The General Services Administration (GSA), in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DoE), announced on Tuesday a new request for information (RFI) about technologies that will help engineer net-zero carbon buildings.
In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the agencies are seeking out technologies that will aid in the reduction of greenhouse gases, improve grid resiliency, and have the potential for broad adoption across all U.S. commercial buildings.
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.3 billion for GSA to invest in Federal buildings with low-carbon materials as well as emerging and sustainable technologies. The agency’s Green Proving Ground (GPG) Program does just that.
GPG works with third-party evaluators to test innovative early-commercial building technologies in Federally-owned buildings. The program enables GSA to make investment decisions in next-generation building technologies based on actual performance.
“We’re eager to hear from industry about the emerging technologies that can help build on GSA’s success in greening our footprint and catalyzing innovation through programs like the Green Proving Ground program,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “The Inflation Reduction Act will provide even more opportunities for us to transform federal buildings into high-performing, high-tech testbeds for clean energy innovation.”
The RFI is accepting submissions until Dec. 9 on emerging technologies that:
- Improve operating efficiency and promote healthy workplaces;
- Enable whole building electrification;
- Facilitate greenhouse gases and carbon reduction;
- Provide on-site energy generation and storage systems; and
- Deliver electric fleet and load management solutions.
The agency specifies that the technologies submitted should be early commercial, and ready for evaluation in occupied, operational buildings. They will be considered for either GSA’s GPG program – for federally-owned facilities – or voluntary partnership programs facilitated by DoE – for privately-owned facilities.
According to the press release, 23 GPG-evaluated technologies are currently deployed in more than 500 facilities in GSA’s real-estate portfolio.
