Innovative Research and Development Opportunities for Energy Efficiency

摘要

The study was undertaken in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to examine the role and process of innovation in energy conservation research and development. In particular, DOE desired a report that would identify highly innovative energy research opportunities which could be leveraged with a small budget by the Energy Conservation and Utilization Technologies Program (ECUT), expecially with regard to the Innovative Energy Conservation Concepts Program (IECC). The purpose was to provide an up-to-date review of opportunities for, and approaches to, innovative research as a contribution to the planning processes in ECUT/IECC. The report reviews opportunities to conduct innovative research in a variety of R&D fields, the results of which could increase the energy efficiency of a product or function. The emphasis is on the technology, and on the R&D opportunities that the Committee believes merit support. In addition, the report addresses the problem of formulating appropriate research strategies and methods to bring forward additional R&D ideas, attract competent researchers, and improve the overall proposal selection process.