Small Business Vouchers Pilot logo.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 43 small businesses, including three businesses working on buildings-related issues, to work directly with DOE national labs to accelerate the transformation toward a clean energy economy. Selected businesses will be afforded access to world-class laboratory resources to help move these innovative technologies into the market faster.

These businesses are participating in the second round of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot, an initiative providing technical and research assistance awards to help U.S.-based small businesses—those with fewer than 500 employees—gain access to state-of-the-art facilities and experts, and receive customized assistance in their specific technology areas. The Energy Department opened the first round of SBV in the fall of 2015, selecting 33 small businesses to receive vouchers totaling $6.7 million. This second round of SBV awards for 43 businesses totals more than $8 million.

Work in the Buildings area will focus on modeling and validating new products designed to improve building efficiency. The three buildings-focused businesses selected in Round 2 include:

  • NRGsim Inc., Portland, Oregon: NRGsim Inc. will provide energy modeling and software services for modeling phase change for building envelopes. Working with National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
  • OutSmart Power Systems, Natick, Massachusetts: OutSmart will leverage work with the labs to expand and develop demand side management and demand response markets. Working with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
  • UbiQD, LLC, Los Alamos, New Mexico: UbiQD, LLC will focus on economic modeling and characterization of new-IR light emitting compounds to advance the company’s disruptive nanotechnology window product. Working with National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The Third and Final Round

More information about the final round of the Small Business Vouchers Pilot will be available in October.