On October 13, 2021, DOE announced 10 projects selected to receive $61 million to integrate buildings with distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and electric vehicle charging, to support grid efficiency while meeting occupants’ comfort and needs. One of the Connected Communities grants, an award of $5 million with a $3 million cost share, went to Slipstream Group for a project with the City of Madison.
Project Summary: “Slipstream Group, in partnership with Madison Gas & Electric, the City of Madison, Rocky Mountain Institute, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and bluEvolution, will convert about 15 facilities to grid-interactive efficient buildings and add nearby electric vehicle charging. If this project shows improvements in cost-effective efficiency and demand flexibility, it will expand to additional privately owned buildings, providing a scalable business model for utilities. The project will also deliver a toolkit with financing options to address opportunities in public and private buildings.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Connected Communities funding program supports projects that expand DOE’s network of grid-interactive, efficient building communities nationwide to help achieve a decarbonized electricity system by 2035 and decarbonized energy sector by 2050. These projects are funded by DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, Vehicle Technologies Office, Building Technologies Office, and the Office of Electricity.