November 28, 2012

WASHINGTON – Today, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced 66 cutting-edge research projects selected by the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to receive a total of $130 million in funding through its “OPEN 2012” program. ARPA-E seeks out transformational, breakthrough technologies that show fundamental technical promise but are too early for private-sector investment. These projects have the potential to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. The selected projects encompass 11 technology areas in 24 states, and support the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to solving our nation’s most pressing energy challenges.

A few of the award recipients in the Building Efficiency area include:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA

Award: $3,000,000

Low-Cost Smart Window Coatings for Heat and Light

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will develop low-cost coatings that control how both light and heat enter buildings through windows. By individually blocking infrared (heat) and visible (light) components, LBNL will significantly enhance both the energy efficiency of buildings and the comfort of occupants. These coatings can be applied to windows using inexpensive techniques similar to spray-painting a car.

Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Award: $399,901

Photonic Radiative Day-Time Cooling Devices

Stanford University will develop a coating for the rooftops of buildings and cars that reflects sunlight and allows heat to escape, enabling passive cooling, even when the sun is shining. This device requires no electricity and would reduce the need for air conditioning, leading to energy and cost savings.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA

Award: $1,940,719

Automated Modeling and Simulation of Existing Buildings for Energy Efficiency

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will develop a portable system of sensing and computer hardware to rapidly generate indoor thermal and physical building maps. This mapping technology allows for cost-effective evaluation of heat loss and building inefficiencies. The system enables rapid data collection and export to existing computer models to guide strategies that reduce building energy usage.

You can learn more about all award recipients at:

http://www.doe.gov/articles/arpa-e-awards-130-million-66-transformational-energy-technology-projects