The purpose of this solicitation is to fund energy efficiency research to advance high-performance windows in existing commercial buildings and reduce air and energy leakage in existing residential wood-burning and gas fireplaces.
Donor Name: California Energy Commission
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 11/29/2022
Size of the Grant: $2,400,000
Details:
The purpose of this solicitation is to fund energy efficiency research to advance high-performance windows in existing commercial buildings and reduce air and energy leakage in existing residential wood-burning and gas fireplaces. California’s existing building stock includes almost 14 million single family and multi-family units and nearly 7.5 billion square feet of commercial building space. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 40 percent of current commercial buildings and over 60 percent of current residential buildings will still exist in 2050. Although California’s Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6) requirements increase efficiency over time, existing building stock can be very leaky and inefficient, especially older buildings built prior to the energy code. Addressing envelope retrofits in existing buildings to improve energy efficiency results in greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and is necessary to help California meet its decarbonization goals. The goal of this solicitation is to reduce GHG emissions by reducing energy use for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).
This solicitation has two funding groups:
- Group 1: High-Performance Window Retrofits for Commercial Buildings. This group focuses on advancing and demonstrating high-performance window retrofit technologies in existing commercial buildings to reduce costs, increase energy performance, increase ease of installation, and maximize commercialization and deployment. Tighter and more energy efficient building envelopes reduce heating and cooling loads, improve occupant comfort, and reduce infiltration of outside air. Windows account for about 10% of building energy losses and affect HVAC use and lighting. Space conditioning accounts for about 37% of total gas consumption in California commercial buildings. High-performance windows, such as triple pane and vacuum insulated glass windows (VIG), are on the market for commercial buildings. However, retrofits have been minimal due to technical and cost challenges, such as cost of replacement, size and weight incompatibilities with existing windows, and durability. For instance, highly insulated windows such as triple-pane windows represent less than 2% of the U.S. window market.
- Group 2: Strategies to Reduce Fireplace Air Leaks in Residential Buildings. Energy efficiency typically focuses on air leaks associated with the building envelope and façade components, which include windows, walls, and roofs. However, current and California-specific energy efficiency research on other aspects such as fireplaces is lacking. Air leakages from fireplaces affect both energy use and indoor air quality, which depends on outdoor air quality including smoke from wildfires.
Funding Information
- There is up to $2,638,222 available for grants awarded under this solicitation.
- Group 1: High-Performance Window Retrofits for Commercial Buildings
- Minimum: $1,200,000
- Maximum: $2,400,000
- Group 2: Strategies to Reduce Fireplace Air Leaks in Residential Buildings
- Minimum: $200,000
- Maximum: $238,222.
- Group 1: High-Performance Window Retrofits for Commercial Buildings
Eligibility Criteria
This solicitation is open to all public and private entities. Demonstration projects in this solicitation must be located in the service territory of a California gas Investor-Owned Utility (Gas IOU), which includes Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, and Southern California Gas Company. All projects in this solicitation must benefit Gas IOU ratepayers.
For more information, visit CEC.
