As shared in the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s release: The California Energy Commission approved six grants July 13th focused on energy efficiency with $8 million awarded for technologies and measures designed to achieve zero net energy (ZNE) in new affordable housing and multifamily and commercial buildings. ZNE homes generate as much energy as they consume.
The grants focus on technologies and strategies that show innovative energy efficiency to achieve whole building performance that will help the state achieve its energy goals:
- Gas Technology Institute – Received a grant to develop and test advanced energy efficiency packages in new affordable housing communities in Stockton. The project will be conducted with Habitat for Humanity and lessons learned will be shared with the building industry to help increase adoption of ZNE homes.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – Received a grant to examine the benefits of all electric ZNE homes as compared to ZNE homes that use both gas and electricity. The analysis will provide information to enable better understanding of costs and benefits associated with each approach. The laboratory also received a grant to develop and evaluate cost-effective retrofits of small commercial buildings. The project includes pilot testing at a multi-story small commercial office building in San Francisco.
- University of California, Davis – Received three grants for projects to maximize energy efficiency in homes, multifamily dwellings and commercial buildings. The UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center will refine and evaluate an advanced building control system to maximize energy savings in existing commercial buildings. The aim is to reduce electricity use by up to 30 percent. The UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center will test innovative retrofit measures that reduce air conditioning costs for homeowners. The university will help develop EnergyPlus simulations and models to identify cost effective energy efficiency measures in multifamily and commercial buildings for achieving ZNE goals.
Learn more about the CEC’s approval for loans for solar systems and revised guidelines for school energy projects, here.
These projects are funded through the EPIC program. For more on EPIC, check out the CEC’s website showcase of innovative projects, the EPIC program’s 2015 annual report, or more.