The Building Technologies Program

Policy

Producing policy papers, articles and reports is a main focus of the Building Technologies Program's work. Written for a variety of audiences, these publications include analyses of federal policies, evaluations of energy and building-related programs and position papers aimed at influencing the private sector. All documents and publications are available in Adobe Acrobat PDF form and can be accessed by clicking on the document/publication title.

Weatherization & Home Energy Retrofits	Codes & Standards
Home Energy Retrofits and Green Jobs in the Stimulus Package. Outlines two energy efficiency proposals, one of which is an expansion of the existing DOE Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the second of which outlines a grant program for point-of-sales energy retrofits. Residential Energy Retrofits: An Untapped Resource Right at Home. Article detailing the necessity of a government and industry backed energy efficiency system in a successful carbon reduction scheme. Authored by Todd Gerarden.	Implementing Energy Efficiency in Building Codes Based on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Written by Amit Talipatra, the purpose of this policy analysis is to provide better understanding of Section 201 of the Waxman-Markey Bill. The paper examines specific provisions of the bill and investigates ways for the Department of Energy and private code-development organizations to implement Waxman-Markey's policies using the existing tools and methods available to them. Product Approval. This paper explains two processes for manufacturers to demonstrate code compliance of their products, as well as the costs and benefits of each. By making these distinctions clear, a product manufacturer will be able to optimize the process of product approval and significantly reduce the amount of time and money spent.
Government Incentives for Home Energy Retrofits/Energy Efficient Mortgages	Information Technology
Energy Efficient Mortgages. FAS's recommendations for improving the current system of Energy Efficient Mortgages.	Improving the Building Industry Through Learning Technologies. Article regarding the potential application of advanced learning technologies to the improvement of the building industry.
Energy and the Environment
C0₂ Cap and Trade--The Importance of Energy Efficiency to CO₂ Reduction. John Millhone's presentation at the Architectural Engineering Insitute's annual conference on the importance of energy efficiency to carbon dioxide reduction.