Buildings are universal and shelter virtually every aspect of our lives—we work, live, learn, govern, heal, worship, and play in buildings. As a result, buildings have a significant impact on energy use and the environment. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, homes and commercial buildings use 71% of the electricity in the United States and this number will rise to 75% by 2025. Opportunities abound for reducing the enormous amount of energy consumed by buildings. NREL is at the forefront in developing advanced building technology and science to reduce the amount of energy consumed in our nation's buildings—our goal is to significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings and to accelerate the use of renewable energy technologies within the next decade.
NREL is a nationally recognized leader in buildings research combining renewable energy with innovative technologies to significantly reduce energy consumption in buildings. Our award-winning staff and facilities have received many awards. Our research activities combine work in:
Our research accelerates industry adoption of advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in both the residential and commercial buildings marketplace.
NREL's buildings research is primarily done through the Center for Buildings and Thermal Systems, which conducts research in heat transfer, thermal dynamics, and systems engineering to reduce the energy consumption of buildings. Several other NREL centers contribute to the buildings efforts as well.
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