The Building Technologies Office commercial buildings effort researches and deploys advanced technologies and systems to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Industry partners and national laboratories help identify market needs and solutions to accelerate the development of highly energy-efficient buildings. This page outlines some of BTO's key projects.
179D Commercial Buildings Energy-Efficiency Tax Deduction
The 179D tax deduction primarily enables building owners to claim a tax deduction for installing qualifying systems and buildings.
Advanced Energy Design Guides
These recommendations can help designers achieve between 30% and 50% energy savings in a new commercial building.
Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides
These recommendations can help designers achieve significant energy savings upgrading an existing building.
Better Buildings Alliance
These informal associations of commercial building owners and operators work to develop resources and best practices to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in their industry.
Better Buildings Challenge
This national leadership initiative calls on corporate officers, university presidents, and local leaders to progress toward the goal of making American buildings 20 percent more energy-efficient by 2020.
Building Energy Data Exchange Specification
This project supports the analysis of measured energy performance of commercial and residential buildings and provides a common data format and definitions of building characteristics, efficiency measures, and energy use.
Building Performance Database
This project is a decision-support platform that enables engineering and financial practitioners to evaluate energy-efficiency improvements in commercial and residential buildings.
Commercial Building Partnerships
Companies involved in this partnership project work with the DOE on a specific retrofit or new construction building projects in order to achieve whole-building energy savings
Data Centers and Servers
DOE develops and provides easy to execute strategies for controlling data centers electricity consumption.
Energy Asset Score
Under development, this project will allow building owners, managers, and operators to accurately assess their building's energy performance.
Global Superior Energy Performance and Energy Management
This activity encourages owners and operators of industrial and large commercial buildings to continuously improve energy efficiency through organization-wide energy management systems.
High Impact Technology Catalyst
DOE works with industry site hosts and manufacturers to assess the performance of cutting-edge technologies in real commercial buildings.
High Performance Green Building Partnership Consortia
The High-Performance Green Building Partnership Consortia are groups from the public and private sectors recognized by DOE for their commitment to high-performance green buildings.
Research Projects
DOE researches and demonstrates advanced technologies and systems to improve the energy performance of commercial buildings.
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
The State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) is an effort that helps states, utilities, and other local stakeholders implement best practice energy-efficiency policies and programs.
Standard Energy Efficiency Data Platform
The Standard Energy Efficiency Data Platform is a software tool that allows state and local governments and building owners to easily manage energy data for a large number of buildings.
Technology Performance Exchange
Under development, the Technology Performance Exchange will assist building owners and operators by providing equipment performance data they can use in their own business case assessments.
Workforce Development and Training
DOE facilitates the development of commercial building workforce guidance in career fields considered key to achieving the highest levels of energy efficiency in commercial buildings.