DOE

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.