Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “GEB technology”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records

Blueprint for Integrating Grid-Interactive Efficient Building (GEB) Technologies into U.S. General Services Administration Performance Contracts

This document provides recommended strategies for increasing implementation of grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) measures in federal performance contracts. This document outlines distributed energy resource screening processes, contractual considerations for GEB technologies within performance contracts, and guidance for integration of GEB analysis procedures and technologies into each phase of a performance contract.

ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION,↗

Key Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Technologies for Federal and Commercial Facilities

This report serves as a resource for building owners and managers interested in deploying GEB technologies in federal and commercial facilities. This document also provides an overview of smart buildings and the prioritization and categorization of GEB technologies that have a high potential to provide grid services.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

A National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings

The way electricity is generated and consumed in the US is quickly changing, including in terms of the rapid growth in variable power generation resources and the need for large-scale investments to replace aging infrastructure and modernize the grid. Buildings that coordinate electricity use with grid conditions are a flexible and cost-effective resource to address the evolving power system challenges. Outfitted with smart technologies, GEBs are energy-efficient buildings with smart technologies characterized by the active use of distributed energy resources to optimize energy use for grid services, occupant needs and preferences, and cost reductions in a continuous and integrated way. In doing so, GEBs can play a key role in promoting greater affordability, resilience, environmental performance, and reliability. The report finds that, over the next two decades, GEBs could deliver between $100 and $200 billion in savings to the US power system and cut CO 2 emissions by 80 million tons per year by 2030, or 6% of total power sector CO 2 emissions. The report also provides 14 recommendations for addressing the top barriers to overcome barriers to GEB adoption and deployment.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Impact of Connected Communities

Buildings account for 35% of CO 2 emissions and almost 40% of the United States’ energy use. High-performance homes and neighborhoods play an important role in supporting efforts to decarbonize the US power system by 2035. Significant reductions in CO 2 emissions within the residential sector can be realized through electrification of loads paired with the flexibility created by leveraging smart Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities to shift energy use based on grid signals, thus improving generation/distribution efficiency and maximizing the use of renewable generation capacity. All of this can be achieved while allowing smart home appliances and equipment to meet homeowner needs – including reducing power bills - while optimizing operation in conjunction with the grid using novel control techniques. The Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Roadmap by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Technologies Office (BTO) notes that implementing grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) technology has the potential to reduce CO 2 emissions by 80 million tons/year—roughly equivalent to 17 million cars. To achieve this vision, the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)—in collaboration with Southern Company Research & Development, Alabama Power, Georgia Power, BTO and the US DOE’s Office of Electricity (OE) —is developing and demonstrating novel connected communities at two locations. Southern Company in turn engaged with industry partners, including design firms, residential developers, and residential HVAC and appliance manufacturers because their participation would be critical to the success of the initial research project, as well as the future scaling to the Southern Company service territory and beyond. Impacts of the Connected Communities projects in Alabama and Georgia are outlined including: energy, grid services and data management learnings; homeowner feedback; vendor engagement; adoption by utilities; technical, policy and business model challenges.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Exploring Grid-Interactive Efficient Building Strategies for Laboratories Through Energy Modeling

Laboratories are often overlooked in demand flexibility research due to constraints on their operations as mission critical facilities, despite the major role they play in an organization's emissions. Laboratories consume 3-4 times more energy than a typical office building and are commonly the largest energy users on any campus. Consequently, most laboratories in the United States are significant contributors to their organization's carbon footprint if their energy needs are met through the combustion of fossil fuels. As part of the initiative to decarbonize laboratories, this report documents an analysis on specifically grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) opportunities for reducing energy costs and emissions associated with laboratory operations. The goal of this initiative was to provide a case study and guidance on how to use OpenStudio and REopt as modeling tools for GEB technologies and strategies in laboratory environments across different climate zones in the United States. The analysis found that efficiency-based GEB strategies had the most significant impact on laboratory operations, while load-shedding and load-shifting GEB strategies produced smaller results. The culmination of these approaches applied across all five climate zones generated on average: 1) 28% energy cost savings and 30% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, and 2) 4% enhanced energy cost savings under a time-of-use (TOU) pricing schedule compared to traditional pricing schemes. Grid-interactive efficiency building measures were found to produce the greatest energy savings in both electricity and natural gas, particularly in regions with high electrical loads, such as warm climates for cooling. Laboratories that had high levels of natural gas consumption, meanwhile, experienced the greatest emission reductions. The report concludes with an analysis on the opportunities for flexible loads in lab spaces and how small-scale measures in addition to opaque pricing structures for peak demand could become barriers to demand flexibility planning. The report also explores how electrifying laboratory buildings with heat pumps could reduce energy costs and GHG emissions.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Energy Northwest — Advanced Grid Interactive Load Efficiency (AGILE) : A Techno-economic Assessment

