DOE

August 1, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The EPA's Energy Star program on July 25 launched the 2012 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings with a record 3,200 buildings across the country going head to head to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs, and protect the environment. U.S. commercial buildings are responsible for about 20% of the nation's energy use at a cost of more than $100 billion annually in energy bills. In 2011, the 245 participants in the Energy Star competition saved $5.2 million on their utility bills and prevented nearly 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions—equal to the emissions from the electricity used by more than 3,600 homes a year.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 25, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Department of the Interior, in partnership with the Department of Energy, will publish the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for solar energy development in six southwestern states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The final Solar PEIS represents a major step forward in the permitting of utility-scale solar energy on public lands throughout the west

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 18, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Energy Department is developing new voluntary procedures that will help standardize how state and local governments, industry, and energy efficiency organizations estimate energy savings. These protocols are being developed by technical experts through collaboration with energy efficiency program administrators, industry stakeholders, and home energy assessors. The department invites stakeholders from the public sector, industry, and academia to participate in an online public review of these new protocols in an effort to estimate energy savings from energy efficiency programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 28, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Energy Department today announced new investments in state-led energy efficiency projects, supporting the Obama Administration's commitment to reduce building energy costs and transfer those savings directly to taxpayers. The Energy Department awarded nearly $14 million to 22 states and territories to conduct energy efficiency upgrades in public facilities and develop local policies and programs to help reduce energy waste and save taxpayer money. These investments are part of the Energy Department's national strategy to create jobs, boost domestic manufacturing in energy-saving technologies, and help American families and businesses save money.

Washington, D.C. - April 24, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced up to $5 million available this year to develop “plug-and-play” photovoltaic (PV) systems that can be purchased, installed and operational in one day. This effort is part of the Department’s broader strategy to spur solar power deployment by reducing non-hardware, or “soft” costs, such as installation, permitting, and interconnection, which currently amount to more than half of the total cost of residential systems. The funding will help drive innovations to fundamentally change the design and installation of residential PV systems, reducing costs for homeowners and simplifying installations and grid connectivity.

Washington, D.C. - December 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that states and territories across the nation have reached the goal of weatherizing more than 600,000 low-income homes– including more than 125,000 multi-family homes like apartment buildings – more than three months ahead of schedule. The Department reached this major milestone as part of its efforts to save energy and reduce home utility bills for families, while creating jobs in communities throughout the country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that states and territories across the nation have reached the goal of weatherizing more than 600,000 low-income homes– including more than 125,000 multi-family homes like apartment buildings–more than three months ahead of schedule. The Department reached this major milestone as part of its efforts to save energy and reduce home utility bills for families, while creating jobs in communities throughout the country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- DOE released on December 7 the latest version of its building energy modeling software EnergyPlus, which calculates the energy required to heat, cool, ventilate, and light a building. EnergyPlus is used by architects and engineers to design more efficient buildings, by researchers to investigate new building and system designs, and by policymakers to develop energy codes and standards. Advanced physics calculations within EnergyPlus allow it to model a wide range of residential and commercial buildings and HVAC system types, including passive building designs and low-energy systems.

November 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Energy recently recognized the launch of Santa Barbara County's energy efficiency financing program, one of the Department's Better Buildings Neighborhood projects. Called "emPowerSBC," this new program will allow homeowners in Santa Barbara, California to increase the comfort and affordability of their homes through energy-saving home upgrades such as improved insulation, windows and doors, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. This is one of 41 Better Buildings Neighborhood projects nationwide that are bringing the public and private sectors together to provide American homes and businesses with high quality and accessible energy improvements that save money and create new jobs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 4, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today applauded the launch of the City of New Orleans' NOLA Wise, one of the Department's Better Buildings Neighborhood projects. The $1.7 million initiative, funded by the Recovery Act, will allow participants to increase the comfort, safety, and affordability of their homes through energy-saving home improvements. Through DOE's Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, 41 projects are bringing state and local governments and partnering organizations together to provide high quality, accessible and affordable energy improvements to homes and businesses across the nation to reduce energy use and save families money on their energy bills.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - September 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- DOE issued on August 26 final energy efficiency standards for home refrigerators and freezers. The new standards will improve the efficiency of home refrigerators some 25% by 2014. The standards, developed through a consensus process with manufacturers, consumer groups, and environmentalists, are expected to deliver more than $200 in electricity bill savings for the typical consumer over the lifetime of the refrigerator.

Houston, TX - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- CenterPoint Energy, Inc.'s (NYSE:CNP) electric transmission and distribution subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel B. Poneman today released survey results from a 500 participant smart meter In-Home Display pilot program begun last fall. Based on surveys, 71 percent of customers reported that they have changed their electricity consumption behavior as a result of the energy use data they accessed on their in-home displays.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - December 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- DOE announced on November 30 that 24 projects are receiving a total of $21 million in technical assistance to reduce the energy used in their commercial buildings. This initiative, supported with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will connect commercial building owners and operators with multidisciplinary teams including researchers at DOE's national laboratories and private sector building experts. The teams will design, construct, measure, and test low-energy building plans, and will help accelerate the deployment of cost-effective energy-saving measures in U.S. commercial buildings.