On August 12, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $82.6 million in funding to 44 projects in 20 states “…that will lower Americans’ energy bills and help meet President Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by investing in new energy efficient building technologies, construction practices, and the U.S. buildings-sector workforce”. Two Wisconsin companies received funding. Eaton Corporation in Menomonee Falls and Slipstream Group in Madison.
Eaton Corp is funded for lighting technology research, development, and field validation to optimize light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. This methodology will allow manufacturers to reduce part counts and produce custom LED optics while avoiding some of the expenses and long lead times of traditional manufacturing.
Slipstream Group, funded for advanced workforce for advanced technology, will develop an advanced-level college curriculum on smart building technologies for architectural engineering and other building technology-related programs. The hands-on course will teach smart building system design, control, integration, and interactions with distributed energy resources and the grid. DOE