California Institute for Energy and Environment

What California Institute for Energy and Environment does

California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) is a private nonprofit research institute founded in 1989 at UC Berkeley and operated under the CITRIS and Banatao Institute umbrella since July 1, 2018. It conducts, leads, and manages public-interest energy and climate research, partnering with state agencies — chiefly the California Energy Commission (CEC) and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) — as well as the U.S. Department of Energy, NSF, Maryland Department of the Environment, California investor-owned utilities, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. CIEE has managed more than $205 million in research awards across 470 awards and nearly 1,000 subawards at over 160 universities, national labs, and research centers.

CIEE's core technology portfolio spans building energy efficiency (personal comfort devices operating at ~20W versus 1,000-1,500W space heaters, Micro-PMU synchrophasors, Hamilton low-cost airflow sensors, a low-cost grid-responsive smart thermostat), building-grid interoperability (open-source Brick Schema and XBOS platform, Personal Control Hub), and consumption-based carbon accounting (CoolClimate Network tools and behavior-change programs used by millions). Active projects include a two-year CEC-funded PCD mainstreaming initiative with CBE, Arup, TRC, and Notre Dame; the $2M Super-GX demand-response demonstration; the Maryland BEPS analysis; the Oakland EcoBlock neighborhood retrofitting research; and the BEST Center workforce-development program with NSF ATE funding.

The business model is grant-funded managed services: CIEE acts as a fiscal and research administrator, receiving prime contracts (e.g., the $5M CPUC demand-response prime) and subawards that flow partly through as direct project costs to researchers and partner institutions. Headcount is approximately 15-20 staff plus student assistants, led by Director Carl Blumstein, Faculty Director Michele Barbato, and Associate Director Therese Peffer. Revenue also includes a small endowment (the Rosenfeld Fund) and the Art Rosenfeld Award fellowship. The organization runs the BECC Conference (19th year, 700+ attendees) and co-hosts the BERC Energy Summit (500+ attendees) as public-engagement channels.

Name

California Institute for Energy and Environment

Legal name

California Institute for Energy and Environment

Website

https://uc-ciee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIEE is a UC Berkeley nonprofit research institute founded in 1989 that manages public-interest energy and climate research programs for California state agencies, the U.S. DOE, and other sponsors, developing building-efficiency, grid-responsive, and carbon-accounting technologies across a 160-institution subaward network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy and Climate Research Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) & Clean Energy Standards Compliance (EUAMANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO)

Keywords

• Energy research services
• Climate policy research
• Building energy efficiency
• Demand response analysis
• Carbon footprint analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants and Contracts: Primary revenue from government agencies including California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, and other state agencies. CIEE helps form research agendas and brings world-class researchers to conduct innovative work toward California's energy goals.
2. National Science Foundation Grants: Funding from NSF Advanced Technological Education program for the BEST Center workforce development initiative.
3. Endowment Income: The Rosenfeld Fund is an endowment managed by CIEE and UC Berkeley Graduate Division to support graduate and professional students in sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CIEE is a UC Berkeley research institute that defines, conducts, and manages public-interest energy and climate research for government agencies, utilities, and academic partners. It administers multi-million-dollar prime research contracts (e.g., $5M CPUC demand response, $8M CEC building decarbonization, $2M CEC Super-GX) and disburses subawards to a network of 160+ research institutions. Its portfolio includes workforce development programs (BEST Center), carbon footprint analytics (CoolClimate Network), building efficiency research, demand response analysis, and the BECC Conference.

Product overview

The California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) is a research institute at UC Berkeley that manages a portfolio of energy and climate research programs rather than commercial products. Key offerings include the CoolClimate Network (carbon footprint tools and behavior change programs), Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center (workforce development), Personal Comfort Devices project (building technology integration), Demand Response Analysis, Oakland EcoBlock (neighborhood retrofitting), the BECC Conference (behavioral climate conference), and the Art Rosenfeld Award (student fellowship). These are grant-funded research initiatives administered in partnership with state agencies, utilities, and national laboratories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CoolClimate Network: A university-government-business-NGO partnership that develops cutting-edge carbon footprint tools, behavior change programs, and policy research for climate action.
• BEST Center (Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow)
• BECC Conference (Behavior, Energy & Climate Change)

