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DuPont, Partners Join Forces in Energy-Efficiency ‘Retrofit Alliance’

Friday, August 13, 2010

More items for Building Envelope

Building Media Inc. (BMI), a DuPont Company subsidiary, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will lead one of 15 “research and deployment partnerships” aimed at improving the energy efficiency of American homes as part of the Building America Retrofit Alliance (BARA).

The 15 teams, appointed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial 18 months of a program to deliver innovative energy-efficiency strategies to the residential market and address barriers to bringing high-efficiency homes within reach of all Americans. Each team will each receive between $500,000 and $2.5 million depending on performance.

Building America is an industry-driven research program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, designed to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced building energy technologies in new and existing homes. More information: www.buildingamerica.gov.

“The BARA team will focus exclusively on the home renovation and retrofit market, with a key focus on developing, deploying and promoting technically sound, cost-effective measures to radically improve home performance,” said Douglas J. Baker, Americas business director—DuPont Building Innovations.

“DuPont’s BMI is uniquely qualified to lead this team,” Baker said. “We have leading science and expertise in developing energy-efficient systems.”
 
The BARA team will focus on innovative market-delivery strategies to improve energy efficiency in existing homes across the U.S. The team, described as possessing capabilities in the areas of training and outreach, also includes Steve Easley and Associates, Confluence Communications, Louisiana State University, Enterprise Community Partners, Institute for Business and Home Safety, Hancock Software, and others.

“Home energy efficiency is one of the easiest, most immediate and most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon pollution and save money on energy bills, while creating new jobs,” said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. “By developing and using tools to reduce residential energy use, we will spur economic growth here in America and help homeowners make cost-cutting improvements in their homes.”

DuPont’s Building Media Inc. unit offers an online training program for the building and construction industry and more than 40 years of experience, with brands such as DuPont Tyvek® Weatherization Systems. BMI creates, produces and markets web-based educational programs and high-performance building demonstration projects for the construction, energy-code, weatherization, green-building, and architectural markets.