Energy

The University of Dayton completed construction of the $52 million Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center (EPISCENTER) in summer of 2013. The 139,000-sf facility was created in partnership with GE Aviation. LEED sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which features photovoltaic energy technologies and a sophisticated water management system. The cost of construction was $25 million with $27 million providing funding for research instrumentation. Ground was broken on the project in April of 2011.

Oak Ridge National Lab will dedicate the $20.5 million Maximum Building Energy Efficiency Research Laboratory (MAXLAB) in summer of 2013 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The 18,000-gsf facility was completed in early 2013 and provides research facilities for the development and testing of building components and systems. The project team included architect and construction administrator Cannon Design of St. Louis, civil engineer Fulghum MacIndoe & Associates, and landscape architect Hedstrom Design.

The 282,000-sf, five-story Energy Environment Experiential Learning (EEEL) building at the University of Calgary provides instructional space for expanded programs in energy and environment; new laboratories for biology, chemistry, and civil, mechanical, and chemical engineering; and space for faculty and staff. With its distinctive glass and aluminum exterior, EEEL creates an impressive front door to the community as the first major University building at the north campus entrance.

The University of California, San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography opened the $26.5 million Marine Ecosystem Sensing, Observation and Modeling (MESOM) Laboratory in La Jolla in June of 2013. Accommodating 76 researchers and staff, the three-story, 40,100-sf facility provides 12 labs and 15 offices for the study of coastal ecosystems and climate change. LEED Platinum sustainable design certification will be sought for the project, which features abundant natural light and a rooftop photovoltaic array.

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has released EnergyIQ, a free, Web-based energy benchmarking platform. The tool enables facility managers to compare energy end-use scores for individual building systems, predict return-on-investment for retrofit projects, and identify potential actions for improvement . EnergyIQ can be integrated with a variety of other platforms. The database currently includes facilities from the the U.S. Department of Energy Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey and the California Commercial End-Use Survey.

The Department of Energy opened the $135 million Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) in June of 2013. Located at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., the 182,500-sf facility provides 15 labs and four outdoor test sites for electrical grid integration research. The center features a petascale supercomputer for advanced modeling and simulation as well as a hardware-in-the-loop system for product testing.

The University of British Columbia is partnering with Cisco Systems to develop advanced energy management technologies. The project includes the use of the UBC campus as a living laboratory to create new industry benchmarks for sustainable operations. Cisco will invest up to $1 million over five years to develop an integrated campus-wide energy management network and new automation technologies.

Continued signs of stable economic growth indicate that the recovery is gaining momentum in many parts of the United States and Canada. Construction selling prices for institutional projects grew at a 6 percent annualized rate in 2012, on top of a 3 percent increase in 2011. Construction costs are expected to continue stabilizing and rising in many regions as market confidence and capital spending increase.

Keyano College is building the $22 million Oilsands Power & Process Engineering Lab in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The 16,469-sf facility will feature a fully functional cogeneration plant with steam turbine generators, boilers, and condensers, as well as classrooms, mechanical shops, and support offices. The project team includes architectural firm Dialog, general contractor PCL Construction, and engineering consultant WorleyParsons.

The U.S. Department of Energy opened the $66.8 million Interdisciplinary Science Building at Brookhaven National Lab in April of 2013. Located in Upton, N.Y., the two-story, 87,700-sf facility provides 60 laboratories for research on renewable energy and nanomaterials. The ISB features a humidity-controlled dry room for battery assembly and testing and vibration-mitigated labs for spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy (SI-STM) and molecular beam epitaxy fabrication.

Idaho National Lab dedicated its Energy Systems Laboratory in April of 2013 in Idaho Falls. Constructed by Ormond Builders, the 91,000-sf facility provides research, teaching, and demonstration facilities for the study of bioenergy technologies, hybrid vehicles, batteries, and biomass design and analysis. The building houses three reconfigurable high bay research areas, a biomass characterization lab, a computer-assisted virtual environment, and offices. Ground was broken on the project in February of 2011.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will dedicate the $75.7 million Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) on April 5, 2013. Designed by HOK with Potter Lawson as architect of record, the 100,000-sf facility provides wet and dry labs, offices, imaging suites, high bay space, and conference rooms for collaborative research on advanced fuels, renewable energy, and energy storage systems. Ground was broken on the multidisciplinary building in November of 2010 and the project was built by M.A. Mortensen.

Australia's Griffith University is nearing completion of the world's first zero-emission teaching and research facility powered entirely by photovoltaic solar energy and stored hydrogen. In addition to being a practical demonstration of innovative energy technologies, the $40 million Sir Samuel Griffith Centre will serve as a campus cornerstone and collaborative social hub that integrates business, engineering, and environmental science disciplines around the core issues of sustainability.

The Daikin McQuay Applied Development Center is a state-of-the-art, research and development facility for innovative high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies. The Center develops and tests advanced chiller, compressor, and other HVAC technologies to reduce energy consumption and ultimately the carbon footprint of buildings.

The University of Wyoming is planning to build the $30 million Energy Engineering Research Facility (EERF) in Laramie. The 81,000-sf building will feature large-scale, flexibly configured research laboratories, offices, and meeting areas. The project team includes Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects of Seattle, Malone Belton Abel of Laramie, and GSG Architecture of Casper. Construction will begin in fall of 2014 with completion expected in spring of 2016.