WINDSOR, Conn. – TRC has been awarded funding under New York State’s NextGen Buildings Innovation Challenge to advance two new projects focused on accelerating the decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings through intelligent electric load control technologies.
The awards, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will enable TRC’s team to demonstrate and commercialize market-ready solutions that improve energy efficiency, electrify end uses and support grid resilience, key pillars of New York’s climate strategy.
Advancing Decarbonization Across Commercial and Residential Markets
TRC’s first awarded project will develop and field-test OpenBOS, an open-source intelligent building control platform designed for Small-to-Medium Commercial Buildings (SMCBs). The project, conducted in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), will integrate advanced algorithms and control strategies into the control platforms of three commercial partners: Elexity, Community Energy Labs, and ACE IoT Solutions. Initial demonstration sites include the North Syracuse School District and Syracuse University.
The second project focuses on the ≤100-amp residential market, a critical segment for equitable decarbonization. In collaboration with SPAN, Halco, and LBNL, TRC will demonstrate smart panel retrofits and electric load-management technologies across 100 homes in upstate New York. The project also includes development of an electrification pattern book, guidance for permit approvals, and engagement with local authorities and state programs to streamline implementation pathways.
Supporting the State’s Energy Transition
The NextGen Buildings Innovation Challenge is a multi-year initiative providing more than $45 million in funding to date, accelerating the development and deployment of advanced building technologies. These include ground source heat pumps, intelligent controls, and high-performance building envelopes—technologies central to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, which account for over a third of New York’s annual emissions.
TRC’s newly awarded projects build on the firm’s successful delivery of three prior NYSERDA-funded initiatives focused on innovative building control solutions, emphasizing TRC’s role as a trusted partner in advancing New York State’s decarbonization efforts.
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