DOE Energy Efficiency Programs

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The Department of Energy (DOE) sponsors a wide variety of programs related to energy and energy efficiency. Several of these initiatives and programs are highlighted below.

• DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program has served as the Nation's core program for delivering energy conservation services to low-income Americans since 1976. The Weatherization Assistance Program reduces heating and cooling costs for low-income families-particularly the elderly, people with disabilities, and children. The program has weatherized more than 5 million homes since its inception.



• DOE works in partnership with State and Local Weatherization programs throughout the United States. DOE makes grants to States, which in turn award grants to local agencies, usually community action agencies or other nonprofit or government organizations to perform the actual Weatherization services. The Weatherization website provides information on the program, state contact information, as well as online resources.



• The State Energy Program's (SEP's) goal is to provide funding to states to design and carry out their own energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. SEP enables states to address both national energy initiatives (SEP Program Projects) and local energy priorities (SEP Special Projects). Under the program's guidelines, states implement energy efficiency and renewable energy activities through a wide range of possible projects across all the energy use sectors, including buildings, industrial, utility and transportation. Federal project funding leverages state contributions and private sector investments. The SEP website provides a wealth of information including state contact information, news, and publications.



• Rebuild America is a DOE program that started in 1994 to accelerate energy efficiency improvements in existing commercial, institutional and multifamily residential buildings through private-public partnerships created at the community level. Rebuild America is a network of community partnerships that saves money by saving energy. Partnerships are giving older buildings a new lease on life with the latest technology and retrofit practices, as well as helping business people, school districts, housing authorities, arts and culture organizations, and public agencies save 20 to 30 percent on their energy bills. The money saved can be put back in the community for purchasing computers for schools and books for public libraries, revitalizing America's downtowns, and lowering taxes. The Rebuild America website highlights these various partnerships and provides in-depth program information.



• The Million Solar Roofs Initiative (MSR) of the DOE is a research and development initiative aimed to help businesses and communities to install solar systems on one million rooftops across the United States by 2010. This effort focuses on two types of solar technology including photovoltaic that produce electricity from sunlight; and Solar thermal panels that produce heat for domestic hot water, space heating, or swimming pools. The DOE works with partners in the building industry, local governments, state agencies, the solar industry, electric service providers, and nongovernmental organizations to remove barriers and strengthen the demand for solar technologies. The purpose of the initiative is to bring together the capabilities of the Federal government with key businesses, state and local governments, and organizations, and focus them on building a strong market for solar energy applications on buildings.



• Brightfields. In an effort to encourage productive use of brownfields, revitalize communities, and advance the use of clean and climate-friendly energy technologies, DOE is working with local governments and industry to link solar energy technologies to brownfields redevelopment through Brightfields. Brightfields solutions to brownfields redevelopment can help communities to maximize the value of their brownfields sites by converting their economic burdens into revenue-generating assets. The Brightfields approaches offer a range of opportunities to link solar energy to brownfields redevelopment and thereby transform community hazards and eyesores into productive, green ventures.



• Building America is a private-public partnership that provides energy solutions for production housing. The Building America program combines the knowledge and resources of industry leaders with DOE's technical capabilities to act as a catalyst for change in the home building industry. America's new homes can be cost-effective to build as well as energy efficient to live in. Building America teams work to produce houses that incorporate energy-and material-saving strategies from the very start of the building process-the design.
  
• An Energy Savers website has been established by DOE which provides details on appliances, building codes, heating and cooling, as well as insulation. A glossary and fact sheets are also provided.