The mission of BTO’s Residential Buildings Integration (RBI) Program is to accelerate energy performance improvements in existing and new residential buildings using an integrated building systems approach to achieve peak energy performance. The RBI Program’s market outcome goal is to reduce, by 2025, the energy used for space conditioning and water heating in single-family homes by 40% from 2010 levels. RBI’s focus on space conditioning and water heating offers the best opportunities for influencing residential energy use. The Building America Program is RBI’s premier applied research, development, & demonstration (RD&D) program, responsible for over 40 housing innovations to date that have enabled technology and market advancements in residential energy efficiency. Since 1994, the rigor of the national energy code has increased over 40% by applying high performance building envelope innovations proven with Building America research and demonstration. To support RBI’s current program goals, Building America is focused on the following RBI performance goal: by 2020, demonstrate cost effective technologies and practices that can reduce the energy use intensity (EUI) of new homes by at least 60% and existing homes by at least 40%, relative to the average homes in each of the seven climate zones in 2010, with a focus on reducing heating, cooling, and water heating loads.
With this FOA, RBI will select additional Building America project teams in 2017 to accelerate energy performance improvements in existing and new residential buildings using an integrated building systems approach. These Building America teams will work with industry partners and real world homes to help housing industry participants achieve optimal energy and cost performance, while effectively managing related risks (i.e., indoor air quality and moisture durability). This FOA builds on work begun in the 2015 and 2016 Building America FOAs, and is focused primarily on addressing remaining gaps and objectives in the Building America Research-to-Market Plan.
Building America seeks to fund projects with a high potential for significant impact. Successful applicants will present a relevant problem statement, compelling hypothesis and/or solution, and effective research question(s). Successful applications will also include a well-developed plan, demonstrating not only an innovative idea of a technology/practice, but also a clear and rational way of executing the idea and enabling wide-scale adoption by the industry. Teams should have strong partnerships with builders and/or manufacturers in the industry.
This FOA has two (2) topics, described below. Applicants may submit multiple applications, but each individual application must be submitted to either Topic 1 or Topic 2, not both. Applications will be evaluated using the technical review criteria of the selected topic.
Topic 1: Building America Technology to Market Roadmaps: Selected Objectives
Topic 2: Baseline Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Field Study in Occupied New US Homes
For questions and answers pertaining to this FOA, please reference the DE-FOA-0001630 Building America FAQ Log in FOA Documents.
The eXCHANGE system is currently designed to enforce hard deadlines for Concept Paper and Full Application submissions. The APPLY and SUBMIT buttons automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. The intention of this design is to consistently enforce a standard deadline for all applicants.
Applicants that experience issuse with submissions PRIOR to the FOA Deadline: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues.
Applicants that experience issues with submissions that result in a late submission: In the event that an Applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission that results in a late submission, the Applicant should contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). The eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the EERE eXCHANGE System Administrators (eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov) will assist the Applicant in resolving all issues (including finalizing the submission on behalf of, and with the Applicant's concurrence). DOE will only accept late applications when the Applicant has a) encountered technical difficulties beyond their control; b) has contacted the eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance; and c) has submitted the application through eXCHANGE within 24 hours of the FOA's posted deadline.
Informational Webinar: The Informational Webinar mentioned in the FOA will be held on November 7, 2016 at 3:00PM Eastern Standard Time. Please click or copy and paste this link in your browser for registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/834576982742086660