Products and services

• Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center A national collaborative that promotes state-of-the-art building technician education through model curricula, professional development for instructors, career pathways, and research dissemination for sustainable building performance. Funded by NSF's Advanced Technological Education program and partners with community colleges (Milwaukee Area Technical College, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Metropolitan Community College) and industry partners (Automated Logic, Honeywell, Siemens).
• CoolClimate Network A university-government-business-NGO partnership that develops cutting-edge carbon footprint tools, behavior change programs, and policy research to help individuals, businesses, and communities understand and reduce their carbon impact. Pioneered consumption-based greenhouse gas accounting at household and neighborhood scale; reached millions of users across cities, universities, and organizations.
• Mainstreaming Personal Comfort Devices with Modular Controls A research project developing personal comfort devices integrated with building management systems, including a desktop hand warmer using carbon nanotube fabric, a heated/cooled wrist pad using thermoelectric devices, and an open-source Personal Control Hub with sensors and dashboard. Designed for commercial office workers and building operators to reduce HVAC energy use while improving thermal comfort.
• Demand Response Analysis Research program managing a $5,000,000 prime contract with CPUC since 2015 to identify and subcontract researchers to analyze demand response potential in California. Provides technical advisory support to CPUC Energy Division staff in demand response rulemaking proceedings.
• Behavior, Energy & Climate Change (BECC) Conference The premier international conference focused on understanding human behavior and decision making to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future. Now in its 19th year, attracting more than 250 presenters and 700 attendees annually from around the world.
• California's Fifth Climate Change Assessment
• Super-GX
• Maryland Building Energy Performance Standards Analysis Analysis project modeling how Maryland's Building Energy Performance Standards policy pathways affect emissions, energy use, retrofit costs, and peak demand across the state's existing building stock, informing equitable, cost-effective decarbonization regulations.
• Oakland EcoBlock

