The Building Technologies Office (BTO) develops, demonstrates, and accelerates the adoption of cost-effective technologies, techniques, tools and services that enable high-performing, energy-efficient and demand-flexible residential and commercial buildings in both the new & existing buildings markets, in support of an equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system by 2050, starting with a decarbonized power sector by 2035. Learn more about BTO.
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News, Blogs, and Success Stories
Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy by 2050: A National Blueprint for the Buildings Sector
DOE led the development of a Blueprint for decarbonizing U.S. buildings by 2050 to lay out a national strategy for aggressively reducing building greenhouse gas emissions while delivering equity, affordability, and resilience benefits to communities.
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U.S. Department of Energy Announces Final Rule to Propel Federal Buildings Toward Zero Emissions
As Required by Congress, DOE Finalizes Standards That Decrease Emissions for New and Renovated Federal Buildings Across the Nation, Slashing Harmful Carbon Emissions by 2 Million Metric Tons
April 24, 2024
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Improving Indoor Air Quality for Cancer Prevention
Americans average about 90% of their time indoors, whether in homes, workplaces, schools, restaurants, gyms, places of worship, or elsewhere. With all that time indoors, it’s vital that the air in those buildings is safe to breathe.
April 23, 2024
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DOE Announces Solar Decathlon 2024 Design Challenge Winners
Today the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon® , DOE’s longest-running student competition, announced the winners of the 2024 Design Challenge.
April 22, 2024
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DOE Finalizes Four Consensus-based Efficiency Standards to Save Americans Billions on Utility Bills
DOE Finalizing Energy Efficiency Standards for Commercial Unitary Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps, Circulator Pumps, Dishwashers, and Miscellaneous Refrigeration Appliances—Delivering Savings to Consumers as Directed by Congress and with Strong Industry and Stakeholder Support
April 16, 2024
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DOE Finalizes Efficiency Standards for Lightbulbs to Save Americans Billions on Household Energy Bills
As Mandated by Congress, DOE is Updating General Service Lamps Standards—Bolstering Biden-Harris Administration’s Efforts to Strengthen Outdated Efficiency Standards to Save Americans $1 Trillion Over 30 Years
April 12, 2024
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DOE Finalizes Energy Efficiency Standards for Distribution Transformers That Protect Domestic Supply Chains and Jobs, Strengthen Grid Reliability, and Deliver Billions in Energy Savings
Driven by Robust Engagement Process, Finalized Standards Will Strengthen Grid Resiliency, Preserve Unions Jobs, Support Domestic Electric Steel Growth, and Enhance America’s Economic and Manufacturing Competitiveness
April 4, 2024
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DOE today launched the third and final phase of its Lighting Prize competition, designed to spur groundbreaking innovation, local manufacturing, and the benefits of an inclusive, clean-energy economy for next-generation lighting in commercial buildings.
April 3, 2024
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DOE Releases First Ever Federal Blueprint to Decarbonize America’s Buildings Sector
First Comprehensive Federal Strategy Outlines Pathways to Reduce Emissions 90% in Buildings Sector by 2050, Reinforcing President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to Lower Energy Costs, Improve Resilience, and Tackle the Climate Crisis
April 2, 2024
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Department of Energy Recognizes Better Buildings Challenge Partner Morehouse College for Leadership in Energy Efficiency
Better Buildings partner Morehouse College has reduced its energy intensity by more than 30% since 2023.
March 19, 2024
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Department of Energy Earns Best of Green Schools Award
DOE has been named a 2024 Best of Green Schools Award recipient for the Moment for the Movement category, presented by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Schools National Network.
March 6, 2024
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BTO's Program Areas
Emerging Technologies
Residential Buildings Integration
Commercial Buildings Integration
Appliance and Equipment Standards Program
Building Energy Codes Program
About the Building Technologies Office
Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships
National Emerging Technologies Collaborative
NETC fosters stronger coordination across organizations supporting the RD&D, investment, and deployment of emerging building technologies.
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Energy, Emissions and Equity (E3) Initiative
Better Energy, Emissions, and Equity (E3) Initiative
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Advanced Building Construction Initiative
The ABC Initiative integrates energy-efficiency solutions into highly productive U.S. construction practices for new buildings and retrofits.
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Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings
We’re conducting Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings research to help bring connectedness and the related energy savings across the buildings sector.
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Tech-to-Market
T2M activities accelerate innovative R&D concepts to become commercially viable and available products.
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Better Buildings
Partners in DOE’s Better Buildings Initiative set ambitious goals and contribute real-world solutions that help accelerate our clean energy economy.
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Green Building Workforce Development Initiatives
Achieving DOE’s high-level goals of combating climate change, creating clean energy union jobs, and promoting energy justice, requires improving the energy efficiency of America’s nearly 130 million buildings.
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Resource Dashboard
Find technical reports, technology roadmaps, fact sheets, relevant and authorizing statutes, and quick links to BTO’s decision tools.
Project Map
The Building Technologies Office Projects Map is a searchable table and map of BTO’s active projects that have been competitively awarded and funded through DOE’s national labs all across the United States. Dive into any project to learn more about its funding amount, who’s leading the work, the project term, what the project is developing, and its most recent progress.
Join BTO’s Events
Apr 25
Demand Response Programs and Their Impact on Peak Load Energy Usage and Comfort 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
May 09
The Latest on Zero Energy Windows, Thin Triples, and Advanced Window Technologies 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
May 23
Decarbonizing Low Income Homes – The DOE Affordable Home Energy Shot 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
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BTO Career Opportunities
Ready to start building our clean energy future with a new career in BTO? Whether you’re looking for building energy-efficiency research or engineering jobs, or you’re interested in business support careers in the building energy-efficiency industry, BTO may have a position for you.
See the available opportunities.
BTO’s Annual Peer Review Conference
The Peer Review is BTO’s signature event for the building sector’s leading scientists, engineers, policymakers, and other energy enthusiasts to discuss the latest opportunities for improving building performance–and to evaluate the progress of select BTO-funded research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects and programs. The Peer Review is free and open to the public.
Learn more about the nextPeer Review event.
