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Future Focus Initiative

Focus on Energy’s Future Focus process reviews new concepts and technologies that have the potential to expand the range and value of services available to Wisconsinites, as well as help the program achieve desired outcomes of energy savings, customer satisfaction, and/or market transformation. The process also helps test offerings for future expansion/inclusion in the Focus on Energy Program portfolio. The team screens these ideas every quarter. Any questions about future opportunities may be directed to futurefocus@focusonenergy.com.

Learn more about the key areas Future Focus
supports or submit your idea!

Program & Demonstration Projects Emerging Technology Environmental & Economic Research & Development Projects Newsletters Submit Your Idea

Pilot Program and Demonstration Projects

Pilot Programs and Demonstration Projects

It is important to continually engage in experimenting and researching new ideas, pilot programs, technologies, and delivery methods to support the viability of Focus on Energy into the future. Once tested these opportunities may be added to the program portfolio.

Annually, Focus on Energy hosts Pitch Day, an opportunity for industry partners and stakeholders to showcase energy efficiency or renewable energy pilot program ideas to a panel of judges in an interactive way.

Active Pilot Programs

Accessible Efficiency Pilot

The Accessible Efficiency Pilot enhances the lives of eligible Wisconsin residents by offering free installation of energy-saving and smart home devices that…

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Focus Force Milwaukee

The pilot will educate and train individuals from disadvantaged communities for careers in the energy efficiency industry.

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Empowering Faith Communities

The Empowering Faith Communities for Energy Efficiency Pilot Program is designed to foster participation in energy efficiency initiatives among Houses of Worship…

Smart thermostat with a blue circular display showing 20°, mounted on a textured beige wall, with a blurred living room and sofa in the background.

Home Energy Upgrades Pilot

This community-focused pilot provides whole home retrofits at no cost to single- and multi-family customers.

White outdoor AC condenser unit with a black circular fan grille sits on a concrete pad beside a beige siding house, with grass in the foreground.

Air-to-Water Heat Pump Field Study

Assessing air-to-water heat pump (AWHP) retrofits in existing and new construction for single and multifamily buildings.

Completed Pilot Programs

New Manufactured Homes

This pilot program was created to help more people in Wisconsin buy energy-efficient manufactured homes, and expand residential new construction offerings.

Basement utility room with a tall water heater, a work table with laptop, exposed beams, coiled hose on the right, and a person standing near heater.

120V HPWH Research

This research project researches the potential for 120-volt heat pump water heaters in the Midwest.

Two large white outdoor HVAC units with circular fans sit on a gravel strip along a gray-blue building, bordered by a green lawn on the left.

Electric New Homes

Electrifying rural and historically unreached communities through heat pump trainings and educational sessions for Trade Allies.

Aerial view of a suburban neighborhood with a curved street, row of two-story houses, green lawns, and trees with red and orange leaves.

Healthy Homes Pilot

An approach to increasing the quality of life for households with a member experiencing pediatric asthma.

HVAC Career Exploration

HVAC, renewables, insulation, and air sealing technical support while growing Trade Ally partnerships.

Multifamily Strategic Energy Management

Our collaborative approach to ensuring better relationships between utility companies and their customers.

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Save to Give Challenge

A new way to save energy, save money and make a difference in your community.

Building Performance Consultant Training

The Building Performance Consultant (BPC) pilot sought to add ten BPCs to the Focus on Energy network by offering training and apprenticeship opportunities.

Virtual Commissioning™ (VCx™)

The Virtual Commissioning™ (VCx) pilot provided an innovative way to help small to midsize businesses reduce their energy use without the need for an on-site visit…

Row of colorful townhouses with steep gabled roofs, a curved glass office building to the right, and green trees in a suburban neighborhood.

Affordable Housing - A Passive Building Pathway

This pilot demonstrated how Phius+2020 high performance building standards can deepen energy reductions and make affordable housing safer and healthier.

Close-up of a network switch with multiple Ethernet ports and plugged-in cables, set against a blue blurred data-center background.

Integrated Controls

This project researches the potentially deeper energy savings in networked lighting control (NLC) retrofits from lighting systems to enhance HVAC control strategies.

