Analysis and technology transfer report, 1989 and 1990

The buildings sector used 29.6 quadrillion Btus (quads) of energy in 1989, or 36 percent of the total primary energy consumed in the United States. The major uses are for space heating and cooling, water heating, refrigeration, and lighting. Electricity is the dominant fuel, followed by natural gas, petroleum, and other fuels. Although there were dramatic improvements in energy efficiency in this sector from 1975 to 1985, in recent years energy use has grown rapidly. The large growth expected in commercial building floor space and in residential units means that total building-sector energy consumption could increase dramatically by the year 2030. The mission of the US DOE's Office of Building Technologies (OBT) is to lead a national program supporting private sector efforts to improve the energy efficiency of the nation's buildings and to increase their utilization of renewable energy sources. The Office is also responsible for energy efficiency planning and management for Federal buildings as well as buildings-related associated information, financial incentives, and regulatory functions that are determined to be appropriate for the Federal government. To accomplish its goals, OBT plans and conducts research and development to make technologies available and provides information on their effectiveness. The selection and management of OBT research activities requires an understanding of where and how energy is used within the buildings sectors, how energy use is expected to change in the future, and the potential impact of new and emerging technologies on energy use. Analysis activities serve to collect energy use information, provide the analysis necessary to apply this information to research and development planning, and develop analysis tools which the program uses to set priorities for research projects. This report summarizes analysis and technology transfer activities undertaken by OBT during 1989 and 1990. 101 refs., 19 figs., 9 tabs