Future Focus Initiative

Home / About / Future Focus

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 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

120V HPWH Research

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

Affordable Housing - A Passive Building Pathway

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

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.

Home Energy Upgrades Pilot

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

Focus Force Milwaukee

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

Integrated Controls

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

Life Sciences Midstream Pilot

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

Completed Pilots Programs

Electric New Homes

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

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.

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…

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:

Alternative Form Factor Heat pumps
Smart HVAC Systems
Refrigeration Thermal Energy Storage and Advanced Control
Efficient Dual- Fuel Rooftop Units
Static Thermal Mass Strategies for Grocery Stores
Residential Storage Source Heat Pumps
Energy Efficient Windows

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.