Semprius began construction in July of 2011 on a 150,000-sf photovoltaic manufacturing facility in Henderson, N.C. The first phase of the project includes renovation of an existing facility and construction of an additional 50,000 sf. Occupancy is expected in August of 2012. Semprius is based in Durham, N.C.
Sandia Labs is engaged in a $4.2 million renovation of the Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M. Supported by federal stimulus funding, the project will enable the facility to test larger batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The completed laboratory will house new spectrometers, laser diagnostics, and six accelerating rate calorimeters. Construction began on the renovation in December of 2010 with completion expected in late 2011. The Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory was built in 1991.
The University of North Texas (UNT) broke ground on the Zero Energy Research Laboratory in Denton in July of 2011. Located in UNT’s Discovery Park, the 1,200-sf facility will include a utility core and an open flexible laboratory for sustainable energy and building systems research. The $1.15 million project is expected to reach completion in early 2012. Jacobs Engineering Group is the architect of record and the general contractor is Nouveau Construction.
The Sustainable Energy Technology Center (SENTEC) is under construction in Danville, Va. The $8 million, 26,000-sf building is located at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and is affiliated with Virginia Tech. The center was designed by Dewberry with Lord, Aeck & Sargent as laboratory planner and Perigon as engineer.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Research Support Facility has attained LEED Platinum sustainable design certification. Located in Golden, Colo., the 222,000-sf project achieved all 59 targeted LEED points, including those for site selection, energy, materials and resources, and innovation. This is the highest score of the 10 U.S. federal facilities that have earned the LEED Platinum rating for new construction. The RSF also had a perfect score in the energy category, achieving all 17 points.
Argonne National Laboratory broke ground on the $95 million Energy Sciences Building in June of 2011. The facility will support research on advanced batteries, fuels, and photovoltaics. Completion is expected in 2013. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.
Clemson University is building a wind turbine drivetrain testing facility in North Charleston, S.C. The project team includes AEC Engineering and Choate Construction. The $98 million project involves conversion of an existing warehouse to provide research, development, and testing space for offshore wind turbines. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility. Completion is expected in late 2012.
Siemens Energy began construction in May of 2011 on a wind service distribution center in Woodward, Okla. The 64,000-sf project will include two buildings to supply customers and industry partners with turbine blades, drive assemblies, and generators. Completion is expected in late 2011.
AREVA will begin construction in spring of 2012 on the three-story, 650,000-sf Uranium Enrichment Facility near Idaho Falls, Idaho. The plant is expected to be operational in 2015. The project is supported by a $2 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Rochester Institute of Technology broke ground on the $35 million Golisano Institute for Sustainability in April of 2011 in Rochester, N.Y. The 75,000-sf project is support by a $13.1 million NIST construction grant and $10 million in funding from the state of New York. The multidisciplinary facility will provide labs, classrooms, and conference rooms for research and development of sustainable business practices.
Rolls-Royce is planning to build two manufacturing facilities in Rotherham in the United Kingdom. The 150,000-sf Advanced Blade Casting Facility will produce jet engine turbine blades. The 209,000-sf Project PoWer factory will make vessels for nuclear reactors. Construction could begin in 2012.
Siemens will build an offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility in the Port of Hull in the United Kingdom. The construction cost of the production plant is estimated at $130 million.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will construct a $54.4 million a solar energy research center in Berkeley, Calif. The 21,471-sf, three-story lab and office building will accommodate research on materials science and biofuels. The sustainably designed facility will feature advanced lighting and building systems.
Lunera Lighting, a Silicon Valley company that designs, manufactures, and markets next-generation LED lighting, has announced the commercial availability of the 1200 Series Grid Lay-in Fixture. The energy efficient, dimmable, backlit luminaire provides high quality and affordable commercial lighting. The backlit design with removable LED modules for field serviceability enables easy upgrades, increasing the return on the initial fixture investment.
The design of UCLA's WIN-GEM Building and Engineering VI was recently awarded to BNIM + MRY Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as the laboratory design consultant. The project involves the phased design and construction of a 130,000-gsf engineering complex. The facility will house research laboratories for the School’s Western Institute of Nanoelectronics (WIN) and Green Engineering and Metrology (GEM) programs.
