Q 19. - 24 Your prepared statement did not mention mobile home solar units. Ans: The interim plan did not specifically identify mobile homes for demonstration activity. However, mobile homes are ERDA is presently completing a project with General constructed and the solar unit tested. Mobile home manufacturers are showing much interest in these projects. 36. LETTER DATED JUNE 9, 1975, FROM ESTHER C. CASSIDY, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, TO WILLIAM RICE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL, AND ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS, ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, WITH ENCLOSURES Pursuant to our telephone conversation of this morning, I am enclosing I have advised George Lewett, Acting Chief of the NBS Office of EnergyRelated Inventions, that I am sending these copies to you, and that you are planning to extract some further information on the progress and status of this program from George's letter to you of June 2, 1975. If I can be of further assistance, please give me a call. Sincerely, Gather Carsity Esther C. Cassidy Assistant to the Director Enclosures CC: US Department of Commerce Testimony of Richard W. Roberts Director, National Bureau of Standards Subcommittee on Energy Research and Water Resources March 6, 1975 I appreciate this opportunity to appear before your Subcommittee and testify during your hearings on S. 598, Authorization for the Energy Research and Development Administration. You have asked me to state how the National Bureau of Standards will implement a new responsibility assigned to it by Section 14 of the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-577). This new responsibility directs NBS to assist ERDA by evaluating promising energy-related inventions. Particular attention will be paid to those inventions submitted by individual inventors and small companies for the purpose of obtaining direct grants from ERDA. Section 9(m) of the Act defines "invention" as "inventions or discoveries, whether patented or unpatented. I. Background NBS and the Department of Commerce have a long history of involvement with the inventors' community. We are, therefore, familiar with the steps that need to be taken by ERDA to "encourage the participation of a large number of inventors" [PL 93-577, Section 7(a)(6)] in such research, development and demonstration programs as those called for by the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974. During World War II, the Department of Commerce established a program to evaluate inventions pertaining to the national defense. The program was an effective one: thousands of inventions and ideas were evaluated by the 2 It is our plan to use the knowledge developed by the Department of Commerce and supplement that knowledge by more current information available in the experiences of such organizations as the National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC) in the United Kingdom and the Research Corporation in New York City whose function it is to carry promising inventions through to the commercial applications. II. Cooperation with ERDA Members of the NBS staff have been in active consultation with members of the ERDA staff since the start of the calendar year and a joint NBS/ERDA task force has been operating for a month to determine the best way to out carry, the program. carryn following points: These continuing consultations are focusing on the (1) The establishment of procedures to avoid any duplication of effort between our agencies. For example, such procedures would provide that inventions submitted directly to ERDA would be turned over to NBS for evaluation. (2) The process by which NBS would evaluate the submitted inventions for both technical feasibility and useful development; (3) The format NBS would use to submit recommendations to ERDA on how best to proceed to implement promising inventions. (4) Procedures which would be used to publicize the program. through public announcements in technical trade journals, Government publications, and suitable public media, NBS and ERDA could encourage the submission of energy-related inventions from individual inventors and from the small business community. III. Plans and Procedures Based on past experience, we estimate the number of inventions which will be submitted for evaluation will range from 2,000 to 6,000 annually. NBS is considering the following steps in evaluating these inventions: NBS would inform the inventors and the small businesses who submit inventive ideas of their property rights and other protection afforded them by law. Also, precautions would be taken to assure that the inventive ideas are not disclosed inadvertently. NBS staff and other experts under contract to NBS would then Those inventions which appear technically feasible would be carefully reviewed for further useful development? NBS plans to contract for this analysis with one of the non-profit organizations having experience in the commercialization of inventions. Based upon these reviews, NBS would submit its evaluations to ERDA for |