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.
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please contact ETA
Interim Communications Manager
Kiran Julin

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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.

EETD Helps Puts Some Air in California's Energy Standards

December 17, 1998

EETD researchers have contributed a series of findings to the new Alternative Calculation Method (ACM) used in Title 24, California's building code. The ACM, the primary design method for new homes, allows designers trade-offs to achieve levels of energy efficiency in flexible ways.

The research shows that lower duct efficiency defaults provide incentives within the standard for designers to provide a more efficient duct system. As a result of LBNL research that measured duct-sealant longevity, the new ACM does not allow thermal distribution credit if duct tape is used as the primary sealant.

An important barrier to increased duct or envelope tightness levels had been the concern that indoor air quality could be compromised at the expense of energy efficiency. To assure minimum ventilation rates in buildings, Division researchers worked with the California Energy Commission to incorporate ASHRAE Standard 62-89 (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality) into the code in an energy-efficient manner.