Since many organizations don’t have access to performance data in order to properly evaluate and compare energy-efficient products, implementing new technologies can be difficult. In an attempt to improve building energy performance, the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a web-based tool called the Technology Performance Exchange, or TPEx.
The tool will allow manufacturers to easily share performance data with product consumers. TPEx helps to reduce analysis uncertainty through the use of standardized data entry forms (DEFs), which identify the minimum product-specific performance parameters needed to evaluate a product’s energy performance. Information provided through TPEx can be used in conjunction with any number of evaluation tools and methods.
By asking manufacturers to provide performance data using DEF-defined parameters, TPEx users are able to perform apples-to-apples comparisons of products. Consumers can browse TPEx to find the most appropriate product for their particular use, helping to ensure that high-impact technologies and products are deployed in the market.
Currently, TPEx accepts data for 17 distinct product categories, ranging from solar photovoltaic modules to variable refrigerant flow units. For more information and a complete list, go to the TPEx website.
