TRC’s Advanced Energy Team Secures Funding to Advance Decarbonization Technologies for Buildings

In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 13 (Climate Action), TRC’s Advanced Energy team has been awarded funding to develop market-ready technologies aimed at decarbonizing buildings.

Funding Announcement and Project Overview

In 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the availability of $18 million under the Next Generation Buildings Innovation Challenges. This initiative supports projects that develop advanced building technologies focusing on clean heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) systems, building envelopes, and controls. A new challenge area targets intelligent building control solutions to manage energy assets and electrical loads, further enabling decarbonization and electrification.

TRC was awarded two projects commencing in 2024, aiming to demonstrate intelligent load control technologies that support electrification strategies for commercial and residential buildings in New York State, with potential scalability to the broader U.S. market. This effort contributes directly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, which account for over one-third of annual emissions, thereby supporting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13.

About the NextGen Buildings Innovation Challenges

Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the NextGen Buildings Innovation Challenges provide funding and support to companies developing and commercializing technologies that enhance building performance, energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Over $45 million invested to date in innovative technologies
• Focus areas include ground source heat pumps, geothermal technologies, building envelope solutions, and intelligent building control solutions
• TRC has successfully completed three projects under previous rounds, advancing SDG 9 and SDG 13

Project 1: Intelligent Building Controls and Open-Source Software in the Commercial Sector

TRC’s Advanced Energy Research & Consulting team received NextGen funding to demonstrate intelligent building controls as an effective solution to reduce HVAC energy consumption and peak demand. This project addresses critical gaps in the Small-to-Medium Commercial Building (SMCB) controls market by developing and demonstrating OpenBOS, an innovative, cost-effective, and market-ready open-source software platform for building controls.

1. Partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
2. Integration of open-source tools and algorithms into commercial control platforms of industry partners: Elexity, Community Energy Labs, and ACE IoT Solutions
3. Field demonstrations in multiple buildings, including North Syracuse School District and Syracuse University

This initiative supports SDG 7 by promoting clean energy technologies and SDG 9 by fostering innovation in building infrastructure.

Project 2: Electric Load-Management Technologies for the ≤100-Amp Residential Sector

TRC was also awarded funding for a project focusing on residential electric load control technologies, essential for decarbonization strategies in New York State, especially for homes with existing electric panels of ≤100-amp capacity. These homes, often located in disadvantaged or hard-to-reach communities, face challenges in switching from carbon-emitting technologies to electric alternatives without effective load control.

• Demonstration of smart panel retrofit and electric load-management technologies in 100 homes in upstate New York
• Collaboration with partners SPAN, Halco, and LBNL
• Development and dissemination of an electrification pattern book targeting the ≤100-amp market
• Guidance for local authorities to support National Electrical Code (NEC) load calculations
• Support for New York State’s efficiency and decarbonization programs to integrate load mitigation technologies

This project advances SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by focusing on disadvantaged communities and SDG 13 through targeted climate action.

Conclusion

TRC’s ongoing work in developing intelligent load control and electric load-management technologies exemplifies commitment to sustainable development and climate action. By transforming the building sector to be more energy-efficient, load-flexible, healthy, and resilient, these projects contribute significantly to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including affordable clean energy, innovation, sustainable cities, reduced inequalities, and climate action.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article discusses funding and projects aimed at developing advanced building technologies for clean heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and electrification, which directly relate to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
   • Development and commercialization of innovative building control solutions and open-source software for energy management demonstrate fostering innovation and building resilient infrastructure.
3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The focus on decarbonizing buildings and improving energy efficiency supports making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The projects aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by decarbonizing buildings and managing electric loads, contributing to combating climate change and its impacts.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 7 Targets
   • 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • 7.3: Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
2. SDG 9 Targets
   • 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies.
3. SDG 11 Targets
   • 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
4. SDG 13 Targets
   • 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Energy Efficiency Improvements
   • Reduction in HVAC energy use and peak demand through intelligent building controls (implied indicator for SDG 7.3).
2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
   • Decrease in emissions from buildings, which are responsible for more than a third of annual emissions (implied indicator for SDG 13.2).
3. Adoption and Commercialization of Clean Technologies
   • Number of projects demonstrating market-ready technologies such as smart panel retrofits and open-source control solutions (implied indicator for SDG 9.4 and SDG 7.2).
4. Electrification and Load Management in Residential Sector
   • Implementation of electric load-management technologies in ≤100-amp residential homes, especially in disadvantaged communities (implied indicator for SDG 7.3 and SDG 11.6).

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: trccompanies.com