▁and ▁will ▁focus ▁on ▁integr ating ▁smart ▁materials , ▁designs , ▁and ▁systems ▁into ▁buildings ▁to ▁better ▁con serve ▁energy ▁and ▁on ▁design ing ▁and ▁discover ing ▁new ▁concepts ▁and ▁materials ▁needed ▁to ▁convert ▁solar ▁energy ▁into ▁electric ity . ▁Another ▁two ▁hub s , ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁DO E ▁Office ▁of ▁Science ▁budget , ▁were ▁created ▁to ▁tack le ▁the ▁challeng es ▁of ▁de vis ing ▁advanced ▁methods ▁of ▁energy ▁storage ▁and ▁creating ▁fu els ▁directly ▁from ▁sun light ▁without ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁plants ▁or ▁micro bes . ▁Yet ▁another ▁hub ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁develop ▁" sm art " ▁materials ▁to ▁ ▁allow ▁the ▁elect rical ▁grid ▁to ▁adapt ▁and ▁respond ▁to ▁changing ▁conditions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁The ▁DO E ▁awarded ▁$ 1 2 0 ▁million ▁to ▁the ▁Am es ▁Labor atory ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁new ▁E I H , ▁the ▁Crit ical ▁Material s ▁Institute , ▁which ▁will ▁focus ▁on ▁impro ving ▁the ▁supply ▁of ▁rare ▁earth ▁elements , ▁which ▁is ▁ ▁controlled ▁by ▁China . ▁ ▁Advanced ▁Research ▁Project s ▁Agency - E ner gy ▁ ▁AR PA - E ▁was ▁officially ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁America ▁CO MP ET ES ▁Act ▁, ▁author ed ▁by ▁Congress man ▁Bart ▁Gordon , ▁within ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ▁( DO E ) ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁though ▁without ▁a ▁budget . ▁ ▁The ▁initial ▁budget ▁of ▁about ▁$ 4 0 0 ▁million ▁was ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁stim ulus ▁bill ▁of