Energy

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory broke ground on the $54 million Solar Energy Research Center (SERC) in October of 2012. The three-story, 40,000-sf facility will support research on electrochemical and photovoltaic solar energy technologies. Designed by SmithGroup of San Francisco, SERC will house the northern branch of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a laboratory created in partnership with the California Institute of Technology.

Colorado State University began construction in October of 2012 on a 65,000-sf million expansion of the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory in Fort Collins. The $18.5 million project will provide additional research space for the College of Engineering and a business incubator. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility, which will feature combined heat and power, nighttime cold storage, and the use of wind, solar, and biomass fuel sources.

The University of Kansas completed construction of the $23.6 million Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center (M2SEC) in Lawrence in August of 2012. Designed by Treanor Architects, the 36,690-sf facility houses the Fracture & Fatigue Laboratory for construction materials testing; an anechoic chamber with wireless shielding for communications research; a biofuels lab; and  the Transportation Research Institute.

The University of Kentucky opened a $20.8 million energy research facility in Lexington in August of 2012. Representing a partnership with Argonne National Lab, the 43,000-sf building houses the Kentucky-Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research & Development Center as well as lab space for industry partners. The project is part of the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) and was awarded $11.8 million in federal stimulus funding and $3.8 million in state stimulus funding.

The University of California, Berkeley will begin occupying the new Energy Biosciences Building in August of 2012. Formerly known as the Helios Energy Research Facility, the five-story, 112,800-sf project provides collaborative research space for the study of lignocellulosic biofuels. The facility houses wet laboratories for molecular and microbial biology, fermentation, and chemical separation, as well as greenhouses, warm and cold rooms, shared instrumentation space, offices, workrooms, and conference space.

NASA opened its $25 million, 50,000-sf office building in late spring of 2012 in Mountain View, Calif. The facility is expected to attain LEED Platinum sustainable design certification and features Bloom Energy fuel cells, ventilation pumps, photovoltaic panels, a water recovery system, and advanced building controls. The building provides collaborative open offices and is located at the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field. The facility is reputedly the most environmentally advanced federal building in the nation. 

Federal Center South, the nearly completed 209,000-sf regional headquarters building for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, features a host of innovative workplace design strategies, and is on track to exceed aggressive high-performance goals set by the client, the U.S. General Services Administration. The $72 million project is the redevelopment of an existing waterfront building in Seattle.

Dow Corning opened the $11.5 million Solar Energy Exploration and Development (SEED) facility in January of 2012. The two-building project is located in Seneffe, Belgium, and includes the Solar Application Centre and the Silicone Synthesis Technology Centre. Designed by Group IPS, the sustainably designed R&D facility features a geothermal energy system with a heat pump, photovoltaic window shades, a glazed façade, and vacuum insulation panels.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is building the $135 million Energy Systems Integration Facility in Golden, Colo. The 182,500-sf project will provide 15 laboratories, four outdoor test sites, a computational data center, and advanced visualization and simulation systems for electrical grid performance research. The project team includes architectural firm SmithGroup and general contractor JE Dunn. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility. Construction began on the project in spring of 2011.

Okanagan College opened the $28 million Jim Pattison Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies and Renewable Energy Conservation in December of 2011. Located in Penticton, British Columbia, the zero-energy, zero-waste facility features the largest photovoltaic solar array on a non-utility building in Canada. Supporting education, research, and training in sustainable design, the building includes interactive instrumentation for the monitoring of building systems. The facility also houses the Okanagan Research and Innovation Centre. 

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology opened the Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre (ERC) in November of 2011 in Oshawa. The 100,000-sf building provides space for instruction, training, and research in nuclear engineering and sustainable energy development. The $45.4 million facility houses administrative and faculty offices, research and teaching labs, a 72-seat lecture hall, a four-story atrium, and study space. Construction began on the project in November of 2009 and reached completion in August of 2011.

Mid-South Community College's Renewable Energy Center will open in January of 2012 in Memphis, Ark. The 35,000-sf facility will support education and training for the sustainable energy industry. The $9 million building will house five classrooms, a 200-seat lecture hall, a chemistry lab, and a biofuel research and production facility.

Algonquin College opened the $79 million Centre for Construction Excellence in Ottawa in November of 2011. Designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects in collaboration with Edward J. Cuhaci and Associates, the 190,000-sf facility provides classrooms, studios, laboratories, and shops. The project is designed to function as a teaching laboratory for sustainable construction and comprises a five-story tower and a two-story wing.

The US Green Building Council awarded LEED certification to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital in November of 2011. Designed by Shepley Bulfinch and completed in 2010, Smilow’s sustainable features include optimum circulation of natural light in its lobbies, corridors and waiting areas; use of occupancy sensors in non-patient spaces; pumps with variable speed drives; and room pressure monitors to reduce power usage for enhanced air supply.

The University of Queensland began building the $30 million Global Change Institute in November of 2011. Located in St Lucia, the energy and environmental science research facility will be certified by the Living Building Challenge for sustainable design. The building will be carbon and water neutral and will feature a passive heating and cooling system, a pneumatic roof, and an atrium with a living wall and a waterfall.