Report Highlights Breakthroughs in Energy-Efficient Technologies for Buildings

July 19, 2011
A new report showcasing energy-saving building products and technologies made possible through U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and development is available.

A new report showcasing energy-saving building products and technologies made possible through U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and development is available.

Written by the DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, "Buildings R&D Breakthroughs: Technologies and Products Supported by the Building Technologies Program" details 190 research and development projects sponsored by the DOE from fiscal year 2005 to 2009. Technologies are placed into one of four categories: building envelope, HVAC and water heating, lighting, and windows.

The report highlights 11 commercially available products, 41 emerging technologies projected to enter the market within the next three years, and 68 technologies being researched for potential market introduction.

Products highlighted in the report include water heaters, LEDs, rooftop heating and cooling units, and windows.

The report also shows the proportion of breakthroughs resulting from DOE-funded projects at private companies, universities, and national laboratories. Private companies made the most breakthroughs, delivering 73 percent of commercially available products and emerging technologies and 56 percent of potential new technologies.

About the Author

Scott Arnold | Executive Editor

Described by a colleague as "a cyborg ... requir(ing) virtually no sleep, no time off, and bland nourishment that can be consumed while at his desk" who was sent "back from the future not to terminate anyone, but with the prime directive 'to edit dry technical copy' in order to save the world at a later date," Scott Arnold joined the editorial staff of HPAC Engineering in 1999. Prior to that, he worked as an editor for daily newspapers and a specialty-publications company. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University.