Renewables Integration
Renewables Integration
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Grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) combine energy efficiency, strategic integration of renewables, and demand flexibility technologies and techniques to dynamically reduce and shift building energy use. GEB measures can lower energy costs and increase building performance while providing grid services that increase the reliability, flexibility, and resiliency of our electricity system. The Renewables Integration Technology Research Team is connecting researchers and commercial building partners to collect data, conduct demonstrations, and share information about GEB implementation. |
The bi-monthly newsletter welcomes new Better Buildings partners, lists news stories, broadcasts partner solutions, offers opportunities to sign up for webinars, and more.
The Renewables Integration Team collaborates with researchers and industry experts to promote awareness and energy reduction through new technologies. Contact the Better Buildings Alliance to learn how you can get involved.
Explore interesting stories and happenings from the Better Buildings community, as well as the ins and outs of energy savings projects. Don't miss our Monthly Top 10 Solutions blog post.
Featured Solutions
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Watch this webinar to view the Better Buildings Renewables Integration Technology Research Team and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) discuss findings and recommendations on the strategic use of renewables, energy storage, and more in a multifamily building portfolio. |
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This webinar provided an overview of a fact sheet published by the Renewables Integration Team: Connecting Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure to Commercial Buildings on how EV chargers can be connected to commercial buildings. |
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This factsheet from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory aims to describe how EV chargers can be connected to commercial buildings, including considerations for facility managers, and the effects that charging will have on the buildings electrical distribution system. |
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This report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory describes existing operational GHG emissions accounting frameworks and identifies opportunities to make energy- and emissions-informed operational decisions. |
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This fact sheet provides an introduction to GHG emissions accounting for operation of buildings including equipment replacements and operational material purchases. |
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This report evaluates the opportunities for grid-interactive efficient buildings, addressing core concepts related to how flexible building loads can be integrated and controlled to benefit consumers, the electric grid, and society more broadly. |
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This fact sheet explains what grid-interactive efficient buildings are, why they are important to modernizing our power grid, and the benefits to building occupants and owners. |
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The Better Buildings Alliance Renewables Integration Team hosted an exciting conversation on building load flexibility and grid coordination. |
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This report from Rocky Mountain Institute details the core ways that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) could leverage its size, leadership in the industry, and relationships with utilities and regulators to pioneer GEB opportunities across its portfolio. |
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This report describes grid-interactive efficient buildings in the context of state and local government interests; highlights trends, challenges, and opportunities for demand flexibility; provides an overview of valuation and performance assessments for demand flexibility; and outlines actions that state and local governments can take, in concert with utilities, regional grid operators, and building owners, to advance demand flexibility. |
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This report summarizes current practices and opportunities to encourage robust and cost-effective assessments of demand flexibility performance and improve planning and implementation based on verified performance. |
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The Better Buildings Alliance Renewables Integration Technology Research Team hosted an exciting webinar on electric vehicle (EV) charging and its impact on building energy demand. Presenters provided an overview of current EV charging technologies. |
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The Better Buildings Alliance Renewables Integration Team focused this call on utility rate structures and incentive programs to encourage continuous demand management in commercial buildings. |
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This resource highlights best practices in selecting a commercial solar provider. Business owners interested in going solar can take these steps to install an on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) system. |
Other Resources
Case Studies
Fact Sheets
Guidance
Implementation Model
Reports
Webinars
Additional Information
Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Initiative
DOE research is helping make buildings become smarter about the amount and timing of energy use through the Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB) Initiative. In addition to improving the energy efficiency of the overall building, this research focuses on making equipment more intelligent through next-generation sensors, controls, connectivity, and communication.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
Find policies and incentives by state.
SunShot Resource Center
The Solar Energy Resource Center has over 100 unique documents developed by DOE, the national laboratories, and SunShot awardees.
Sector Priorities
Meet the Technology Expert
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Dr. Tim LaClair is a Senior Researcher with over 25 years experience developing and deploying advanced energy efficiency technologies. He currently works in the Building Thermal Energy Science group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and was previously at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research interests include energy storage and utilization, heat transfer, thermal-fluid sciences, boiling and two-phase flow, electrification and decarbonization of buildings, as well as vehicle fuel efficiency and electric vehicles. Recent research at NREL has focused on R&D of phase change, thermochemical, and sensible thermal energy storage systems, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Stor4Build Consortium for Building Energy Storage. Tim also leads the Renewables Integration Technology Research Team for the DOE’s Better Buildings Alliance. If you would like more information on the Renewables Integration Team, please contact GEB@nrel.gov. |