The Advanced Grid Interactive Load Efficiency project team, led by Energy Northwest, was awarded funding as part of the fourth round of the Clean Energy Fund program to investigate, co-create, and complete a preliminary design for grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) for a number of schools served by Grays Harbor PUD. The project team has evaluated different combinations of systems at selected school buildings and the potential to respond to grid and customer needs, and develop a preliminary system technical design, including specifying desired GEB technology options, determining communication and electrical interface requirements, assessing control software sensor requirements, and interfacing with building management systems. PNNL led the techno-economic assessment efforts, leveraging its advanced modeling and analytical methods and tools developed for building-to-grid integration. This report documents the economic assessment for different GEB design options, encompassing an in-depth examination of use cases and value propositions, assumptions and inputs, models, methods, case studies, as well as key findings.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

BOPTest As a Platform for Building Controls and Grid-Interactive Buildings Workforce Training

Building automation and controls are becoming increasingly complex with the emergence of Grid Integrated Efficient Buildings (GEBs) as well as new highly efficient sequences of operation and data-driven control schemes. However, there remains a significant gap in hands-on training opportunities for building operators and technicians to gain practical experience with advanced control systems in a low-risk environment. This paper presents BOPTEST (Building Optimization Performance Test) as a suitable platform for workforce training in building controls and GEB technologies. BOPTEST provides a suite of standardized building simulation test cases with a REST API, real-time control interfaces through BACnet, semantic models connecting users to building data, and built-in calculation of control metrics and performance indicators. The platform enables trainees to interact with virtual buildings using industry-standard protocols while learning how to implement and innovate control strategies. The training platform is designed to offer a structured and interactive learning experience for building engineers, helping them effectively develop, learn, and retain skills in fault identification, troubleshooting, and correction. The workflow is divided into three main phases: 1) Setup, 2) Exercise, and 3) Review, each comprising specific activities performed by either the instructor or the student. Initial pilot training sessions have yielded positive feedback from instructors and participants and demonstrates that BOPTEST effectively fills an industry need for a low-risk training resource via simulation of real building control systems, allowing trainees to gain practical experience before working in the field. The platform's ability to provide immediate performance feedback while maintaining familiar industry interfaces makes it particularly suitable for workforce development programs. This work provides a replicable model for leveraging building simulation in control education and training.

Paul, Lazlo↗

Dynamic and Responsive Distributed Energy Resource Education Solutions for Building, Fire, and Safety Department Officials (Final Technical Report)

From April 2021 through March 2024, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) led a collaborative project to develop a free online clearinghouse of educational resources about solar photovoltaics (PV), energy storage systems (ESS), electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), and grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) technologies. Two websites—the Clean Energy Clearinghouse and CleanEnergyTraining.org—housed over 70 educational resources. Over the course of the three-year project, 154,272 unique visitors accessed the learning materials. Learner feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Even through the end of the project, there was sustained demand for education and communication. A primary innovation of the project was to drive multiple complementary audiences to the same place. Building owners, designers, installation contractors and developers, authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), and fire service personnel all benefit from a shared understanding of clean energy technologies, including safety and code-related requirements. When considering the impact on the target audience, the project team worked with partners and advisors to inform resource creation and delivery in such a way as to address key motivational factors of the target audience and compel each user to seek additional information on the topic and return to the Clean Energy Clearinghouse website as their central location for more information. Resources were intentionally developed to be concise—five to 15 minutes—and accessible, meaning not overly technical. Providing basic information demystified the technologies and invited the professional to explore additional learning opportunities. Awardee and partner collaboration was key to project success. IREC facilitated collaboration among the other Topic 2 awardees, Southface and New Buildings Institute (NBI). The three awardees shared relevant information gained through discovery and validation questionnaires that informed product development and reduced duplication of effort by coordinating the development of complementary, and not competing, educational resources. Inspired by this collaboration, IREC brought on additional partners even in the final year of the project. Five regional energy efficiency organizations were part of the project, which expanded the connection between efficiency and distributed energy resources. We also included resources on the Clearinghouse that were developed through other federally funded projects, such as the Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) program. The website was developed with the learner in mind, and not solely the funding source. Feedback from stakeholders throughout the project, and especially in its final year, indicated the need for continued education and facilitated communication among stakeholders to further the safe and widespread adoption of clean energy.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

BOPTEST as a Platform for Building Controls and Grid-Interactive Buildings Workforce Training

Building automation and controls are becoming increasingly complex with the emergence of Grid Integrated Efficient Buildings (GEBs) as well as new highly efficient sequences of operation and data-driven control schemes. However, there remains a significant gap in hands-on training opportunities for building operators and technicians to gain practical experience with advanced control systems in a low-risk environment. This paper presents BOPTEST (Building Optimization Performance Test) as a suitable platform for workforce training in building controls and GEB technologies. BOPTEST provides a suite of standardized building simulation test cases with a REST API, real-time control interfaces through BACnet, semantic models connecting users to building data, and built-in calculation of control metrics and performance indicators. The platform enables trainees to interact with virtual buildings using industry-standard protocols while learning how to implement and innovate control strategies. The training platform is designed to offer a structured and interactive learning experience for building engineers, helping them effectively develop, learn, and retain skills in fault identification, troubleshooting, and correction. The workflow is divided into three main phases: 1) Setup, 2) Exercise, and 3) Review, each comprising specific activities performed by either the instructor or the student. Initial pilot training sessions have yielded positive feedback from instructors and participants and demonstrates that BOPTEST effectively fills an industry need for a low-risk training resource via simulation of real building control systems, allowing trainees to gain practical experience before working in the field. The platform's ability to provide immediate performance feedback while maintaining familiar industry interfaces makes it particularly suitable for workforce development programs. This work provides a replicable model for leveraging building simulation in control education and training.

