Building Technologies Research and Development Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application to develop cost-effective tools, technologies, and practices that reduce emissions from, increase productivity and well-being of occupants in, and increase the energy efficiency and beneficial electrification of new and existing commercial and residential buildings.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9659 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9659
To direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development,
and demonstration program with respect to building technologies, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 21, 2022
Ms. Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development,
and demonstration program with respect to building technologies, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Building
Technologies Research and Development Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Low emissions research and development.
Sec. 3. Building technologies research and development.
Sec. 5. Solid state lighting research and development.
Sec. 6. Better buildings research, development, and demonstration
program.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 7. Clerical amendments.
SEC. 2. LOW EMISSIONS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Goals.--Section 902(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 16181) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(2) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following:
``(5) decreasing the environmental impact of energy-related
activities, including by deeply reducing emissions; and
``(6) improving energy-sector resilience to climate
change.''.
(b) Emissions Defined for Goals.--Section 902 of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16181) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(e) Emissions Defined.--In this section, the term `emissions'
means greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants.''.
(c) Emissions Reduction.--Section 911 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16191) is amended--
(1) in the heading by inserting ``and emissions
reductions'' after ``energy efficiency'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by inserting ``and emissions
reductions'' after ``energy efficiency''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``,
and reducing emissions from,'' after
``efficiency of'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by amending the matter preceding
subparagraph (A)(i) to read as follows:
``(A) advanced, cost-effective technologies to
improve the energy efficiency and environmental
performance of, and reduce emissions from, vehicles,
including--'';
(ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read
as follows:
``(B) cost-effective technologies for new
construction and retrofit, to improve the energy
efficiency and environmental performance of, and reduce
emissions from buildings, using a whole-buildings
approach, including onsite clean energy generation and
beneficial electrification;''; and
(iii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read
as follows:
``(C) advanced technologies to improve the energy
efficiency, environmental performance, and process
efficiency of, and reduce emissions from industry,
especially energy-intensive and waste-intensive
industries;''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Emissions Defined.--In this section, the term `emissions'
means greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants.''.
(d) Clean Energy.--Section 911(a)(2)(E) of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16191(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``, including
combined heat and power units and increased use of renewable resources,
including fuel''.
SEC. 3. BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Subtitle A of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 919. BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the enactment of
the Building Technologies Research and Development Act, the Secretary
shall establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application to develop cost-effective tools, technologies,
and practices that reduce emissions from, increase productivity and
well-being of occupants in, and increase the energy efficiency and
beneficial electrification of new and existing commercial and
residential buildings, including retrofits and electrification of
existing buildings, rural housing, low-income housing, multi-family
housing, public housing, and manufactured housing.
``(b) Energy Equity.--The Secretary shall carry out research to
identify barriers to, and strategies for, expanding the use of low-
emissions and energy efficient building technologies and appliances in
the buildings where members of frontline communities live and work. In
carrying out this section, the Secretary may coordinate with other
Federal agencies on housing and rural development programs. Research
topics covered under this subsection may include--
``(1) barriers to and solutions for the purchase,
integration, and use of technologies developed under this
section in rural, low-income, multi-family, public, and
manufactured housing;
``(2) causes of, and solutions for, inequitable energy
costs or high energy burdens in housing in frontline
communities; and
``(3) solutions that ensure that housing in frontline
communities are energy efficient as well as affordable.
``(c) Non-Technical Barriers.--The Secretary shall support research
and analysis to identify non-technical barriers and methods to address
such barriers, to enable greater use of tools, technologies, and
practices developed under this section in new and existing commercial
and residential buildings, including rural, low-income, public, multi-
family, and manufactured housing.
``(d) Resilient Buildings.--As part of the program established in
section (a), the Secretary may, in consultation with relevant Federal
agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
the United States Geological Survey, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, support research and development on
principles of resilient building design, construction, and operation to
address current and future predicted risks over the lifetime of a
building, including considerations of regional differences such as
natural hazard exposure, resource availability, and fuel mix and energy
production.
