PNNL is working with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Buildings Technologies Office, other national laboratories, and industry to limit rising energy consumption and costs in residential buildings.  

In today’s quest for energy efficiency, the key is to determine if—and how—different building technologies can work together as an integrated system.

This effort includes testing technologies for existing and new homes, as well as providing resources for numerous people and companies involved in the home construction and improvement industries. The ultimate goal: reduce building-related energy use by 50 and 40 percent, respectively, in new and existing residential building stock by 2030.

Tools and resources

DOE’s Building America Solution Center provides building professionals with access to state-of-the-art practices and information on hundreds of high-performance design, construction, and installation topics, including air sealing, insulation, HVAC components, windows, and more. Once combined, these energy efficiencies more tightly “seal” a home, often improving air quality for its residents.

And helpful applications, such as the Existing Homes Tool, developed and launched by PNNL, provide installation guidance for making existing homes more energy efficient, comfortable, and less expensive to operate.

Another helpful tool, Home Energy Score, provides homeowners, buyers, and renters with directly comparable and credible information about a home’s energy use by giving consumers a simple “miles-per-gallon” rating, much like a car.