Paul, Lazlo↗

Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Support Federal Facility Decarbonization

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) plays a key role in helping agencies understand and meet energy-related goals, including those surrounding smart buildings technologies and grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs), which can support decarbonization. GEB enables demand flexibility that has the potential to reduce electrical infrastructure costs and transform the grid edge, where buildings connect to the power grid.

decarbonization↗

Grid-Interactive Building Solutions: Synapse from Kinetic Buildings

This fact sheet describes a grid-interactive efficient building technology that is undergoing field validation tests through DOE's National Labs. It summarizes the technology application (Synapse software from Kinetic Buildings) and the characteristics of the field validation site.

grid-interactive efficient buildings, GEB, technol↗

Grid-Interactive Building Solutions: MelRok Energy IOT Touch Gateway

This fact sheet describes a grid-interactive efficient building technology that is undergoing field validation tests through DOE's National Labs. It summarizes the technology application (MelRok's Energy IOT Touch), the parameters of the demonstration, and the characteristics of the field validation site.

grid-interactive efficient buildings, GEB, technol↗

GSA Oklahoma City Federal Building: Smart Buildings Case Study

The purpose of this smart buildings case study is to showcase a leading example of a GEB renovation project in the federal buildings space and provide key information on the project roles, processes, costs, and benefits. The findings from this successful GEB project can be used to help pave the way for additional GEB-ready retrofits in the future. The General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) Oklahoma City (OKC) Federal Building, located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, demonstrates that GEB-ready strategies and technologies can be realistically deployed today across buildings with minimal investment. The project team implemented nine energy conservation measures (ECMs) and/or smart building technologies, making it a leading example of a smart, sustainable, and efficient commercial building. The case study highlights the challenges and the lessons learned throughout the project design and execution in addition to some of the best practices and considerations when implementing GEB technologies.

Butrico, Mark↗

Gateway Cities Unplugged: (em)Powering Affordable Housing (Final Technical Report)

The Gateway Cities Unplugged: (em)Powering Affordable Housing (the “Project”) was launched to address a critical challenge in the U.S. building and energy sectors: enabling multifamily buildings especially those serving low and moderate‑income (LMI) communities to actively support grid modernization through Grid‑Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB). Multifamily housing represents a large share of national building energy consumption, yet the sector faces persistent barriers to adopting advanced load flexibility technologies, including capital constraints, aging infrastructure, and limited access to demand‑side management tools. This Project sought to overcome those barriers by defining, evaluating, and designing commercially viable GEB technology packages for six representative multifamily properties across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Editorial for Special Issue: Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings - Part 1

We are pleased to present starting with this volume of ASME Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities (JESBC), a series of peer-reviewed papers related to some of ongoing research projects and applications of Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBs). As part of a new program initiated by the Building Technology Office (BTO) with the US Department of Energy (DOE), GEBs are characterized as highly energy-efficient buildings that are equipped with smart technologies and distributed energy resources that can be dynamically controlled to meet grid needs and minimize electricity system costs, while meeting occupants’ comfort and productivity requirements. In simple terms,DOE defines GEBs as efficient, connected, smart, and flexible buildings. The GEB technologies touch on the main topical areas of JESBC aimed at fostering sustainable buildings and cities by providing results of evaluation studies and demonstration projects. Indeed, one of the main goals for JESBC is to disseminate solutions to enhance the built environment energy efficiencies, low carbon services, inter-connectivity services, resilient multi-services, and healthy and comfortable living spaces.

buildings↗

Editorial for Special Issue: Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings—Part 2

This issue of the ASME Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities (JESBC) is fully dedicated to peer-reviewed papers specific to technologies and applications of Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBs). As defined by a series of publications by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and outlined in Part 1 of the editorial of JESBC August 2020 issue, GEBs are efficient, connected, smart, and flexible buildings. This GEB special issue covers some technologies and applications for grid-connected buildings and communities. Some of technologies included in the special issue are dynamic insulation systems for building envelopes, building integrated fuel cells, and rooftop PV systems. Furthermore, the issue outlines the designs and cost-benefits of net-zero energy (NZE) buildings and carbon neutral communities in the United States.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Building and grid system benefits of demand flexibility and energy efficiency

The global electricity system is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Technology advancements in clean energy generation (e.g., solar photovoltaics and wind) and electrified demand (e.g., transportation and building heating) are providing a cost-competitive pathway to mitigate the urgent and severe consequences associated with a changing climate. In addition, as extreme events continue to increase in frequency and magnitude, solutions are needed for adapting to the current climate. Through energy efficiency and demand flexibility, buildings play a prominent role in meeting these challenges; recently in Joule, a paper by Langevin et al. provides clear insight into the magnitude of buildings’ technical potential.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