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Life Sciences Midstream Pilot

This pilot incentivizes the purchase of energy efficient, ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers by life sciences companies in Wisconsin.

Emerging Technology

This initiative includes the Emerging Technology Accelerator, which looks at new technologies for residential and commercial businesses, and the Industrial Technology Accelerator, which focuses on understanding technologies most beneficial to industrial operations. Technologies identified undergo an initial screening, and if they meet the opportunity threshold, they advance to comprehensive review.

Demonstrated Technologies Overview

The Future Focus team has reviewed the energy savings, technical feasibility, and market potential of the following technologies.

Emerging Technologies in Review

The Future Focus team is reviewing the energy savings, technical feasibility, and market potential of the following technologies:

Alternate Form Factor Heat Pumps
Cloud-based Residential HVAC Monitoring Systems
Dual Fuel Rooftop Units
Secondary Windows
HVAC Smart Tools
Extruder Die
Ultraviolet LED Ink Curing
Advanced Motor Technology
AtmostZero Boiler 2.0
Energy Efficient Refiner Plates
Molecular Sieve Reconfiguration
Cryovac® AutoShrink
Fabric Cleaning System for Paper Making
Mechanical Vapor Recompression System for Ethanol
Managed Differential Control

Environmental & Economic Research & Development Projects

Environmental & Economic Research and Development Program

Focus on Energy supports energy efficiency and renewable energy research through the Environmental & Economic Research and Development Program (EERD). EERD research projects allow Wisconsin to further its efforts towards reducing energy waste, costs, and environmental impacts. EERD projects are selected through a targeted competitive request for proposals (RFP) process that occurs approximately once per year. Focus on Energy also accepts research concepts or ideas on a rolling basis.

Active EERD Projects

No current active EERD projects.

Completed EERD Projects

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Transitional/Emerging Priority Roadmap Research Project

This research project will deliver a transitional roadmap, with the goal of supporting Focus on Energy’s statutory obligations and objectives established during the…

Industrial control lab filled with many gray control panels, motors, and displays in rows; cluttered workstations and a wooden desk with supplies.

Trade Ally Technical Assistance Research Project

This research project will offer insights for the Focus on Energy workforce development strategy through research on specific recommendations from a 2024 study on…

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Cold Climate Variable Refrigerant Flow

This project studied variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems in Wisconsin and developed a program framework for Focus on Energy.

Close-up of a foggy window pane covered in many water droplets; a plant leaf appears on the left.

Dehumidification in Wisconsin

Dehumidification in Wisconsin – Savings Opportunities, Program Potential, and Flexible Load Research

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Energy Efficiency and Load Shaping

Focus on Energy has the potential to expand demand mitigation as the need for load shaping and controllable technologies and interventions increases.

Row of wooden blocks with green eco icons: location pin with tree, CO2 cloud, wind turbines, a hand placing a plant with coins, and a factory.

Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS)

This research project was conducted to create a foundation for Focus on Energy to begin develop and implementer energy management information system (EMIS)…

Industrial control room filled with rows of consoles, panels, gauges, and motors in a lab-like workshop.

Empowering Trade Allies for Building Efficiency and Electrification Research

To achieve the goals of Focus on Energy, Trade Allies need a recruitment and training strategy that increases their capability to deliver products and services.

Outdoor air conditioner unit on a raised concrete pad beside beige siding, featuring a black grille and circular fan, with grass in the foreground.

Air Source Heat Pumps in Wisconsin

This research project was designed to conduct market and technical research to inform the best programmatic approach for air source heat pumps (ASHP) in Wisconsin.

Bright, modern open-plan office with long rows of light-wood desks, black ergonomic chairs, white walls, glass doors, and bright overhead lighting.

Commercial Industrial Lighting Market Characterization

Commercial and Industrial (C&I) lighting has traditionally comprised a significant portion of energy efficiency savings portfolios. Energy-efficient solid-state…

Future Focus Newsletters

2024	2025
Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q1 2024	Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q1 2025
Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q2 2024	Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q2 2025
Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q3 2024	Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q3 2025
Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q4 2024	Focus on Energy - Future Focus Q4 2025