Energy Efficiency

Enhancing the energy competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and building technologies

We partner with other national laboratories, universities, manufacturers, and industry to pursue transformative energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing solutions.

Sandia studies and develops technologies that enhance U.S. competitiveness, primarily supporting the objectives of DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and Building Technologies Office (BTO). Using energy as efficiently as possible in computing, manufacturing, and in residential and commercial buildings will play a role in the nation achieving a decarbonized energy system by 2050.

Sandia’s Energy Efficiency program leverages strengths that have grown out of Sandia’s broader NNSA mission, including:

• materials synthesis and characterization,
• extreme environment testing,
• microelectronics,
• physics- and data-driven process and product performance modeling and simulation tools,
• energy systems prognostics and controls, and
• supply chain security.

Our research can be applied to areas such as:

• energy-efficient advanced computing,
• advanced power electronics and solid-state lighting,
• novel ink formulations for scalable roll-to-roll and additive manufacturing,
• energy-efficient cooling and water treatment technologies,
• sensors and components for harsh environments, and
• energy systems integration and controls.

The Energy Efficiency program draws from Sandia’s world-class research foundations that support our broad national security mission.

Research Focus Areas

The program is focused in two areas:

Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

This area focuses on developing novel and secure materials and processing technologies enhanced by foundational process-property-performance understanding through data science, modeling and simulation, metrology and control, supply-chain security, and digital-direct processing. Examples include high-temperature alloys and composites for transportation and energy conversion applications; energy-saving microelectronics interconnects with atomically precise manufacturing; models for materials and process design of passive cooling surfaces; and high-performing catalyst materials for producing environmentally friendly fuels.

Building Energy Technologies

This area focuses on developing novel energy technologies for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. These include advanced solid-state-lighting, high-performance power electronics, thermal insulator and conducting materials, and energy systems integration.

R&D Capabilities

• Additive Manufacturing
• Advanced Materials and Processes
• Advanced Simulation and Computing
• Cyber-Physical Security
• Energy R&D Facilities
• Extreme Environment Testing
• High-Performance Computing
• Microelectronics
• Reliability and Prognostics
• Wide Bandgap Power Electronics

Resources

Contact

Abraham Ellis

aellis@sandia.gov

Carlos Gutierrez

cgutie@sandia.gov