August 27, 2001—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced contracts of $18.5 million to seven industry teams for research, development, and testing of “first generation” packaged cooling, heating, and power systems for commercial and institutional buildings.
Called distributed energy resource systems, these projects are expected to develop easy-to-order and install packaged systems that will supply energy at the customers’ site, improve electric reliability, support existing utility grids, and increase energy and economic efficiency.
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said, “By productively using waste heat to provide cooling, heating, and humidity control in commercial and institutional buildings, distributed energy resource systems can improve overall resource efficiency levels to 70 percent or greater.”
The companies in the contracted teams were Burns and McDonnell, Solar Turbines Inc., Broad USA, Capstone Turbine Corp., Gas Technology Institute, Waukesha, Trane, Honeywell Laboratories, Ingersoll Rand, NiSource Energy Technologies, Hilton Hotels, and United Technologies Research Center.
For more information, contact DOE at 202/586-5806.
