The Building Technologies Office commercial buildings effort researches and deploys advanced technologies and systems to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Industry partners and national laboratories help identify market needs and solutions to accelerate the development of highly energy-efficient buildings. This page outlines some of BTO's key projects.

179D Commercial Buildings Energy-Efficiency Tax Deduction

The 179D tax deduction primarily enables building owners to claim a tax deduction for installing qualifying systems and buildings.

Advanced Energy Design Guides

These recommendations can help designers achieve between 30% and 50% energy savings in a new commercial building.

Advanced Energy Retrofit Guides

These recommendations can help designers achieve significant energy savings upgrading an existing building.

Better Buildings Alliance

These informal associations of commercial building owners and operators work to develop resources and best practices to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in their industry.

Better Buildings Challenge

This national leadership initiative calls on corporate officers, university presidents, and local leaders to progress toward the goal of making American buildings 20 percent more energy-efficient by 2020.

Building Energy Data Exchange Specification

This project supports the analysis of measured energy performance of commercial and residential buildings and provides a common data format and definitions of building characteristics, efficiency measures, and energy use.

Building Performance Database

This project is a decision-support platform that enables engineering and financial practitioners to evaluate energy-efficiency improvements in commercial and residential buildings.

Commercial Building Partnerships

Companies involved in this partnership project work with the DOE on a specific retrofit or new construction building projects in order to achieve whole-building energy savings

Data Centers and Servers

DOE develops and provides easy to execute strategies for controlling data centers electricity consumption.

Energy Asset Score

Under development, this project will allow building owners, managers, and operators to accurately assess their building's energy performance.

Global Superior Energy Performance and Energy Management

This activity encourages owners and operators of industrial and large commercial buildings to continuously improve energy efficiency through organization-wide energy management systems.

High Impact Technology Catalyst

DOE works with industry site hosts and manufacturers to assess the performance of cutting-edge technologies in real commercial buildings.

High Performance Green Building Partnership Consortia

The High-Performance Green Building Partnership Consortia are groups from the public and private sectors recognized by DOE for their commitment to high-performance green buildings.

Research Projects

DOE researches and demonstrates advanced technologies and systems to improve the energy performance of commercial buildings.

State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network

The State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network (SEE Action) is an effort that helps states, utilities, and other local stakeholders implement best practice energy-efficiency policies and programs.

Standard Energy Efficiency Data Platform

The Standard Energy Efficiency Data Platform is a software tool that allows state and local governments and building owners to easily manage energy data for a large number of buildings.

Technology Performance Exchange

Under development, the Technology Performance Exchange will assist building owners and operators by providing equipment performance data they can use in their own business case assessments.

Workforce Development and Training

DOE facilitates the development of commercial building workforce guidance in career fields considered key to achieving the highest levels of energy efficiency in commercial buildings.