Energy efficiency

News and Updates

Quantum Matchmaking: New NIST System Detects Ultra-Faint Communications Signals Using the Principles of Quantum Physics

September 23, 2020

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised and demonstrated a system that could dramatically increase the performance

A shower head with steamy water coming out.

NIST Identifies Critical Needs for Improved Plumbing

May 11, 2020

We don’t use water like we used to. In recent decades, concerns about cost, water shortages and environmental impacts together with changes in plumbing design

A Lab-to-Market Tale: Icemaker Invention

April 7, 2020

Dr. David Yashar was always interested in finding ways to use practical application of science to improve real systems, so he studied mechanical engineering at

NIST Research Sparks New Insights on Laser Welding

April 30, 2019

On its surface, the work is deceptively simple: Shoot a high-power laser beam onto a piece of metal for a fraction of a second and see what happens. But

Projects and Programs

Measuring the Performance of Net-Zero Energy Homes

A Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) has been constructed and extensively instrumented. The facility incorporates a high-performance envelope, a

Measurements, Standards, and Data for Energy Conversion Materials

The Measurements, Standards, and Data for Energy Conversion Materials Project provides the underpinning measurement science needed to support the development

Nanocalorimetry Measurements

Nanocalorimetry provides a capability to measure the thermal properties of very small samples and at very fast rates. Materials and interfaces of interest

Smart Grid Interoperability Testbed Facility

NIST is charged by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) with facilitation of interoperability standards to enable successful implementation of

Publications

Life Cycle Cost Manual for the Federal Energy Management Program

September 30, 2020

Author(s)

Joshua D. Kneifel, David H. Webb

Gas vs Electric: Sustainability Performance of Heating Fuel Options in the NIST NZERTF

September 28, 2020

Author(s)

David H. Webb, Joshua D. Kneifel

Recent updates to the underlying cost and environmental data have recently been implemented in the BIRDS database. This study evaluates the updated results for

Building Industry Reporting and Design for Sustainability (BIRDS) Low-Energy Residential Incremental Energy Efficiency Improvements Database Technical Manual: Update

September 22, 2020

Author(s)

Joshua D. Kneifel, Eric G. O'Rear, Priya D. Lavappa, Anne L. Greig, Sangwon Suh

High-brightness lasing at submicrometer enabled by droop-free fin light-emitting diodes (LEDs)

August 14, 2020

Author(s)

Robin P. Hansen, Amit K. Agrawal, Michael Shur, Jerry Tersoff, Babak Nikoobakht, Yuqin Zong

Efficiency droop, i.e., a decline in brightness of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at high electrical currents, limits the performance of all commercial LEDs and

Software

HVAC SIMulation PLUS other systems (HVACSIM+)

August 24, 2020

The first version of HVACSIM+, which stands for “HVAC SIMulation PLUS other systems”, was introduced by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in

Building Life Cycle Cost Programs

June 1, 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed the Building Life Cycle Cost (BLCC) Programs to provide computational support for the

The NIST Data Alignment Tool

June 18, 2019

The Data Alignment Tool (DAT) was built to assist with the analysis of data used in testing fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) tools and building

HVAC-Cx Building HVAC Systems Commissioning Tool

December 14, 2017

HVAC-Cx is a semi-automated commissioning software tool designed to facilitate performance analysis for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)

Tools and Instruments

Apparatus for the Measurement of High Temperature Thermoelectric Transport Properties

The Seebeck coefficient is a physical parameter routinely measured to identify the potential thermoelectric performance of a material. However, researchers

Material Analysis Using Neutron Depth Profiling

Light elements such as helium, lithium, boron, and nitrogen are essential constituents in materials that enable energy technologies; lithium ion batteries