The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) supports federal technology validation efforts and helps agencies meet their federal requirements by facilitating deployment of the clean energy technologies of the future, including battery storage, renewable power, electrified technologies, electric vehicles, and carbon capture. FEMP evaluates and implements innovative technologies supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) and other federal agencies to scale up deployment across federal facilities. These technologies have the potential to generate significant energy and water savings, support decarbonization and electrification goals, and enhance resilience and security in federal facilities.

FEMP coordinates with established technology validation programs—including the Department of Defense (DOD) Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), General Services Administration (GSA) Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, and the DOE High Impact Technology (HIT) Catalyst program—and identifies, validates, and advances innovative technologies with federal agencies, federal site operators and partners, and state and local governments to increase impact across multiple sectors and use cases. These validation efforts prove the effectiveness of innovative technologies in real-world conditions, helping to de-risk adoption and deployment through energy service companies (ESCOs), utilities, and appropriated dollars.

FEMP also connects agencies with other DOE research offices to provide more in-depth technical support.

FEMP's Technology Validation program develops tools and provides technical assistance for agencies, helps establish a pathway for stakeholder-informed research and development, and documents and disseminates project results to foster greater technology adoption in federal facilities. 

Additionally, FEMP created the Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) program to provide direct funding to federal agencies for the development of capital projects to initiate, supplement, improve, or otherwise increase the viability and deployment of widespread energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change mitigation, and adaptation-resilience technology at federal government-owned facilities. AFFECT is authorized under Section 152 (f) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct 1992), Public Law 102-486, as codified in 42 USC § 8256(b). This statute authorized a Federal Energy Efficiency Fund (FEEF) to provide competitive grants to federal agencies to help meet requirements established by the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) and codified in 42 USC § 8253.

Innovative federal technology demonstration projects support agency energy goals and validate a technology's potential for future deployment. The following projects provide examples of promising technologies and emerging research.

The EMPOWER Wall is a 3D-printed, customizable smart wall that functions as a room cooling system and helps reduce energy use, decrease peak energy demand, lower energy bills, utilize renewable energy, and maintain occupant comfort.

The EMPOWER Wall won the 2020 Federal Energy and Water Management Director's Award.

• Read the FEMP article: EMPOWER Wall Installed at ORNL Demonstration Site
• Read the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) blog post: ORNL, FEMP collaborate to design, build, and demonstrate smart wall.

HEDS is a simplified design for HVAC dehumidification that also improves chiller/boiler plant efficiency. The system connects to the chilled water loop to remove humidity while also using low-grade heat to serve as the reheat energy. The HEDS system started as an ESTCP prototype and is now a pilot demonstration in the DOE HIT Catalyst and GSA GPG programs, with FEMP AFFECT funding. Learn more about FY22 GSA building technology pilot demonstrations.