California's Lucid Design Group earns $300,000 in EPA funding for technology to reduce commercial electricity use

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) grant worth $295,507 to Oakland, California’s Lucid Design Group to further develop technology that will allow for reduced electricity use through real-time feedback.

“Lucid’s project is a great example of how technology can be used to help protect the environment,” EPA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Jared Blumenfeld said. “Giving office workers immediate feedback on their energy use can help them to change their habits for the better."

Lucid will use its funding to further develop, test and commercialize its technology, which it believes will reduce peak electricity demand and create a balance between consumer needs and energy use. It will allow office workers to see their energy use through visual messaging in the form of ambient colors.

SBIR is a multi-agency program created in 1982 to promote small business contributions to federal research and development. The program gives funding in two phase, with the first phase awarding contracts worth up to $100,000. The second phase, which was recently announced, provides a smaller pool of businesses with up to $300,000 in funding. This year, the EPA selected eight small businesses from throughout the country, awarding up $2.4 million.