WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a new report showcasing a number of energy-saving products and technologies, made possible through DOE research and development, which are currently available in the market or projected to enter the marketplace in the future. Because buildings consume roughly 40 percent of the nation’s energy, said DOE, improving buildings with energy efficient products is one of the most beneficial ways to reduce energy waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The report, titledBuildings R&D Breakthroughs: Technologies and Products Supported by the Building Technologies Program (BTP), informs government professionals, architects, designers, manufacturers, and energy efficiency advocates about next-generation innovations.

DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) authored the report, which investigates 190 research and development projects sponsored by the Department from fiscal year 2005 to 2009. The technologies detailed in the report are organized in four areas: 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.

Some of the HVAC and water heating products described in the report include a hybrid solar electric/thermal system, a hybrid water heater, a packaged gas heat pump, ammonia absorption technologies for HVAC systems, and an integrated HVAC and water heating system.

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.

For a copy of the complete report, go to www1.eere.energy.gov/library/viewdetails.aspx?productid=5104.

Publication date:07/11/2011