
The Barrier Immune Radio Communications (BIRC) Project was established in January 2007 by the Demand Response Emerging Technologies Program (DRETD) to identify radio frequency technologies that could enable the widespread deployment of Demand Response strategies in buildings. Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will present the key findings from this project in a one-hour presentation. Researchers found that several of the RF technologies tested at LBNL's Molecular Foundry building were able to provide sufficiently reliable communications that they can be recommended for the demand response applications in buildings. Researchers also found that RF at 900 MHz could more reliably penetrate the steel decks of a modern building meaning that more floors can be traversed without the need for repeaters. The purpose of the presentation is to make the key findings of the work understandable and interesting to the project stakeholders with an emphasis on how the findings can accelerate the deployment of DR strategies throughout commercial and residential buildings. For people who cannot attend in person, the presentation will also be Webcast.