In the race to combat global climate change, energy efficiency is the low-hanging fruit for reducing our carbon footprint. Featured this month on energy.gov are the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Labs and their accomplishments in energy efficiency. The National Labs are fundamentally changing the way consumers and businesses approach energy use, which will save energy and money.

New energy-efficient materials and technologies

During the 1980s, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory first developed cool roofing materials that reflect the sun’s radiation, thereby lowering building temperatures, reducing air-conditioning use, and saving energy.

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