Tradeline, Inc. filters and categorizes new-construction and industry news from regional and professional journals across the country. Here you will find new projects, products, and regulatory updates.
Industry News
Lawrence Berkeley Lab Breaks Ground on Solar Energy Research Center
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 Builds Engines and Energy Conversion Lab
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.
University of Kansas Completes M2SEC Research Facility
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.
University of Kentucky Opens Energy Research Building
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.
UC Berkeley Completes Energy Biosciences Building
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.