Building Technologies Research and Development Act
Bill: H.R.9659 | Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice (D-TX)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Building Technologies Research and Development Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application to develop cost-effective tools, technologies, and practices that reduce emissions from, increase productivity and well-being of occupants in, and increase the energy efficiency and beneficial electrification of new and existing commercial and residential buildings.

To direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a research, development, 
 and demonstration program with respect to building technologies, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Building 
Technologies Research and Development Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Low emissions research and development.
Sec. 3. Building technologies research and development.
Sec. 5. Solid state lighting research and development.
Sec. 6. Better buildings research, development, and demonstration 
                            program.
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 7. Clerical amendments.

SEC. 2. LOW EMISSIONS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Goals.--Section 902(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16181) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
            (2) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following:
            ``(5) decreasing the environmental impact of energy-related 
        activities, including by deeply reducing emissions; and
            ``(6) improving energy-sector resilience to climate 
        change.''.
    (b) Emissions Defined for Goals.--Section 902 of the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16181) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(e) Emissions Defined.--In this section, the term `emissions' 
means greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants.''.
    (c) Emissions Reduction.--Section 911 of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16191) is amended--
            (1) in the heading by inserting ``and emissions 
        reductions'' after ``energy efficiency'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and emissions 
                        reductions'' after ``energy efficiency''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, 
                        and reducing emissions from,'' after 
                        ``efficiency of'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by amending the matter preceding 
                        subparagraph (A)(i) to read as follows:
                    ``(A) advanced, cost-effective technologies to 
                improve the energy efficiency and environmental 
                performance of, and reduce emissions from, vehicles, 
                including--'';
                            (ii) by amending subparagraph (B) to read 
                        as follows:
                    ``(B) cost-effective technologies for new 
                construction and retrofit, to improve the energy 
                efficiency and environmental performance of, and reduce 
                emissions from buildings, using a whole-buildings 
                approach, including onsite clean energy generation and 
                beneficial electrification;''; and
                            (iii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read 
                        as follows:
                    ``(C) advanced technologies to improve the energy 
                efficiency, environmental performance, and process 
                efficiency of, and reduce emissions from industry, 
                especially energy-intensive and waste-intensive 
                industries;''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Emissions Defined.--In this section, the term `emissions' 
means greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants.''.
    (d) Clean Energy.--Section 911(a)(2)(E) of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16191(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``, including 
combined heat and power units and increased use of renewable resources, 
including fuel''.

