Construction Update
Noise mufflers were recently installed on the Science & Technology Facility exhaust fans, dramatically reducing the noise levels outside the building.
Photo contributed by Chris Gaul
NREL's South Table Mountain campus will be busy with construction activity for the foreseeable future. This page has been created to keep you informed about our expansion, including construction activity updates, information on new facilities and where to find additional information. Updates will be provided weekly and also are available by calling the NREL Construction Hotline at 303-275-4087.
Construction on the NREL campus is a direct result of the Laboratory receiving the largest capital budget increase in its history in 2007. The funds are designated for building key facilities to meet crucial research objectives. NREL is moving forward with construction of several new facilities: a Research Support Facility, a Renewable Fuel Heating Plant, Mesa Top PV Project, Energy Systems Integration Facility and infrastructure upgrades such as roads and utilities.
Updated: Sept. 15, 2008
Construction on the Mesa Top PV Project continues. Sun Edison will develop the solar energy system and is expected to bring construction equipment on site through September. Neighbors may see a slight increase in traffic on Quaker Street as Sun Edison staff uses the road to access the mesa top. Construction activities will generate some noise during the drilling operation to install support structures for the PV systems.
Sun Edison crews of no more than 10 people are expected on site and will be working from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday unless otherwise indicated.
The contractor for the Renewable Fuel Heating Plant, Ameresco, is scheduled to be on site from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday unless otherwise indicated.
For additional information, contact NREL's Public Relations Office at 303-275-4090.
Renewable Fuel Heating Plant
Construction on the Renewable Fuel Heating Plant (RFHP) is now 98 percent complete. The boiler is expected to start at the end of October, depending on the weather. Once started, the plant is expected to run continuously until spring 2009. The RFHP, to be located behind the Field Test Laboratory Building, will use wood waste and forest thinnings from Colorado's Front Range for fuel. The plant is expected to displace up to 75 percent of NREL's South Table Mountain natural gas use.
Mesa Top PV Project
The Mesa Top PV Project is a 5-acre field of solar panels to be built near the NREL Solar Radiation Research Laboratory on top of South Table Mesa. It will produce an estimated 750 kilowatt hours of clean, renewable electric power from solar energy that will be used to power NREL buildings. It is expected to be completed in October 2008.
Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility
The Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF), to be built adjacent to the Process Development Unit in the Alternative Fuel Users Facility, will expand NREL's capabilities to develop new cellulosic ethanol technologies. The IBRF will allow the Laboratory to work simultaneously on multiple research projects with multiple research partners. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2010.
Research Support Facility
The 210,000 square-foot Research Support Facility (RSF) is designed to be a model for sustainable, high-performance building design, and will provide DOE-owned work space for administrative staff who currently occupy leased space in the nearby Denver West Office Park. It will make substantial use of daylighting, dramatically reducing energy use and providing a pleasant and productive working environment. The RSF has been designed to achieve a LEED® (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) Platinum designation — the highest benchmark awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. Construction on the RSF is expected to be completed in December 2009.
Energy Systems Integration Facility
The 130,000-square-foot building, to be located southeast of the existing Science & Technology Facility, will house a variety of research that aims to overcome technical barriers to adding new renewable energy generation systems to the electrical grid. As planned, the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) will be a multi-story building that will provide laboratory and office space for approximately 150 NREL researchers and support staff. Employees could occupy the ESIF as early as 2012.
