EERE Network News
February 20, 2008
News and Events
New Builders Challenge Calls for 220,000 Efficient New Homes by 2012
DOE announced the start of the Builders Challenge on February 14, calling on homebuilders across the country to volunteer to create high-performance homes that use more than 30% less energy than traditional homes. DOE aims to build 220,000 by 2012 and 1.3 million by 2030.
Home Builders Launch New National Green Building Program
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has launched the NAHB National Green Building Program, which allows green, energy-efficient homes to earn national certification at the bronze, silver, and gold levels. A show home in Orlando, Florida, is the first to earn the gold.
Energy Star Commercial Buildings and Plants on the Rise
Nearly 4,100 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants throughout the United States have earned the Energy Star label by using nearly 40% less energy than average buildings. The Energy Star list is dominated by office buildings, supermarkets, K-12 schools, and hotels.
DOE to Invest Up to $20.6 Million in Solid-State Lighting
DOE announced on February 12 that it would invest up to $20.6 million in 13 solid-state lighting projects. The projects will focus on the research and development of solid-state lighting, a type of energy-efficient lighting that includes light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
California Approves Feed-In Tariffs for Renewable Energy Systems
Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison are now offering to buy electricity from customer-located renewable energy systems up to 1.5 megawatts in capacity. They and five other utilities are also buying renewable power from water and wastewater facilities.
DOE and Partners Test Enhanced Geothermal Systems Technologies
A geothermal well at a power facility in Nevada is currently unable to produce enough useful geothermal fluid, but it will soon be rejuvinated with a shot of high-pressure water, an approach known as Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The test could boost production at the site nearly five-fold.
Energy Connections
Key Industries Cut Emissions Intensity by 9.4% in Four Years
From 2002 to 2006, the electric power industry and the most energy-intensive manufacturing industries lowered the greenhouse gases emitted per each unit of production by 9.4%. The industries are participating in a public-private partnership initiative called "Climate VISION."
