Each year the DOE petitions Congress with a “Congressional Budget Request” to continue financing the projects that show promise and are deemed worth pursuing. What has the DOE been up to in the name of renewable energy and HVAC technology?

Scientists have been working on thermoacoustic refrigeration for over two decades. The basic idea is to use sound for refrigeration instead of the current refrigerants that cooling devices rely on. The U.S Navy is interested, and so is ice cream mogul Ben & Jerry’s.