Innovating our Way to a Cleaner, More Efficient Energy System

Anyone with an innovative idea that can bring us closer to an equitable clean energy future can apply for funding or technical assistance through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Here are some examples that show how EERE-funded innovation is transforming the way we generate and consume energy.

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Cold-Climate Heat Pumps

In November 2021, DOE launched the Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge to fast-track the development of heat pumps designed for cold climates. In June 2022, roughly one year ahead of schedule, Lennox International became the first Challenge participant to develop a next-generation electric heat pump that can more effectively heat homes in northern climates, relative to models on the market.

Since the Challenge began, three more prototypes by U.S. manufacturers have passed DOE’s lab-based performance tests. At this rate, DOE estimates efficiency improvements could save American households up to $500 on annual utility bills.

Geothermal Energy

Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) capture heat from human-made underground reservoirs to provide energy nearly anywhere. American innovators are working to overcome technical barriers to the widespread deployment of EGS, which could provide a near-limitless source of clean, renewable energy.

At DOE’s Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) field laboratory in Utah, the team is nearing completion of its second well. The two wells will help us find the best ways to generate electricity from geothermal, even where it isn’t possible with existing technology. These wells represent key milestones in our effort to fully harness the potential of the earth's heat. Watch this brief video.

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Recycling Wind Turbine Blades

The company Carbon Rivers commercialized a process that recovers glass fiber from decommissioned wind-turbine blades. This breakthrough could allow manufacturers to use thousands of tons of would-be waste to create new wind-turbine blades.

With about $2.4 million from DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office and Small Business Technology Transfer program since 2019, Carbon Rivers worked with researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to scale up this recovery process. Carbon Rivers has already upcycled more than 100 tons of turbine blades into various manufacturing materials and is preparing to open a facility that can annually recycle 5,000 blades, each weighing 10 tons.

Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power

In February 2023, DOE broke ground on its Generation 3 concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) pilot facility at Sandia National Laboratories to demonstrate how CSP can make steam or electricity and provide long-duration, low-cost energy storage.

CSP technologies use mirrors to focus the sun’s heat onto a receiver, which often contains a fluid (like molten salt) that holds heat well. But the best technology on the market can achieve a temperature of only 565° Celsius; 720°C and higher is better. Sandia’s technology uses sand-like ceramic particles instead of molten salt and can withstand temperatures greater than 800°C.

Wood Heater Design

Approximately 12.5 million U.S. homes use wood or pellets for space heating. To help ensure wood stoves meet the highest efficiency standards, EERE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office launched the Wood Heater Design Challenge.

In September 2022, participants pitched their ideas to retailers, the public, and expert judges. The three teams with the highest scores won $15,000 and the opportunity to test their innovations. The winner will receive up to $40,000 and will be announced this year.

Long-Duration Wave Energy

Last July, EERE’s Water Power Technologies Office celebrated a milestone when CalWave Power Technologies, Inc. completed California's first at-sea, long-duration wave energy project. The "xWave" pilot device survived two extreme storms, required no interventions, and remained operational for 99% of its deployment off the coast of San Diego. Now wave energy is a step closer to providing grid-connected electricity for coastal communities. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study estimates U.S. wave energy resources are equivalent to about 34% of the power the United States generated in 2019.

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