CX-100699 Categorical Exclusion Determination

All-Digital Plug and Play Passive RFID Sensors for Energy Efficient Building Control
Award Number: DE-EE0007683
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6
Buildings Technology Office
Date: 8/15/2016
Location(s): SC
Office(s): Golden Field Office

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to Clemson University to develop, demonstrate, and pre-commercialize a sensor technology for indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity measurement for building controls and operations that would be 3-D printed and use long range RFID technology for wireless interrogation of the sensors. Project work would occur at Clemson University in Clemson and Anderson, South Carolina; Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts; Phase IV Engineering in Boulder, Colorado; and at the Energy Resource Station of the Iowa Energy Center in Ankeny, Iowa.

Project activities include design, development, fabrication, commercialization planning, and testing of the sensor technology and associated systems. Health and safety concerns are not expected for work occurring at Phase IV Engineering (e.g. adapt RFID sensor electronics, antenna design, data interface). Laboratory work at both Clemson and Harvard would involve the use and handling of various hazardous materials. Both universities have a full set of safety controls, equipment, training and operational procedures to handle the hazardous materials. Each person involved in the project would be required to take safety training in order to follow the corresponding safety regulation at both sites. Project activities involving these materials would pose no risk to the public and are overseen by the safety officers responsible for handling hazardous materials in accordance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations. Field testing would occur at the Energy Resource Station in Iowa and could include electrical and mechanical safety hazards. Project workers would follow existing health and safety policies and procedures including employee training, proper protective equipment, engineering controls, monitoring, and internal assessments. Additional policies and procedures would be implemented as necessary as new health and safety risks are identified. Project activities would require no change in the use, mission or operation of the existing facilities and would require no physical modification of existing facilities or construction of new facilities. All chemicals and solvents would be stored appropriately and disposed of in accordance with all applicable safety guidelines. Waste would be disposed of in accordance with governing regulations of the state and county where the project work is occurring. DOE does not anticipate any impacts to resources of concern due to the proposed activities of the project.