DOE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 16, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program has launched the Solution Center, an online resource providing easy access to a wealth of building science and energy efficiency informat...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - January 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC) announces today that IREC Standard 14732:2013 General Requirements for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Certificate Programs has been p...

Washington, DC - December 21, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Washington Post reports, a typical household in Deanwood, Washington D.C. spends around $2,000 annually on utility bills. Empowerhouse homeowners are projected to spend $390, mainly on water ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) invites manufacturers of energy-efficient products, public housing authorities, industry stakeholders involved in the development, finance, and m...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The International Energy Agency (IEA) on November 12 released the 2012 edition of the World Energy Outlook, which noted that North America leads the shift in global energy balance—and that sh...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 2, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Americans used less energy in 2011 than in 2010 due mainly to a shift to more energy efficient residential and transportation technologies, according to the Energy Department's Lawrence Livermor...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 22, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Energy Department on August 20 announced a new partnership between its Challenge Home program and the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) on a voluntary certification process for energy-effici...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New England Governors' Conference on July 30 passed a resolution to launch a coordinated regional procurement of renewable energy. The leaders of six states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts...

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, low...

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...

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...

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 sa...

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) syst...

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 12...

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 12...

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. EnergyPlu...

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," thi...

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 i...

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.

November 11, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Local and state building code officials recently approved revisions to the commercial section of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) that represent the largest single-step efficiency increase in the history of the national energy code, officials said. The improvements were part of a major comprehensive proposal submitted jointly by DOE, the nonprofit New Buildings Institute (NBI), and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The proposal addresses measures such as cooling, lighting, quality assurance, and renewable energy standards. The changes mean that new and renovated buildings constructed in jurisdictions that follow the 2012 IECC model will use 30% less energy than those built to current standards.

WASHINGTON, DC - November 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Vice President Biden joined U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today to announce the launch of the Home Energy Score pilot program. The Home Energy Score will offer homeowners straightforward, reliable information about their homes' energy efficiency. A report provides consumers with a home energy score between 1 and 10, and shows them how their home compares to others in their region. The report also includes customized, cost-effective recommendations that will help to reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort of their homes.

November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is upgrading the requirement for new federal building construction from LEED Silver to LEED Gold certification. The new requirement will also apply to substantial renovation projects. GSA announced on October 28 that the higher rating would be reflected in GSA's Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service by the end of calendar year 2010. GSA uses the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or "LEED", Green Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate and measure achievements in sustainable design. For projects funded prior to FY 2010 that are now being designed, GSA is requiring that LEED Gold prerequisites and other specific requirements be incorporated into ongoing designs whenever possible after considering budget and schedule constraints

November 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Army issued two new policy memorandums on October 27, one to improve its high-performance green buildings standards and another to require light bulbs such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that are more efficient than standard bulbs. Both measures are designed to increase energy security, energy efficiency, and sustainability for the Army. The first memo, "Memorandum for Sustainable Design and Development Policy Update," changes the way the Army will approach efficient design of its facilities for more responsible planning and consumption. Preliminary analysis by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates energy savings over current design of 45% or greater

Washington, DC - September 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the investment of $28.5 million to 12 states and territories to support energy efficiency projects that will lower energy bills for American families and businesses, boost job growth, and increase investment in companies that deliver energy-saving technologies. The competitively selected states will receive awards through DOE's State Energy Program to help create a sustainable transformation in the market for energy-saving, whole-building improvements in residential and commercial buildings. The awards will also help generate the necessary policy and program frameworks to support private-sector investment in energy efficiency for the long-term. This initiative is part of the Obama Administration's national strategy to promote domestic job creation, while delivering innovative energy efficiency technologies to the residential and commercial building markets and addressing barriers to bringing high-efficiency buildings within reach for all Americans.

Washington D.C. - September 7, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a partial guarantee for a $98.5 million loan to the 49.5 megawatt Blue Mountain geothermal project in Humboldt County in northwestern Nevada. The loan guarantee is being issued to John Hancock Financial Services to support a loan to a subsidiary of the Nevada Geothermal Power Company

The size of new U.S. single-family homes completed in 2009 declined, dropping to a nationwide average of 2,438 square feet and reversing trend of the past three decades, according to a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). New single-family homes were almost 100 square feet smaller in 2009 than they were [...]

WASHINGTON, DC - June 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that 20 communities have been selected for more than $60 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to implement local energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that will reduce energy use by American homes, vehicles, and businesses. Local governments, nonprofit organizations and quasi-governmental organizations are among the recipients for the competitive grants, administered under the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program.

Washington, DC - June 9, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites interested parties to submit comments to assist in developing a voluntary National Energy Rating Program for Homes.