SEC. 3. BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    Subtitle A of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
16181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 919. BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the enactment of 
the Building Technologies Research and Development Act, the Secretary 
shall establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and 
commercial application to develop cost-effective tools, technologies, 
and practices that reduce emissions from, increase productivity and 
well-being of occupants in, and increase the energy efficiency and 
beneficial electrification of new and existing commercial and 
residential buildings, including retrofits and electrification of 
existing buildings, rural housing, low-income housing, multi-family 
housing, public housing, and manufactured housing.
    ``(b) Energy Equity.--The Secretary shall carry out research to 
identify barriers to, and strategies for, expanding the use of low-
emissions and energy efficient building technologies and appliances in 
the buildings where members of frontline communities live and work. In 
carrying out this section, the Secretary may coordinate with other 
Federal agencies on housing and rural development programs. Research 
topics covered under this subsection may include--
            ``(1) barriers to and solutions for the purchase, 
        integration, and use of technologies developed under this 
        section in rural, low-income, multi-family, public, and 
        manufactured housing;
            ``(2) causes of, and solutions for, inequitable energy 
        costs or high energy burdens in housing in frontline 
        communities; and
            ``(3) solutions that ensure that housing in frontline 
        communities are energy efficient as well as affordable.
    ``(c) Non-Technical Barriers.--The Secretary shall support research 
and analysis to identify non-technical barriers and methods to address 
such barriers, to enable greater use of tools, technologies, and 
practices developed under this section in new and existing commercial 
and residential buildings, including rural, low-income, public, multi-
family, and manufactured housing.
    ``(d) Resilient Buildings.--As part of the program established in 
section (a), the Secretary may, in consultation with relevant Federal 
agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
the United States Geological Survey, the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, and the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, support research and development on 
principles of resilient building design, construction, and operation to 
address current and future predicted risks over the lifetime of a 
building, including considerations of regional differences such as 
natural hazard exposure, resource availability, and fuel mix and energy 
production.
    ``(e) Advanced Building Construction, Design, and Retrofits.--As 
part of the program established in section (a), the Secretary shall 
support research and development on technologies and methodologies to 
enable advanced building design, construction techniques, and 
retrofits. In supporting research and development under this section, 
the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) include considerations of a full lifecycle analysis 
        inclusive of building design, manufacturing, and construction, 
        including environmental considerations, embodied energy and 
        embodied carbon in building materials, transportation of 
        materials, and implications for building retro-commissioning as 
        well as final disposal and recycling;
            ``(2) incorporate considerations of regional differences 
        such as climate, season, temperature, energy production, fuel 
        mix, and precipitation, in consultation with the Administrator 
        of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for 
        proposed building designs, building sites, or existing 
        buildings, including the development of tools, technologies, 
        and practices to address such regional differences and improve 
        building energy resilience in the face of natural disasters, 
        wildfires, extreme weather events, and natural hazards;
            ``(3) support research and development on the use of 
        various potential energy sources and distributed generation to 
        supply cooling, heating, and power for buildings, including 
        integrated and adaptive control solutions that improve 
        traditional building energy management and emerging 
        technologies such as batteries, and thermal storage compatible 
        with all sizes of buildings;
            ``(4) support the development of technologies that enable 
        low-emissions and energy efficient or advanced buildings, such 
        as lighting systems, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, 
        and refrigeration systems and other appliances that are cost-
        competitive over the life of the product as compared to 
        conventional technologies and that incorporate considerations 
        of integration in new and existing buildings, retrofitting, and 
        ease of installation, using a whole-systems and whole-buildings 
        approach;
            ``(5) support the development of cost-effective next-
        generation window and building envelope technologies that 
        incorporate considerations of integration in new and existing 
        buildings, retrofitting, and ease of installation, including 
        advanced building materials;
            ``(6) support development of alternative working fluids and 
        refrigerants for use in buildings equipment to reduce global 
        warming potential;
            ``(7) support research on methods to enhance the comfort, 
        health, and well-being of individual occupants in buildings 
        that also result in improved energy efficiency and emissions 
        reductions, including indoor air quality; and
            ``(8) support research on modular or off-site construction 
        techniques and technologies for manufactured housing that 
        advance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance 
        affordability of buildings.
    ``(f) Modeling and Data Analysis.--As part of the program 
established in subsection (a), the Secretary shall support the 
development of building models, including for the design and operation 
of buildings, the analysis of relevant data to enable smart buildings, 
and building energy modeling. In particular, the Secretary shall focus 
on the development of--
            ``(1) advanced modeling capabilities that include modeling 
        of grid interactivity, resilience, and relevant behavioral, 
        community-scale, and urban-scale activities in order to--
                    ``(A) provide system-level analysis of new 
                technologies, including distributed generation and 
                storage;
                    ``(B) evaluate system benefits such as emissions 
                reductions, community resilience, distribution grid 
                reliability, and service to underserved communities; 
                and
                    ``(C) provide data, derived from both simulation 
                and demonstration projects established in subsection 
                (h), to inform decision making new business models;
            ``(2) automated methods to generate models of proposed or 
        existing buildings;
            ``(3) methods to address barriers, including non-technical 
        barriers, to commercial application of building models for 
        building operation;
            ``(4) methods to analyze data collected by technologies in 
        smart buildings and collections of buildings;
            ``(5) artificial intelligence and machine learning 
        approaches to building energy management; and
            ``(6) advanced data collection and monitoring methods for 
        utilities at the building level and component level.
    ``(g) Demonstration Program.--The Secretary shall establish a 
competitive grant program for the demonstration of advanced building 
technologies and systems developed under the program established in 
subsection (a) that--
            ``(1) focuses on a range of new and existing building 
        types, including low-income housing, rural housing and 
        agricultural buildings, multi-family residential buildings, 
        manufactured housing, and small- and medium-sized commercial 
        buildings; and
            ``(2) includes community-scale demonstration projects.
    ``(h) Testing and Validation.--In carrying out the program under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) support testing and validation activities to improve 
        the commercial application of relevant tools, sensors, 
        technologies, and methods, including the use of testbeds and 
        the development of test methods to determine cost savings and 
        performance in realistic scenarios; and
            ``(2) support analysis, testing, and validation to 
        accurately determine energy savings, emissions reductions, 
        cost-savings, and other potential impacts of the highest-
        performing appliances and equipment that are commercially 
        available.
    ``(i) Partnerships.--In carrying out the activities authorized in 
this section, the Secretary shall work with utilities, State and local 
energy offices, building owners, technology developers and 
manufacturers, contractors, building developers, connected building 
system manufacturers, and other relevant entities to guide the focus 
areas of the activities of the program authorized in paragraph (a), 
provide feedback on roadmap documents, and encourage the commercial 
application of these technologies by building owners, operators, 
developers, occupants, contractors, or other relevant entities.
    ``(j) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall coordinate across all relevant program offices at the Department, 
including the Office of Electricity, the Office of Fossil Energy and 
Carbon Management, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, and the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency 
Response.
    ``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Emissions.--The term `emissions' means greenhouse gas 
        emissions or other pollutants.
            ``(2) Frontline community.--The term `frontline community' 
        means a community with significant representation of 
        communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and 
        indigenous communities, that--
                    ``(A) experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, 
                higher or more adverse human health or environmental 
                effects; or
                    ``(B) faces an above average proportion of their 
                income directed to the payment of energy-related costs.
            ``(3) Smart building.--The term `Smart Building' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 1007(a) of Division Z of the 
        Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.''.

