildings as a Grid Resource – April 2, 2020
- Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: IEA Modernising Energy Efficiency through Digitalisation Initiative - January 31, 2019
- Overview of R&D Related to Grid Interactive Efficient Buildings and Automated Demand Response - December 11, 2018
- Breaking Out the New Moves: How Resource Flexibility Benefits Utility Operations Panel – November 14, 2018
- Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings - Improving & Optimizing – September 24, 2018 – 2018 NASEO Annual Meeting
- Look Who’s Talking: Buildings and the Grid Roundtable – August 17, 2018 – 2018 Energy Exchange | Better Buildings Summit
- Time-Varying Value of Energy Efficiency – November 1, 2017 – 2017 ACEEE Energy Efficiency as a Resource Conference
GEB Blog Series and News Updates
October 12, 2020
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Alex Fitzsimmons Blog on Connected Communities FOA
October 13, 2020
DOE announces up to $65 million through its Connected Communities FOA to expand DOE's network of efficient building communities nationwide.
BTO will host webinars on its GEB tech reports to identify which state-of-the-art technologies could provide grid services most effectively in GEBs.
Grid-interactive and Efficient Buildings are Emerging as Dynamic Solutions to Many Energy Challenges
March 27, 2020
Grid-interactive and Efficient Buildings are Emerging as Dynamic Solutions to Many Energy Challenges
March 27, 2020
DOE's EERE is seeking public input on a potential funding for grid-interactive buildings in Connected Communities
February 13, 2020
EERE announced its intent to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement entitled, Connected Communities.
February 10, 2020
DOE announced $74 million for 63 selected projects to research, develop, and test energy-efficient and flexible building technologies.
December 11, 2019
Studying the load shifting and efficiency potential of heat pump water heaters relative to electric resistance water heaters in residential buildings.
October 22, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently completed preliminary testing of its promising Economic Dispatch.
August 1, 2019
DOE recently helped unveil a new community of 46 smart townhomes in Atlanta.
May 21, 2019
Understanding when efficiency occurs, and its value at those times, is a central component of BTO’s efforts.
May 8, 2019
We will dig deeper into why the timing of energy efficiency matters. To put it simply, it’s a matter of economics.
December 20, 2018
As part of its grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEB) vision, BTO directs breakthrough research that will make building technologies smarter.
May 1, 2018
With a rapidly changing energy industry, Southern Company recognizes that accelerating technology development is more important than ever.
April 25, 2018
Enabling smarter grids has the potential to create a revolution in the building sector that will save energy and costs.
March 16, 2018
HVAC, water heating, and other appliances represent more than half of the total energy used in U.S. residential and commercial buildings.
February 12, 2018
The intersection of occupant comfort, productivity, and energy reduction is no secret.
December 21, 2017
It’s the last days of holiday shopping, and everyone is noticing all of the Internet-connected products out there.
October 19, 2017
Buildings are becoming more responsive and dispatchable, reacting to grid needs while also helping American businesses and families to save energy.
September 12, 2017
Every hour more than 200,000 new devices get connected to the Internet globally, and the U.S. market for these devices is the world’s biggest.
GEB Project Spotlight
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