New Initiative Aims to Bring More Efficient, Rooftop Heat Pump Technologies to Market as Soon as 2027

At the annual Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced new Better Building Initiatives to help organizations in all sectors of the U.S. economy save energy while reducing costs and emissions. Among the new initiatives is the Better Buildings Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator, through which manufacturers will produce higher efficiency and life cycle cost-effective heat pump rooftop units and commercial organizations will evaluate and adopt next-generation heat pump technology.

DOE also announced the following at the Summit today:  

• Recognizing Leadership: More than 40 organizations received Better Project, Better Practice and Climate Finance Innovator awards for their industry-leading accomplishments in decarbonization, energy and water efficiency, or waste reduction. 65 organizations were recognized as recipients of the tenth annual Green Lease Leaders awards for their leadership in leveraging green leases for the advancement of sustainability or net zero goals.  
• New Working Groups on Decarbonization: DOE launched three new working groups for Better Climate Challenge partners focusing on central plant decarbonization, shifting to low-impact refrigerants, and financial strategies for industrial decarbonization.  
• Sharing Successful Pathways: DOE’s Better Buildings Solution Center has been overhauled to improve navigation, functionality, and design, focusing on a new, powerful search platform to more effectively filter 3,000+ efficiency and decarbonization solutions. 
• DOE Lighting Prize American Made Challenge: The third and final phase of the challenge offers $10 million in prizes for up to four winners for producing and installing next-generation lighting products for commercial buildings.