``(e) Advanced Building Construction, Design, and Retrofits.--As
part of the program established in section (a), the Secretary shall
support research and development on technologies and methodologies to
enable advanced building design, construction techniques, and
retrofits. In supporting research and development under this section,
the Secretary shall--
``(1) include considerations of a full lifecycle analysis
inclusive of building design, manufacturing, and construction,
including environmental considerations, embodied energy and
embodied carbon in building materials, transportation of
materials, and implications for building retro-commissioning as
well as final disposal and recycling;
``(2) incorporate considerations of regional differences
such as climate, season, temperature, energy production, fuel
mix, and precipitation, in consultation with the Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for
proposed building designs, building sites, or existing
buildings, including the development of tools, technologies,
and practices to address such regional differences and improve
building energy resilience in the face of natural disasters,
wildfires, extreme weather events, and natural hazards;
``(3) support research and development on the use of
various potential energy sources and distributed generation to
supply cooling, heating, and power for buildings, including
integrated and adaptive control solutions that improve
traditional building energy management and emerging
technologies such as batteries, and thermal storage compatible
with all sizes of buildings;
``(4) support the development of technologies that enable
low-emissions and energy efficient or advanced buildings, such
as lighting systems, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning,
and refrigeration systems and other appliances that are cost-
competitive over the life of the product as compared to
conventional technologies and that incorporate considerations
of integration in new and existing buildings, retrofitting, and
ease of installation, using a whole-systems and whole-buildings
approach;
``(5) support the development of cost-effective next-
generation window and building envelope technologies that
incorporate considerations of integration in new and existing
buildings, retrofitting, and ease of installation, including
advanced building materials;
``(6) support development of alternative working fluids and
refrigerants for use in buildings equipment to reduce global
warming potential;
``(7) support research on methods to enhance the comfort,
health, and well-being of individual occupants in buildings
that also result in improved energy efficiency and emissions
reductions, including indoor air quality; and
``(8) support research on modular or off-site construction
techniques and technologies for manufactured housing that
advance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance
affordability of buildings.
``(f) Modeling and Data Analysis.--As part of the program
established in subsection (a), the Secretary shall support the
development of building models, including for the design and operation
of buildings, the analysis of relevant data to enable smart buildings,
and building energy modeling. In particular, the Secretary shall focus
on the development of--
``(1) advanced modeling capabilities that include modeling
of grid interactivity, resilience, and relevant behavioral,
community-scale, and urban-scale activities in order to--
``(A) provide system-level analysis of new
technologies, including distributed generation and
storage;
``(B) evaluate system benefits such as emissions
reductions, community resilience, distribution grid
reliability, and service to underserved communities;
and
``(C) provide data, derived from both simulation
and demonstration projects established in subsection
(h), to inform decision making new business models;
``(2) automated methods to generate models of proposed or
existing buildings;
``(3) methods to address barriers, including non-technical
barriers, to commercial application of building models for
building operation;
``(4) methods to analyze data collected by technologies in
smart buildings and collections of buildings;
``(5) artificial intelligence and machine learning
approaches to building energy management; and
``(6) advanced data collection and monitoring methods for
utilities at the building level and component level.
``(g) Demonstration Program.--The Secretary shall establish a
competitive grant program for the demonstration of advanced building
technologies and systems developed under the program established in
subsection (a) that--
``(1) focuses on a range of new and existing building
types, including low-income housing, rural housing and
agricultural buildings, multi-family residential buildings,
manufactured housing, and small- and medium-sized commercial
buildings; and
``(2) includes community-scale demonstration projects.
``(h) Testing and Validation.--In carrying out the program under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
``(1) support testing and validation activities to improve
the commercial application of relevant tools, sensors,
technologies, and methods, including the use of testbeds and
the development of test methods to determine cost savings and
performance in realistic scenarios; and
``(2) support analysis, testing, and validation to
accurately determine energy savings, emissions reductions,
cost-savings, and other potential impacts of the highest-
performing appliances and equipment that are commercially
available.
``(i) Partnerships.--In carrying out the activities authorized in
this section, the Secretary shall work with utilities, State and local
energy offices, building owners, technology developers and
manufacturers, contractors, building developers, connected building
system manufacturers, and other relevant entities to guide the focus
areas of the activities of the program authorized in paragraph (a),
provide feedback on roadmap documents, and encourage the commercial
application of these technologies by building owners, operators,
developers, occupants, contractors, or other relevant entities.
