October 20, 2021
Feature

PNNL Helps Build Connected Communities

Researchers will contribute technologies and expertise to two projects

Tim Ledbetter,
PNNL
Media Contact: PNNL News & Media Relations
PNNL tests technologies for buildings on its campus.

In PNNL campus buildings, researchers have deployed and tested technologies such as Eclipse VOLTTRON™ (shown as green "V"), which serves as a platform for energy-efficiency and grid-service applications. PNNL's leadership in the field will now be further realized in two Connected Communities projects.

(Image by Chris DeGraaf | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) expertise that makes homes and commercial buildings more efficient and “connected” to the power grid will now be deployed in two separate, multi-million-dollar projects in Washington State and Utah.

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced funding for 10 such “Connected Communities” projects nationwide. The projects, which serve as models for future efforts, seek to transform thousands of homes and workplaces into state-of-the-art, energy-efficient buildings that interact with the grid to coordinate their energy consumption. The coordination can save energy, reduce costs and carbon emissions, improve grid reliability, and increase use of clean energy sources.

Researchers at PNNL will partner with Spokane Edo LLC and PacifiCorp on respective projects in Spokane, Washington, and Salt Lake City, Utah. PNNL will introduce technologies, such as Intelligent Load Control and the Eclipse VOLTTRON™ software platform, to both projects, while providing a range of technical expertise.

For more information, see the DOE Building Technologies Office news release.

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About PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. For more information on PNNL, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Published: October 20, 2021

Research topics

Energy Efficiency
Building Technologies
Advanced Building Controls
Building-Grid Integration
Commercial Buildings
Residential Buildings