NJIT and Building Media Inc. (BMI), a DuPont subsidiary, will lead one of 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes ─ the Building America Retrofit Alliance (BARA). The 15 teams, appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial 18 months to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach of all Americans. Each team will receive between $500,000 and $2.5 million depending on performance.
Deane Evans, executive director of the NJIT Center for Building Knowledge, will lead the project at NJIT. His Center has been exploring innovative ways to improve the energy performance of existing homes for the last five years. Projects have ranged from providing research-based technical support to the first LEED Platinum gut rehab project in New Jersey to creating the first national, online training program devoted exclusively to green affordable housing.
"We're excited to have the opportunity to add our experience to the Building America program, and we look forward to helping Building America raise the energy efficiency bar across the country as part of the BARA team," said Evans.
The BARA team will focus on innovative market delivery strategies to improve energy efficiency in the nation's existing homes across the United States. This team has unique capabilities in the areas of training and outreach. Additional team members include Steve Easley and Associates, Confluence Communications, Louisiana State University, Enterprise Community Partners, Institute for Business and Home Safety, Hancock Software, and DuPont and BMI, among others.
"Home energy efficiency is one of the easiest, most immediate and most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon pollution and save money on energy bills, while creating new jobs," said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. "By developing and using tools to reduce residential energy use, we will spur economic growth here in America and help homeowners make cost-cutting improvements in their homes."
Building America is an industry-driven research program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, designed to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced building energy technologies in new and existing homes.
More information is available at www.buildingamerica.gov.
NJIT, New Jersey's science and technology university, enrolls more than 8,800 students pursuing bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 120 programs. The university consists of six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, College of Computing Sciences and Albert Dorman Honors College. U.S. News & World Report's 2009 Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges ranked NJIT in the top tier of national research universities. NJIT is internationally recognized for being at the edge in knowledge in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and e-learning. Many courses and certificate programs, as well as graduate degrees, are available online through the Office of Continuing Professional Education.