Energy

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began construction in September of 2023 on the $240 million Energy and Minerals Research Facility in Golden, Colo. Sited on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines, the 190,000-sf building will enable 250 USGS researchers to work side-by-side with 68 of the university's investigators and 150 students. This collaborative nexus for applied geosciences will include state-of-the-art laboratories, faculty offices, graduate student workstations, a classroom, and a café.

The University of North Dakota is planning to construct the Materials Exploration and Advanced Materials Processing Facility (MatEx) in Grand Forks. Designed by Stantec and ICON Architectural Group, the 28,000-sf facility will enable the expansion of innovative programs in biomass processing, critical minerals production and processing, and the creation of advanced carbon-based materials.

Vancouver Community College is planning to construct the CAD$291.3 million Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation on its Broadway campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. Designed by Stantec, the 343,832-sf facility will empower students to participate in the clean energy economy with technology-rich teaching labs, flexible classrooms, and specialized venues for collaborative education. An automotive shop for electric and hybrid vehicles will enable hands-on training in the servicing and maintenance of new transportation modalities.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst broke ground in April of 2023 on the $125 million Sustainable Engineering Laboratories. Envisioned as a dynamic hub for clean energy innovation, the 78,000-sf facility will provide technology-rich environments for immersive teaching and research programs. Featuring flexible, multimodal classrooms, the highly efficient building will include a regional energy operations center, a smart microgrid for renewable energy integration, and test beds for energy generation, distribution, usage, and storage.

The U.S. Department of Energy opened the $19.5 million Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) in May of 2023 in Golden, Colo. Located at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the 15,700-sf facility features 5,500 sf of cross-disciplinary collaboration space for the development of pioneering energy solutions and technologies. Catalyzing innovation at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, bioscience, and engineering, RAIL offers additional wet lab capacity, which is in high demand on NREL’s South Table Mountain campus.

Clemson University broke ground in May of 2023 on the $130 million Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in Clemson, S.C. Housing the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the 143,000-sf center will also accommodate select faculty from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering as they explore interdisciplinary synergies and endeavors. Collaborative research suites will enable teams of investigators to discover new technologies for advanced manufacturing, energy, and health.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory opened the $86 million Integrated Engineering Research Center in April of 2023 in Batavia, Ill. Designed by Perkins+Will with Arup as as structural & MEP engineer, the 80,000-sf facility collocates engineers, technicians, and scientists at the heart of Fermi's campus. Providing next-generation infrastructure for advanced particle physics, the flexible and modular building features reconfigurable labs, design studios, and testing suites.

Western Washington University broke ground in March of 2023 on the $73.6 million Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham. Designed by Perkins&Will, the 54,000-sf structure will accommodate the school's growing programs in computer science, electrical engineering, and energy science and technology. The four-story building will provide active learning classrooms, teaching and research labs, offices, breakout areas, a multicultural student lounge, and a collaborative commons. 

The new Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., is designed for groundbreaking performance and efficiency, with expectations of achieving an energy use intensity (EUI) of approximately 18 compared to the average usage of 130 at other campus buildings. Maintaining low energy consumption, optimizing occupant comfort, minimizing the mechanical cooling needs, and expressing energy performance through design were especially important goals for the institute, which is intended to be a living laboratory for educating the next generation of energy experts.

The University of Utah broke ground in February of 2023 on the Applied Sciences Project in Salt Lake City. Designed by EDA, the $93.5 million endeavor includes renovation of 40,700 sf in the historic William Stewart Building and construction of a 100,000-sf teaching and research facility. The integrated complex will feature wet and dry labs where teams of scientists will address the country’s most urgent issues, from energy and climate change to air quality and water management.

NexCore Science & Technology will begin construction in fall of 2023 on the 400,000-sf Global Energy Park in Golden, Colo. Strategically sited within walking distance of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab, the 9.3-acre development will offer leading-edge environments for the discovery and commercialization of clean energy technologies. Tenants will benefit from access to NREL's research ecosystem including computing equipment, testing resources, and visualization capabilities.

The U.S. Department of Energy broke ground in October of 2022 on the $86.2 million Science and User Support Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. Designed by Gensler and Burns & McDonnell, the 75,000-gsf structure will act as a welcome center and innovation hub for visiting researchers, guests, and facility users. Modern, configurable conference spaces will promote interaction among investigators as they explore interdisciplinary synergies and discover new technologies and solutions.