§ 17064. Smart building acceleration

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 2020

   Energy Act of 2020

   Pub. L. 116–260 div. Z title I § 1007 · 134 Stat. 1182

   Enacted · 42 U.S.C. § 17064

   (Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title I, § 1007, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2433.)

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   (Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title I, § 1007, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2433.)

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   SEC. 1007. SMART BUILDING ACCELERATION. (a) Definitions.— In this section: (1) Department.— The term “Department” means the Department of Energy. (2) Program.— The term “program” means the Federal Smart Building Program established under subsection (b)(1). (3) Secretary.— The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy. (4) Smart building.— The term “smart building” means a building, or collection of buildings, with an energy system that— (A) is flexible and automated; (B) has extensive operational monitoring and communication connectivity, allowing remote monitoring and analysis of all building functions; (C) takes a systems-based approach in integrating the overall building operations for control of energy generation, consumption, and storage; (D) communicates with utilities and other third-party commercial entities, if appropriate; (E) protects the health and safety of occupants and workers; and (F) incorporates cybersecurity best practices. (5) Smart building accelerator.— The term “smart building accelerator” means an initiative that is designed to demonstrate specific innovative policies and approaches— (A) with clear goals and a clear timeline; and (B) that, on successful demonstration, would accelerate investment in energy efficiency. (b) Federal Smart Building Program.— (1) Establishment.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, establish a program to be known as the “Federal Smart Building Program”— (A) to implement smart building technology; and (B) to demonstrate the costs and benefits of smart buildings. (2) Selection.— (A) In general.— The Secretary shall coordinate the selection of not fewer than 1 building from among each of several key Federal agencies, as described in paragraph (4), to compose an appropriately diverse set of smart buildings based on size, type, and geographic location. (B) Inclusion of commercially operated buildings.— In making selections under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may include buildings that are owned by the Federal Government but are commercially operated. (3) Targets.— Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish targets for the number of smart buildings to be commissioned and evaluated by key Federal agencies by 3 years and 6 years after the date of enactment of this Act. (4) Federal agency described.— The key Federal agencies referred to paragraph (2)(A) shall include buildings operated by— (A) the Department of the Army; (B) the Department of the Navy; (C) the Department of the Air Force; (D) the Department; (E) the Department of the Interior; (F) the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (G) the General Services Administration. (5) Requirement.— In implementing the program, the Secretary shall leverage existing financing mechanisms including energy savings performance contracts, utility energy service contracts, and annual appropriations. (6) Evaluation.— Using the guidelines of the Federal Energy Management Program relating to whole-building evaluation, measurement, and verification, the Secretary shall evaluate the costs and benefits of the buildings selected under paragraph (2), including an identification of— (A) which advanced building technologies— (i) are most cost-effective; and (ii) show the most promise for— (I) increasing building energy savings; (II) increasing service performance to building occupants; (III) reducing environmental impacts; and (IV) establishing cybersecurity; and (B) any other information the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (7) Awards.— The Secretary may expand awards made under the Federal Energy Management Program and the Better Building Challenge to recognize specific agency achievements in accelerating the adoption of smart building technologies. (c) Survey of Private Sector Smart Buildings.— (1) Survey.— The Secretary shall conduct a survey of privately owned smart buildings throughout the United States, including commercial buildings, laboratory facilities, hospitals, multifamily residential buildings, and buildings owned by nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education. (2) Selection.— From among the smart buildings surveyed under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall select not fewer than 1 building each from an appropriate range of building sizes, types, and geographic locations. (3) Evaluation.— Using the guidelines of the Federal Energy Management Program relating to whole-building evaluation, measurement, and verification, the Secretary shall evaluate the costs and benefits of the buildings selected under paragraph (2), including an identification of— (A) which advanced building technologies and systems— (i) are most cost-effective; and (ii) show the most promise for— (I) increasing building energy savings; (II) increasing service performance to building occupants; (III) reducing environmental impacts; and (IV) establishing cybersecurity; and (B) any other information the Secretary determines to be appropriate. (d) Better Building Challenge.— As part of the Better Building Challenge of the Department, the Secretary, in consultation with major private sector property owners, shall develop smart building accelerators to demonstrate innovative policies and approaches that will accelerate the transition to smart buildings in the public, institutional, and commercial buildings sectors. (e) Research and Development on Integrating Buildings Onto the Electric Grid.— (1) In general.— Subtitle B of title IV of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17081 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: “SEC. 426. ADVANCED INTEGRATION OF BUILDINGS ONTO THE ELECTRIC GRID. “(a) In General.— The Secretary shall establish a program of research, development, and demonstration to enable components of commercial and residential buildings to serve as dynamic energy loads on and resources for the electric grid. The program shall focus on— “(1) developing low-cost, low power, wireless sensors to— “(A) monitor building energy load; “(B) forecast building energy need; and “(C) enable building-level energy control; “(2) developing data management capabilities and standard communication protocols to further interoperability at the building and grid-level; “(3) developing advanced building-level energy management of components through integration of smart technologies, control systems, and data processing, to enable energy efficiency and savings; “(4) optimizing energy consumption at the building level to enable grid stability and resilience; “(5) improving visualization of behind the meter equipment and technologies to provide better insight into the energy needs and energy forecasts of individual buildings; “(6) reducing the cost of key components to accelerate the adoption of smart building technologies; “(7) protecting against cybersecurity threats and addressing security vulnerabilities of building systems or equipment; and “(8) other areas determined appropriate by the Secretary. “(b) Considerations.— In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— “(1) work with utility partners, building owners, technology vendors, and building developers to test and validate technologies and encourage the commercial application of these technologies by building owners; and “(2) consider the specific challenges of enabling greater interaction between components of— “(A) small- and medium-sized buildings and the electric grid; and “(B) residential and commercial buildings and the electric grid. “(c) Buildings-to-grid Integration Report.— Not later than 1 year after the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the results of a study that examines the research, development, and demonstration opportunities, challenges, and standards needed to enable components of commercial and residential buildings to serve as dynamic energy loads on and resources for the electric grid. “(1) Report requirements.— The report shall include— “(A) an assessment of the technologies needed to enable building components as dynamic loads on and resources for the electric grid, including how such technologies can be— “(i) incorporated into new commercial and residential buildings; and “(ii) retrofitted in older buildings; “(B) Guidelines. guidelines for the design of new buildings and building components to enable modern grid interactivity and improve energy efficiency; “(C) an assessment of barriers to the adoption by building owners of advanced technologies enabling greater integration of building components onto the electric grid; and “(D) an assessment of the feasibility of adopting technologies developed under subsection (a) at Department facilities. “(2) Recommendations.— As part of the report, the Secretary shall develop a 10-year roadmap to guide the research, development, and demonstration program to enable components of commercial and residential buildings to serve as dynamic energy loads on and resources for the electric grid. “(3) Updates.— The Secretary shall update the report required under this section every 3 years for the duration of the program under subsection (a) and shall submit the updated report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. “(d) Program Implementation.— In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall— “(1) implement the recommendations from the report in subsection (c); and “(2) coordinate across all relevant program offices at the Department to achieve the goals established in this section, including the Office of Electricity.” . (2) Conforming amendment.— The table of contents for the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is amended by adding after the item relating to section 425 the following: “Sec. 426.  Advanced integration of buildings onto the electric grid.”. (f) Report.— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter until a total of 3 reports have been made, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report on— (1) the establishment of the Federal Smart Building Program and the evaluation of Federal smart buildings under subsection (b); (2) the survey and evaluation of private sector smart buildings under subsection (c); and (3) any recommendations of the Secretary to further accelerate the transition to smart buildings.

1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision