Energy Efficiency: A Work of Art

The idea of conserving energy has been around for centuries, but Arthur 'Art' Rosenfeld was a true innovator in making it a modern science. He pioneered the emerging study of building energy efficiency in the 1970s and later became a leading advocate of energy policy and efficiency standards, before he passed away in 2017. Along the way, he inspired many students, researchers and policy makers.

Early years

Born in Alabama in 1926, Rosenfeld spent his childhood in Egypt, where his father was an engineer in the sugarcane industry. Earning a bachelor of science in physics at the tender age of 18, he then served in the Navy during World War II.

After receiving his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1954, Rosenfeld joined the physics faculty at the University of California at Berkeley. Over the next 18 years, he performed experimental work in particle physics.

Pioneer in energy efficiency

In 1973, the OPEC oil embargo and subsequent energy crisis changed Rosenfeld's career. He became aware of the enormous energy waste going on around him and the need to improve efficiency.

One small incident convinced Rosenfeld that would it be easy to save energy. "I was one of only a few in our 20-office floor who ever switched off our office lights," he later wrote. "One evening, I decided to switch off the lights in the other 19 offices. The problem was to find the switches." He reported that many were hidden by file cabinets, bookcases and even posters.

Recognizing the potential for energy savings in the building sector, he founded the Center for Building Science at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1975. There he gathered a diverse group of researchers to focus on energy efficiency.

A wide range of innovative energy efficiency technologies were developed at the center, including electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps and low-emissivity window coatings. Rosenfeld also pioneered the development of DOE-2, a computer program for the design of energy-efficient buildings.

Rosenfeld later became an influential voice in energy policy. He co-founded the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE), and the University of California's Institute for Energy and the Environment. In the 1990s, he served as a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He was also a leading champion of appliance and building energy-efficiency standards.

A lasting legacy

Rosenfeld received many honors for his work in energy efficiency. In 1986, he received the Szilard Lectureship Award in physics for the benefit of society. In 1993, Rosenfeld was awarded the Carnot Prize for distinguished contributions to energy policy.

In 2006, Rosenfeld was given the Enrico Fermi Award, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and technology awards, for his "pioneering innovations for the efficient use of energy."

"Dr. Rosenfeld is one of the 'founding fathers' of energy efficiency," said Samuel W. Bodman, then U.S Secretary of Energy. "The legacy of his research and policy work is an entire new energy efficiency sector of our economy."

As the energy efficiency industry evolves and grows, Rosenfeld's legacy will continue to loom large.

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