Quantifiable outcome

• Californians use 30% less electricity per capita than other Americans due to efficiency initiatives advanced by Art Rosenfeld and CIEE
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maryland Department of the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026CIEE is partnering with MDE to analyze how Building Energy Performance Standards could affect emissions, energy use, and retrofit costs across Maryland's existing building stock under the Climate Solutions Now Act.
• California Energy Commission (Super-GX)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2025CIEE, BEST Center, and partners awarded $2 million grant for Super-GX project to demonstrate demand response strategies in large commercial buildings using unified, open-source control system.
• California Energy Commission (Building Decarbonization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2024CIEE and CBE jointly awarded $8 million from CEC to lead two projects focused on developing decarbonization solutions for HVAC systems in large commercial buildings.
• CITRIS and the Banatao InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2018CIEE has been operating under the CITRIS umbrella at UC Berkeley since July 1, 2018, leveraging resources and synergies within the CITRIS ecosystem and CITRIS Climate initiative. CIEE Director Carl Blumstein also serves as Executive Director of the CITRIS Climate Initiative.
• California Energy CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary research partner helping form the agenda for energy research in California. CIEE represents UC in regulatory and legislative proceedings that led to establishment of CEC's PIER program and EPIC program.
• California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIEE assists CPUC with demand response analysis and manages a $5,000,000 prime contract. CIEE is looking to identify Technical Advisors to support CPUC Energy Division staff in demand response rulemaking proceedings.
• U.S. Department of EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research sponsor providing funding and expertise to help move toward California's energy goals.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research collaborator on energy in buildings. Rich Brown came to CIEE from over 30 years at LBNL. Partners on multiple projects including BEST Center, PCD project, and building decarbonization initiatives.
• Center for the Built Environment (CBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley research center collaborating on personal comfort devices project and commercial building decarbonization. CIEE and CBE were jointly awarded $8M from California Energy Commission for HVAC decarbonization research.
• BEST Center PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow Center partners include Milwaukee Area Technical College, Georgia Piedmont Technical College, Metropolitan Community College, and industry partners including Automated Logic, Honeywell, Siemens, and others for building technician education.
• UC Berkeley Energy Institute at HaascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for energy research and policy analysis. CIEE Director held research appointment at UC Energy Institute (now Energy Institute at Haas) from 1981-2010.
• CoolClimate Network PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity-government-business-NGO partnership including University of California System, American Express, SF Environment, CARB, and others supporting carbon footprint tools and climate action programs.
• California Natural Resources AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in managing California's Fifth Climate Change Assessment, working with OPR's Climate Assessment team to select and manage core climate research studies.
• Governor's Office of Planning and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for California's Fifth Climate Change Assessment, contributing to scientific foundation for understanding climate vulnerability and supporting implementation at local, regional, tribal, and state levels.
• National Science FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of BEST Center through Advanced Technological Education grants. Also supporting Super-GX project and climate migration research through France-Berkeley Fund.
• France-Berkeley FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded $12,000 seed funding to advance strategies for local decarbonization, sustainability, and urban resilience research collaboration between U.S. and France.
• Pacific Gas & ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia investor-owned utility partner providing research sponsorship and collaboration on energy efficiency initiatives.
• Southern California EdisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia investor-owned utility partner providing research sponsorship and collaboration on energy efficiency initiatives.
• San Diego Gas & ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia investor-owned utility partner providing research sponsorship and collaboration on energy efficiency initiatives.
• Los Angeles Department of Water & PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal utility partner providing research sponsorship and collaboration on energy efficiency initiatives.
• Southern California Gas CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia utility partner providing research sponsorship and collaboration on energy efficiency and building decarbonization initiatives.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal utility partner providing research sponsorship and collaboration on energy efficiency initiatives.
• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOut-of-state research sponsor providing funding and expertise for energy efficiency and climate research.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute partner providing technical expertise and collaboration on energy research.
• ArupcoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering firm partner on Personal Comfort Devices project, developing web-based PCD Design Guidebook for architects, engineers, and facility managers.
• TRCcoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering and consulting firm partner on Personal Comfort Devices project providing technical expertise.
• Normal SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware partner on Personal Comfort Devices project for desktop hub development and software integration.
• University of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner on Personal Comfort Devices project contributing research expertise.
• All UC CampusescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz - all part of the UC system collaboration network.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch university partner, notably collaborating on BECC Conference through Stanford's Precourt Energy Efficiency Center.
• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner collaborating on BECC Conference and energy efficiency research. CIEE Director Carl Blumstein serves on ACEEE's Board of Directors.
• Consortium for Energy EfficiencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIEE Director Carl Blumstein was a founding member of the Board of Trustees, serving until 2018.
• Gas Technology InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIEE Director Carl Blumstein serves on GTI's Public Interest Advisory Committee.
• Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley student organization co-hosting the annual BERC Energy Summit, the largest student-run energy conference on the West Coast.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Co-located at UC Berkeley and a long-standing research partner of CIEE, LBNL conducts building energy efficiency, grid modernization, and energy science research with overlapping technical scope. Multiple CIEE personnel (Rich Brown, Alexandra von Meier) moved between LBNL and CIEE, making it the closest comparable research organization.
• Center for the Built Environment (CBE): A UC Berkeley research center that jointly won the $8M CEC building decarbonization award with CIEE. CBE focuses on indoor environmental quality, HVAC, and high-performance buildings, with directly overlapping building science research and a shared Berkeley affiliation.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): An explicit CIEE research partner and nonprofit that conducts collaborative R&D on electricity generation, delivery, and use across the utility industry. EPRI addresses overlapping topics in demand response, grid integration, and building energy efficiency for utility clients.
• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE): An explicit CIEE partner (CIEE Director Carl Blumstein serves on ACEEE's board). ACEEE is a leading nonprofit research organization focused on energy efficiency policy, programs, and technology with substantially overlapping mission and audience.
• Stanford Precourt Energy Efficiency Center: Stanford's energy efficiency research center and a co-host of the BECC Conference alongside CIEE. Precourt conducts comparable research on building energy efficiency, behavior-energy studies, and energy technology with similar academic, policy-oriented mission.

Broad incumbents

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): The U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency R&D. NREL operates at substantially larger scale than CIEE across overlapping topics including building efficiency, grid modernization, and demand response, but does not specialize in California's regulatory ecosystem.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL): A U.S. DOE national laboratory conducting research on building energy efficiency, grid systems, and climate science. PNNL is a substantially larger incumbent with broader geographic scope and similar technical overlap with CIEE's energy research portfolio.

Emerging players

• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): An independent nonprofit focused on transforming global energy systems through research, consulting, and market acceleration. RMI addresses overlapping clean energy, building decarbonization, and grid topics, often competing for the same philanthropic and government funding as CIEE.

Regional players

• NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority): A New York State public-benefit corporation and explicit CIEE out-of-state research sponsor. NYSERDA runs analogous energy research, building decarbonization, and workforce programs to those CIEE administers in California, with a strong regional focus on New York.

Others

• Energy Foundation: A philanthropic organization that funds energy efficiency, clean energy policy, and climate research across the U.S. and China. Energy Foundation is an adjacent funder and ecosystem partner rather than a research peer, but participates in the same grant and policy ecosystem as CIEE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CIEEuc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-institute-for-energy-and-environment
• Instagraminstagram.com/uc_ciee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Institute for Energy and Environment