Research Themes +
Energy Technologies Area (ETA) researchers are continually building on the strong scientific foundation we have developed over the past 50 years. We address the world’s most pressing climate challenges by bringing to market energy-efficient innovations across the buildings, transportation, and industrial sectors. ETA is at the forefront of developing better batteries for electric vehicles; improving the country's aging electrical grid and innovating distributed energy and storage solutions; developing grid-interactive, efficient buildings; and providing the most comprehensive market and data analysis worldwide for renewable technologies like wind and solar.
Strategic Initiatives +
The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) Strategic Plan is the guiding force for our research and development for the next ten years. It clearly charts a path toward clean-energy solutions and focuses on five detailed Strategic Initiatives. The Plan provides an in-depth look at how ETA is accelerating research to provide affordable, clean energy to all while accomplishing deep, economy-wide decarbonization, looking to avoid a rise in global average temperature while simultaneously developing solutions to increase humanity's resilience to extreme weather volatility.
Publications
News +
For media inquiries,
please contact ETA
Interim Communications Manager
Kiran Julin

kjulin@lbl.gov
About Us +
The Energy Technologies Area (ETA) is unique in translating fundamental scientific discoveries into scalable technology adoption. Our approach combines an understanding of the marketplace and the role of state and federal regulation and policies. ETA's research drives real-world, practical results that affect and improve the everyday lives of Americans and those across the globe. Saving energy and battling the Climate Crisis are key to the foundation of our research, which is driven by technoeconomic analysis and in-lab experimentation and discovery.

Victor Franco

Victor Franco

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Contact Information

Email: VHFranco@lbl.gov

Phone: 510-486-5147

Publications

2024

A Survey of Households with Direct Heating Equipment in California

Authors: Blum, Helcio; Victor H. Franco; Jing Ke, and Sarah K. Price.

03/2024

2023

A Survey of Direct Heating Equipment Market Actors in California

Authors: Blum, Helcio; Victor H. Franco, and Sarah K. Price.

01/2023

2021

Water heating energy use reductions from EPA WaterSense lavatory plumbing fittings

Authors: Chen, Yuting; Heidi Fuchs; Jonah Schein; Victor H. Franco; Hannah Stratton; Thomas A. Burke, and Camilla Dunham.

06/2021

2020

Calculating average hot water mixes of residential plumbing fixtures

Authors: Chen, Yuting; Heidi Fuchs; Jonah Schein; Victor H. Franco; Hannah Stratton, and Camilla Dunham.

06/2020

2018

Estimating Residential Appliance Lifetime for Energy Efficient Policy Analysis

Authors: Franco, Victor H.; Youness Bennani Smires; Jing Ke; Edward Cubero, and Alex Lekov.

08/2018

2013

Evaluation of energy efficiency standards for residential clothes dryers in the USA

Authors: Lekov, Alexander B.; Victor H. Franco, and Stephen Meyers.

05/2013

2012

Evaluation of Energy-Efficiency Standards for Room Air Conditioners in the US

Authors: Lekov, Alexander B.; Victor H. Franco, and Stephen Meyers.

09/2012

Using National Survey Data to Estimate Lifetimes of Residential Appliances

Authors: Lutz, James D.; Asa S. Hopkins; Virginie E. Letschert; Victor H. Franco, and Andrew Sturges.

05/2012

2011

Energy Efficiency Design Options for Residential Water Heaters: Economic Impacts on Consumers

Authors: Lekov, Alexander B.; Victor H. Franco; Stephen Meyers; Lisa Thompson, and Virginie E. Letschert.

01/2011

2010

Do Heat Pump Clothes Dryers Make Sense for the U.S. Market?

Authors: Meyers, Stephen; Victor H. Franco; Alexander B. Lekov; Lisa Thompson, and Andrew Sturges.

08/2010

Heat Pump Water Heaters and American Homes: A Good Fit?

Authors: Franco, Victor H.; Alexander B. Lekov; Stephen Meyers, and Virginie E. Letschert.

08/2010

2009

Economics of Residential Gas Furnaces and Water Heaters in United States New Construction Market

Authors: Lekov, Alexander B.; Victor H. Franco; Gabrielle Wong-Parodi; James E. McMahon, and Peter T. Chan.

10/2009

2008

Furnace Blower Electricity: National and Regional Savings Potential

Authors: Franco, Victor H.; James D. Lutz; Alexander B. Lekov, and Lixing Gu.

08/2008

2006

BPM Motors in Residential Gas Furnaces: What are the Savings?

Authors: Lutz, James D.; Victor H. Franco; Alexander B. Lekov, and Gabrielle Wong-Parodi.

05/2006

Residential Two-Stage Gas Furnaces - Do They Save Energy?

Authors: Lekov, Alexander B.; Victor H. Franco, and James D. Lutz.

05/2006

Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency Improvements for Residential Gas Furnaces in the U.S.

Authors: Lekov, Alexander B.; Victor H. Franco; Stephen Meyers; James E. McMahon; Michael A. McNeil, and James D. Lutz.

2005

Development of the Household Sample for Furnace and Boiler Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

Authors: Dunham, Camilla; Victor H. Franco; Alexander B. Lekov, and James D. Lutz.

05/2005