``(j) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary
shall coordinate across all relevant program offices at the Department,
including the Office of Electricity, the Office of Fossil Energy and
Carbon Management, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, and the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency
Response.
``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Emissions.--The term `emissions' means greenhouse gas
emissions or other pollutants.
``(2) Frontline community.--The term `frontline community'
means a community with significant representation of
communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and
indigenous communities, that--
``(A) experiences, or is at risk of experiencing,
higher or more adverse human health or environmental
effects; or
``(B) faces an above average proportion of their
income directed to the payment of energy-related costs.
``(3) Smart building.--The term `Smart Building' has the
meaning given such term in section 1007(a) of Division Z of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.''.
SEC. 4. GRID-INTERACTIVE EFFICIENT BUILDINGS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--As part of the research and development program
authorized in section 3 of this Act, the Secretary shall carry out a
grid-interactive buildings research and development program authorized
in section 426 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17086), as amended in subsection (b).
(b) Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Research Program.--426(a)
of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C.
17086(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (12); and
(2) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
``(7) advanced building energy management systems through
the integration of sensors and advanced control technologies
and systems that allow whole building optimization and
integration with other energy systems including photovoltaics,
electric vehicles, and energy storage technologies such as
thermal storage;
``(8) building energy storage capabilities, including load
shifting, to modulate peak and off-energy demand;
``(9) distributed energy resources at the community- and
building-level through localized electric grids;
``(10) technologies to reduce energy use and emissions in
connected communities and neighborhoods located in a variety of
climates, including by enabling transactive energy concepts;
``(11) cybersecurity best practices, including those that
protect privacy and personally identifiable information and
addressing security vulnerabilities of building systems or
equipment; and''.
SEC. 5. SOLID STATE LIGHTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 912 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16192) is
amended as follows:
(1) in subsections (a)(1), (a)(4), (a)(5), (b), (c), by
striking ``white'' in each place it appears; and
(2) by amending subsection (i) to read as follows:
``(i) Solid State Lighting Research and Development.--Not later
than 180 days after the enactment of the Building Technologies Research
and Development Act, the Secretary shall establish a program of
research, development, demonstration, and commercial application on
advanced solid state lighting technologies, controls, and systems that
provide energy and emissions reductions. In particular, the Secretary
shall support projects related to--
``(1) communication and data capabilities that leverage
solid state lighting technologies and systems, including those
that enable energy savings through energy reporting,
interoperability, or cybersecurity capabilities;
``(2) innovations to support domestic manufacturing and
other United States economic benefits of solid state lighting
technologies;
``(3) solid state emitters; and
``(4) the uses and benefits of solid state lighting
technologies in a variety of settings such as health care,
agriculture, other commercial or industrial buildings, and
vehicles.''.
SEC. 6. BETTER BUILDINGS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION
PROGRAM.
(a) Better Buildings Demonstration Program.--Section 1007(d) of
Division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 is amended by
striking ``and commercial buildings sectors'' and inserting ``and
laboratory, industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, including
in rural housing, low-income housing, multi-family housing, and
manufactured housing, through partnerships.''.
(b) Better Buildings Research Programs.--Section 1007 of Division Z
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 is amended by adding
after subsection (d) (and redesignating subsequent subsections
accordingly)--
``(e) Education and Outreach.--The Secretary shall support
education and outreach activities to disseminate information and
promote public understanding of building technologies and the building
technologies workforce.
``(f) Building America Program.--The Secretary shall carry out a
research, development, and demonstration program on tools,
technologies, and practices to reduce energy use and emissions in new
and existing residential buildings, in partnership with industry
entities.''.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry
out the activities under section 1007(d) of Division Z of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, section 426 of the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17086), and the
amendments made by this Act--
(1) $392,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
(2) $411,600,000 for fiscal year 2024;
(3) $432,180,000 for fiscal year 2025;
(4) $453,789,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
(5) $476,478,450 for fiscal year 2027.
SEC. 8. CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.
The table of sections for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15801 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in the item relating to section 911 by inserting ``and
emissions reductions'' after ``energy efficiency''; and
(2) by adding after the item relating to section 918 the
following:
``Sec. 919. Building technologies research and development.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line