Awards
NREL's award-winning work with the commercial and public sectors to improve building energy performance is central to its mission, but NREL goes beyond this by educating the public via consumer workshops and administering educational programs such as the Solar Decathlon.
2005
R&D 100 Award — TREAT with SUNREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and its partners, created a tool that made it much easier for building professionals to perform accurate energy audits and reduce the impact of building energy use on the environment. That tool is TREAT 2.6 (Targeted Residential Energy Analysis Tools) with SUNRELTM. TREAT with SUNREL is a comprehensive energy analysis tool that models building energy consumption and identifies the most cost effective energy efficiency upgrades for both single-family and multifamily buildings. Hundreds of auditors, engineers, and contractors have used it thousands of times to provide quick answers to energy use questions. For more information, visit NREL's Awards page.
2001
AIA Top Ten Green Building Awards
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) selected the Bighorn Home Improvement Center in Silverthorne, Colorado to receive one of the 2001 Top Ten Green Building Awards. NREL's Paul Torcellini and Sheila Hayter were energy consultants on the project. The Center is one of the first examples in the United States of integrated daylighting and natural ventilation cooling systems in a retail space and includes the largest commercial photovoltaic array in Colorado.
AIA COTE presented an additional 2001 Green Building Award to the designers of the Zion National Park Visitor Center near Springdale, Utah. The National Park Service (NPS) worked with a team including NREL's Ron Judkoff and Paul Torcellini to complete the award-winning building. As a primary part of the Zion Canyon Transportation System, the low energy visitor center is a setting where visitors can utilize park resources and learn about conservation values.
2000
The American Solar Energy Society Fellow
ASES selected NREL's Doug Balcomb, who has specialized in passive solar systems for over 25 years, as Fellow of the Society in acknowledgement of his contribution to ASES and to the solar energy field.
NREL Fellowship
NREL selected Doug Balcomb, who has been at NREL since 1987, as a research fellow for his outstanding work in passive solar design. Balcomb is internationally recognized as a pioneer in passive solar building design.
ASES Chair
The members of ASES elected NREL's Chuck Kutscher to serve as Chair for 2000 and 2001.
1999
ASHRAE Technology Award — 1st Place, Alternative and/or Renewable Energy Use
Presented by ASHRAE to NREL's Paul Torcellini, Sheila Hayter, Otto VanGeet, and Ron Judkoff in recognition of their outstanding achievement in the design and operation of energy-efficient buildings.
Fourth Research Award
Issued by the Electrochemical Society to NRELs Dr. Al Czanderna for outstanding solar research including multi-layer photovoltaic (solar electric) modules, electrochromic energy-saving windows and solar reflectors used in concentrating solar power systems to make electricity.
1998
Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented by the Passive and Low-Energy Architecture (PLEA) to NREL's senior engineer, Doug Balcomb, for his contributions to the field of passive solar design.
1997
Progressive Architecture Award
Presented by Architecture magazine to DOE, NREL's Doug Balcomb, and the Passive Solar Industries Council (now Sustainable Buildings Industry Council) for promoting the design of energy-efficient buildings and the development of Energy10 simulation software.
Efficient Building Design Award — 1st Place
Presented by Energy User News to NREL's design team Paul Torcellini, Otto Van Geet, and Ron Judkoff, for designing NREL's highly energy-efficient new construction projects on campus.
Jefferson County Sustainability Award
Presented by Jefferson County Colorado to NREL researchers, Paul Torcellini, Ron Judkoff, and Otto Van Geet, and ABO Copeland Architecture for design work on the TTF.
1996
Pioneer in the Field of Renewable Energy Award
Presented by World Renewable Energy Congress to NREL's Doug Balcomb.
1995
John Ericsson Award
Presented by the U.S. Department of Energy to NREL Engineer Doug Balcomb in recognition of meritorious contributions to the development of renewable energy. The John Ericsson Award is the highest honor available with the U.S. Department of Energy.
1994
R&D 100 Award
Presented by R&D Magazine to NREL's Chuck Kutscher and Craig Christensen, Conserval, Inc., and Engineering Incorporated's John Hollick, in recognition of their work in transpired solar collector technology.
Best of What's New Award
Presented by Popular Science magazine to NREL's Chuck Kutscher and Craig Christensen and Conserval, Inc., for their work in transpired solar collector technology.
Federal Laboratory Consortium Honorable Mention
Presented to NREL's Chuck Kutscher and Craig Christensen for their work on the transpired solar collector on NREL's Waste Handling Facility.
1991
Federal Laboratory Consortium Award
Presented to NREL's Ron Judkoff for developing a short-term test method that resulted in a 600% improvement in the cost effectiveness of federal low income weatherization methods for mobile homes.
