Research Themes +
Energy Technologies Area (ETA) researchers are continually building on the strong scientific foundation we have developed over the past 50 years. We address the world’s most pressing climate challenges by bringing to market energy-efficient innovations across the buildings, transportation, and industrial sectors. ETA is at the forefront of developing better batteries for electric vehicles; improving the country's aging electrical grid and innovating distributed energy and storage solutions; developing grid-interactive, efficient buildings; and providing the most comprehensive market and data analysis worldwide for renewable technologies like wind and solar.
Strategic Initiatives +
The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) Strategic Plan is the guiding force for our research and development for the next ten years. It clearly charts a path toward clean-energy solutions and focuses on five detailed Strategic Initiatives. The Plan provides an in-depth look at how ETA is accelerating research to provide affordable, clean energy to all while accomplishing deep, economy-wide decarbonization, looking to avoid a rise in global average temperature while simultaneously developing solutions to increase humanity's resilience to extreme weather volatility.
Publications
News +
For media inquiries,
please contact ETA
Interim Communications Manager
Kiran Julin

[email protected]
About Us +
The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) is unique in translating fundamental scientific discoveries into scalable technology adoption. Our approach combines an understanding of the marketplace and the role of state and federal regulation and policies. ETA's research drives real-world, practical results that affect and improve the everyday lives of Americans and those across the globe. Saving energy and battling the Climate Crisis are key to the foundation of our research, which is driven by technoeconomic analysis and in-lab experimentation and discovery.

New Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB) Clean Energy Financing Policy Briefs

July 19, 2012

We are pleased to offer three new QECB Clean Energy Financing Policy Briefs — the latest in a series highlighting innovative approaches to financing clean energy projects:

Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB) Update: New Guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Services

In June 2012, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a notice to clarify what constitutes a qualified project for potential issuers of the approximately $2.5 billion of remaining QECB issuance capacity. This policy brief provides an overview of the guidance, which addresses two qualified uses of QECB proceeds—how issuers should measure energy use reductions in publicly-owned buildings and what constitutes a green community program.

Full text can be downloaded HERE.

Using QECBs for Public Building Upgrades: Reducing Energy Bills in the City of Philadelphia

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the City of Philadelphia received a $15 million QECB award from the U.S. Department of Treasury. The city leveraged $6.25 million of its QECB allocation to finance half of a $12.6 million City buildings energy efficiency upgrade initiative. The upgrades to four city facilities are expected to deliver over $10 million of net savings, and are a major step towards achieving the city’s goal of reducing government energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015.

Full text can be downloaded HERE.

Using QECBs for Street Lighting Upgrades: Lighting the Way to Lower Energy Bills in San Diego

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the City of San Diego received a $13.1 million QECB award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury). The city leveraged these QECBs to increase the size of a street lighting upgrade project from 10,000 to 39,000 light replacements. The $18.1 million street lighting upgrade project is expected to save the city over $2.5 million in avoided energy and maintenance costs.

Full text can be downloaded HERE.