SEC. 4. GRID-INTERACTIVE EFFICIENT BUILDINGS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--As part of the research and development program 
authorized in section 3 of this Act, the Secretary shall carry out a 
grid-interactive buildings research and development program authorized 
in section 426 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 
U.S.C. 17086), as amended in subsection (b).
    (b) Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings Research Program.--426(a) 
of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 
17086(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph (12); and
            (2) by striking paragraph (7) and inserting the following:
            ``(7) advanced building energy management systems through 
        the integration of sensors and advanced control technologies 
        and systems that allow whole building optimization and 
        integration with other energy systems including photovoltaics, 
        electric vehicles, and energy storage technologies such as 
        thermal storage;
            ``(8) building energy storage capabilities, including load 
        shifting, to modulate peak and off-energy demand;
            ``(9) distributed energy resources at the community- and 
        building-level through localized electric grids;
            ``(10) technologies to reduce energy use and emissions in 
        connected communities and neighborhoods located in a variety of 
        climates, including by enabling transactive energy concepts;
            ``(11) cybersecurity best practices, including those that 
        protect privacy and personally identifiable information and 
        addressing security vulnerabilities of building systems or 
        equipment; and''.

SEC. 5. SOLID STATE LIGHTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 912 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16192) is 
amended as follows:
            (1) in subsections (a)(1), (a)(4), (a)(5), (b), (c), by 
        striking ``white'' in each place it appears; and
            (2) by amending subsection (i) to read as follows:
    ``(i) Solid State Lighting Research and Development.--Not later 
than 180 days after the enactment of the Building Technologies Research 
and Development Act, the Secretary shall establish a program of 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial application on 
advanced solid state lighting technologies, controls, and systems that 
provide energy and emissions reductions. In particular, the Secretary 
shall support projects related to--
            ``(1) communication and data capabilities that leverage 
        solid state lighting technologies and systems, including those 
        that enable energy savings through energy reporting, 
        interoperability, or cybersecurity capabilities;
            ``(2) innovations to support domestic manufacturing and 
        other United States economic benefits of solid state lighting 
        technologies;
            ``(3) solid state emitters; and
            ``(4) the uses and benefits of solid state lighting 
        technologies in a variety of settings such as health care, 
        agriculture, other commercial or industrial buildings, and 
        vehicles.''.

SEC. 6. BETTER BUILDINGS RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Better Buildings Demonstration Program.--Section 1007(d) of 
Division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 is amended by 
striking ``and commercial buildings sectors'' and inserting ``and 
laboratory, industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, including 
in rural housing, low-income housing, multi-family housing, and 
manufactured housing, through partnerships.''.
    (b) Better Buildings Research Programs.--Section 1007 of Division Z 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 is amended by adding 
after subsection (d) (and redesignating subsequent subsections 
accordingly)--
    ``(e) Education and Outreach.--The Secretary shall support 
education and outreach activities to disseminate information and 
promote public understanding of building technologies and the building 
technologies workforce.
    ``(f) Building America Program.--The Secretary shall carry out a 
research, development, and demonstration program on tools, 
technologies, and practices to reduce energy use and emissions in new 
and existing residential buildings, in partnership with industry 
entities.''.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out the activities under section 1007(d) of Division Z of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, section 426 of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17086), and the 
amendments made by this Act--
            (1) $392,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            (2) $411,600,000 for fiscal year 2024;
            (3) $432,180,000 for fiscal year 2025;
            (4) $453,789,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
            (5) $476,478,450 for fiscal year 2027.

SEC. 8. CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.

    The table of sections for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
15801 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in the item relating to section 911 by inserting ``and 
        emissions reductions'' after ``energy efficiency''; and
            (2) by adding after the item relating to section 918 the 
        following:

``Sec. 919. Building technologies research and development.''.
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