Energy

The University of New South Wales broke ground in December of 2009 on the $125 million Tyree Energy Technologies Building (TETB) in Sydney, Australia. The facility will support teaching and research in energy policy, market analysis, photovoltaics, nanomaterials, carbon capture and storage, and oil and gas reserves. The sustainably designed building will accommodate 300 engineering students and is slated for completion in 2012.

HelioSphera US is planning to construct a $500 million solar panel manufacturing plant in Philadelphia. Sited on 40 acres at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the 500,000-sf facility will feature a 60,000-sf cleanroom. HelioSphera US is a subsidiary of HelioSphera, a maker of thin-film photovoltaic modules based in Athens, Greece.

Ground was broken in December of 2009 on the Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC) in Boston. Operated in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the facility will be the first in the nation capable of testing blades up to 90 meters long. The research and development center will support testing of commercial wind turbine blades to improve design and reduce cost. The project is supported by $25 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as well as $28.5 million in additional funding.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will construct a testing lab in Morgantown, W.V. Supported by $14 million in stimulus funding, the 35,000-sf Performance Verification Laboratory will accommodate the testing of appliances to determine if they meet Department of Energy (DOE) efficiency standards. Featuring controlled environments with consistent room temperatures, the Morgantown facility will be one of eight new research and testing facilities nationwide. Laboratory planning will commence in December of 2009 with completion expected by September of 2013.

Clemson University will initiate construction in the first quarter of 2010 on a wind turbine research facility in Charleston, S.C. Supported by a $45 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and $53 million in matching funds, the facility will be located at the university’s Restoration Institute at the former U.S. Naval Base. Occupancy is expected by 2012.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is providing $8 million to Argonne National Laboratory for detailed design work for a new, world-class energy research facility. This is the first step in beginning work on what is expected to be a $95 million construction project. The Energy Sciences Building (ESB) will provide an environment that will accelerate the pace of discovery by bringing together interdisciplinary teams of researchers in a space that can be adjusted to accommodate an evolving energy-related science agenda.

Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. broke ground in November of 2009 on a $1.2 billion polysilicon manufacturing plant in Clarksville, Tenn. Slated for completion in 2012, the facility will house approximately 500 employees. Polysilicon is a raw material used to make solar cells and semiconductor devices. Michigan-based Hemlock Semiconductor is a joint venture between Dow Corning Corp. and two Japanese companies, Shin-Etsu Handotai Co. and Mitsubishi Materials Corp.

Michigan State University broke ground on the $1.8 million Center for Renewable Energy Research and Technology Transfer in East Lansing in November of 2009. Providing over 6,000-sf of research space, the building will house the International Renewable Energy Technology Institute and an emissions laboratory. Completion is expected in mid-2010.

Wright- Patterson Air Force Research Laboratory broke ground on a $2.5 million R&D facility for alternative aviation fuels in November of 2009. The 4,000-sf Assured Aerospace Fuels Research Facility is being built by Rhecors General Contractors of Dayton and is expected to reach completion in September of 2010. Creating fuel from coal and biomass materials, the facility will support collaboration with the University of Dayton Research Institute. 

Mesalands Community College has selected Gerald Martin Contracting of Albuquerque to construct the $5.2 million North American Wind Research and Training Center in Tucumcari, N.M. Designed by Kilmer and Associates, the 26,385-square-foot building will include a 12,697-sf wind turbine workshop and 13,688-sf of classrooms, lecture halls, and offices. Construction will begin in November of 2009 with completion expected in September of 2010.

Enerkem is partnering with GreenField Ethanol to construct the $10 million Advanced Energy Research Facility in Edmonton, Alberta. Ground was broken on the pilot-scale plant in September of 2009 with completion expected in early 2010. The facility will support research on the conversion of commercial waste into biofuels and chemicals.

DuPont is planning a $45 million expansion of its polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) manufacturing plant in Louisville, Kye. Adding 78,000-sf to the existing 300,000-sf facility, the expansion is slated for completion in mid-2010. DuPont's brand of polyvinyl fluoride, Tedlar®, is used in the production of solar panels. DuPont is also initiating a $55 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Fayetteville, N.C.

The California Independent System Operator Corp. (California ISO) will construct its $110 million headquarters in Folsom, Calif. Slated for completion in March of 2011, the 278,000-sf facility will be built to attain LEED Gold certification for sustainable design. Comprised of three wings, the three-story headquarters will include training rooms, offices, a data center, and a control room. The project contractor is Clark Design/Build. California ISO is a nonprofit corporation that operates the state's wholesale electrical transmission grid.

FedEx is partnering with BP Solar to construct the largest rooftop solar array in the United States. Slated for completion in November of 2009, the 2.42 megawatt system will cover 3.3 acres atop a distribution facility in Woodbridge, N.Y. The project will reduce annual CO2 emissions by 1,867 metric tons and will provide 30 percent of the energy consumed by the facility.

BASF received a $24.6 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in August of 2009 to support construction of a lithium-ion battery materials production facility in Elyria, Ohio. The $50 million project will be the largest cathode materials manufacturing plant in North America. The funding was awarded by the Department of Energy to support the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative.