Buildings are energy-intensive, creating about 40% of global fuel-based emissions. Think of poor insulation and inefficient energy management—leaving lights on all night or keeping the AC or heat flowing in empty rooms.
Enter IMPEL, a U.S. Department of Energy tech-to-market program that unites innovators with researchers, investors and business experts. It advances next-generation building decarbonization technologies—from 3D-printed thermal energy storage to drones that scan neighborhoods looking for leaks to wind turbines installed in tight spaces.
Indeed, Earth Day is accessible to all energy users, especially homeowners and facility managers.
“Even though buildings last 50 to 100 years, investors have more interest in electric vehicles and energy storage,” says Reshma Singh, senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy, in a conversation with me. “IMPEL is creating a market pull and pushing technologies vetted by national labs. It is creating public demand.”
The Energy Department formed IMPEL five years ago to decarbonize the energy sector. Since then, about 250 teams have raised $90 million, created 180 jobs and won 167 awards, grants and prizes. Much of that money is going to underprivileged communities. National lab scientists train innovators to measure their technologies’ greenhouse gas reduction potential.
For example, Edenic Energy provides hardware and software to energy-conscious companies to make their assets more energy-efficient. Building owners get a holistic view of their properties. They are able improve their operations and maintenance from one place.
According to Singh, decarbonization, digitization, and democratization drive the department’s energy efficiency efforts. To that end, the national labs want to discover partners who can identify building products that lead to comprehensive reductions in carbon emissions.
The next step is to find the tools to permit buildings and clean energy systems to “talk” to each other. That involves software, sensors and controls, optimizing grid performance, and allowing more green electrons and resilience. Finally, the department wants to encourage the use of the best products to make buildings “disaster-proof.” The offerings must be affordable, easy to use and proven.
“The entire mission is to get to net zero, which promotes equitable wellness,” says Singh. “We are definitely on target.”
Examples abound:
- QuitCarbon is a free, local service that helps homeowners replace gas appliances with clean electric alternatives, guiding them through each step of the process.
- Flower Turbines has raised $14 million to boost manufacturing of its small-scale, flower-shaped wind turbines.
- Aeroshield Materials is expanding its manufacturing capacity to make energy-efficient window technology.
But do businesses and homeowners have access to these technologies, and can they provide a return on investment? Singh says that the inventors bring three value propositions to the table: First, the benefits of buying or using the product must exceed the cost by offering operational savings or reducing capital expenditures. Second, the products must be easy to use so that workers can get up to speed.
Lastly, the environmental and social benefits must mount, with minimal intrusion into people’s lives. If developers retrofit buildings or homes, the occupants shouldn’t be disturbed.
For example, companies will want to regulate energy use when no one is in the buildings, meaning they can install new controls that provide remote access to lighting and HVAC equipment. Community Energy Labs won grants to bring its intelligent energy management tool to schools and community buildings in rural areas, and it did not displace anyone.
“We are providing the funding and training, ensuring that a third of innovation and development goes to the underprivileged section of society,” says Singh. “We ensure that brilliant people who have lived the experience get the help they deserve.”
That’s the spirit of Earth Day—one that will reverberate and change lives.
