The U.S. Energy Department announced 12 projects to develop innovative heating, cooling and insulation technologies as well as open source energy efficiency software to help homes and commercial buildings save energy and money. These projects will receive an approximately $11 million Energy Department investment, matched by about $1 million in private sector funding.
Commercial and residential buildings use nearly 40 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States each year and produce more than 40 percent of the U.S. carbon pollution. According to the Energy Information Administration, about 48 percent of energy consumption in U.S. homes in 2009 was for heating and cooling, down from 53 percent in 1993. While better insulation and more efficient windows and equipment helped precipitate this decline, the projects announced by the Energy Department are focused on furthering these savings.
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