DEPT OF ENERGY GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT REDUCING ENERGY USAGE — TO THE TUNE OF $33.5 MILLION
The news is out … the U.S. Department of Energy wants to invest $35 million of grant money to help reduce our energy usage — in both commercial and residential buildings. At Mars, one of our core missions has been to reduce energy usage and help commercial operators realize the secondary benefits:
— reduced burdens on commercial HVAC systems extend the lifecycle of the equipment
— lessening the work of the HVAC systems reduces maintenance and operating costs – they work better, harder & longer
— a longer life for your HVAC equipment reduces commercial waste and landfill materials
Specifics from the announcement include:
- The DOE seeks solutions that will allow energy efficiencies after building retrofits, with goals that include a 75% reduction in major loads from HVAC systems. The agency is also interested in construction technologies that can help new buildings achieve a 50% increase in energy efficiency through techniques such as offsite manufacturing, robotics, digitization, automation and improved modeling.