WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that it is soliciting input from all parties regarding how DOE can best support the expansion of HVACR businesses into residential whole-house energy-efficiency services through new initiatives or by building upon existing HVACR to home performance efforts underway within the industry. The original deadline requesting input was May 1. DOE has now extended the deadline to June 1.

DOE’s formal Request for Information (RFI) invites comments on all of the potential topic areas and proposed activities outlined in the request. (The full RFI is available at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.) Of particular interest is information that would assist DOE in focusing its resources on activities with the highest potential for sustained market transformation in the HVACR industry beyond the scope of a potential grant period.

DOE also announced that it may release a competitive funding opportunity announcement in fiscal year 2012 to support efforts that facilitate HVACR contractor expansion into home performance.