Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits

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Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits
Type Program
Sponsor Organization Partnership
Top Organization Department of Energy
Creation Legislation N/A
Website Website
Purpose To assist building owners and operators in identifying and prioritizing energy efficiency improvements by analyzing building data against peer performance, aiming to reduce energy use, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.[1]
Program Start 2020
Initial Funding
Duration Indefinite
Historic No

Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER) is a data-driven software tool developed in collaboration between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and Johnson Controls to help building owners and operators identify and prioritize energy efficiency retrofits. By benchmarking a building's energy use against similar buildings, BETTER provides insights that lead to reduced energy consumption, lower costs, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions.[2]

Official Site

Goals

  • Quantify energy, cost, and greenhouse gas reduction potential for buildings.[3]
  • Recommend specific energy efficiency improvements for buildings.
  • Enable large-scale data analysis for portfolio-wide energy efficiency strategies.

Organization

BETTER is a partnership between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Johnson Controls, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office (BTO). It's managed by a team of researchers and engineers from LBNL, with oversight by BTO. Funding comes from DOE's budget for energy efficiency research, with contributions from industry partners.

The leader of the program might hold a title like **Project Lead for BETTER** or **Manager of Energy Efficiency Tools** at LBNL.

Partners

History

BETTER was launched in 2020 as part of efforts to accelerate energy efficiency in buildings, particularly those not recently renovated. It was created to address the challenge of identifying cost-effective retrofit options in a data-informed manner. Over time, BETTER has been adopted by various organizations for benchmarking and retrofit planning. Key historical events include its integration into broader DOE initiatives like the Building Technologies Office's efforts to reduce building sector emissions.

Funding

Specific funding details are not publicly detailed, but BETTER is supported by DOE's funding for research and development in building energy efficiency, with additional support from industry partners for development and deployment.

Implementation

Implementation includes:

  • Providing an open-source web tool for data analysis and benchmarking.
  • Continuous improvement of the analytical engine based on user feedback and technological advancements.
  • Training and support for users to maximize the tool's utility.

BETTER is designed to be an ongoing tool, adapting to new data and technologies in energy efficiency.

Related

External links

Social media

  • No specific social media accounts for BETTER; follow LBNL or DOE for updates.

References

  1. ↑ "Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER)". https://better.lbl.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2025. 
  2. ↑ "Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER)". https://better.lbl.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2025. 
  3. ↑ "Building Efficiency Targeting Tool for Energy Retrofits (BETTER)". https://better.lbl.gov. Retrieved January 30, 2025. 
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