PIER Program Areas
Click each program areas for a description.
Residential and Non-Residential Buildings End-Use Energy Efficiency
Buildings end-use efficiency RD&D decreases energy costs
and improves the quality of buildings through the development
of new or improved energy-related technologies, design
strategies, energy management tools, construction practices,
and building performance evaluation methods. Energy
efficiency research:
- Facilitates the construction and operation of buildings that are energy efficient, healthy and comfortable
- Improves building affordability and value through the development of cost-effective, energy efficient building products and strategies
- Reduces energy costs through the development and use of energy efficient consumer options for reducing or managing loads
Energy Innovations Small Grant
EISG provides funding to establish the feasibility of innovative energy research
concepts. This program is intended to offer a simplified
evaluation and funding process for small businesses, small
non-profits, research institutions and individuals.
Energy-Related Environmental Research
Environmental RD&D provides public benefits by improving scientific understanding and/or
addressing the environmental effects and costs of energy
production, delivery and use in California. Environmental
research:
- Develops new electricity applications and products to solve environmental issues
- Defines electricity systems facilities environmental impacts and mitigation
- Determines how electricity generation contributes to global climate change and develops innovative mitigation approaches
Energy Systems Integration
Formerly called Strategic Energy Research, ESI RD&D activities cover two or more program areas,
represent potential high-risk/high-reward advances or
provide energy-related public interest science and/or
technologies not addressed in other program areas. Activities
include system-related projects that integrate renewable
energy, advanced generation, energy efficiency and/or
environmental technologies. Energy Systems Integration
research:
- Improves the reliability and efficiency of the electrical transmission, distribution and delivery grid
- Makes the electricity system safer and more resistant to damage and interruptions from natural disasters
- Identifies new electrical generation and transmission system management techniques
Environmentally-Preferred Advanced Generation (EPAG)
Advanced generation RD&D produces technologies that
improve the efficiency, reliability and/or environmental
performance of electric generation technologies and
provides new, smaller, cost-effective technologies for
distributed generation. RD&D in this sector reduces
electricity production costs, fuel consumption and the
environmental impacts of electricity production and
distribution. Advanced generation technologies:
- Comply with future environmental constraints without compromising system efficiency
- Demonstrate innovative generation cycles by testing hybrid combinations of cycles, developing novel cycles and evaluating the potential for using mixed fuels or co-firing
Industrial/Agricultural/Water End-Use Energy Efficiency
Developing and demonstrating new technologies in this
sector increases energy efficiency and reduces emissions
and manufacturing costs for California industries, agriculture,
and municipal water and wastewater systems. These new
technologies improve the competitiveness of California
businesses by:
- Reducing the electricity used to transport and treat water and wastewater
- Lowering the energy cost of industrial waste disposal and water decontamination
- Improving on-site power quality and load management to improve electrical system reliability and capacity utilization
- Enhancing process energy efficiency while reducing emissions and manufacturing costs
Renewable Energy Technologies
Renewable energy technologies RD&D provides California
with more diversified energy sources, a more secure
electricity infrastructure and improves the quality
of the environment. These energy technologies include
traditional renewable energy applications and renewable
applications combined with fossil fuel-fired energy.
Renewable energy research:
- Lowers renewable energy capital and operating costs and improves conversion efficiency
- Improves renewable energy reliability and power quality
- Develops environmentally sound ways to use waste as an energy feedstock
Transportation Research
Transportation RD&D provides a sustainable foundation for California's future by building a cleaner and more diverse transportation system, which increases California's independence from foreign oil, improves the quality of its environment and increases the health benefits from a cleaner environment and higher air quality.Transportation research:
- Accelerates the development, availability, and use of: alternative fuels, advanced vehicle technologies, and advanced transportation systems and strategies.
- Cost-effectively reduces on-road and off-road petroleum use in the short- and long-term.
- Advances science to inform transportation policy and planning decisions that benefit California's electricity and natural gas ratepayers.
Note: Web section under development!