introduction
The Building Envelopes Program at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL) is a program within the Buildings
Technology Center (BTC), the premier U.S. research facility devoted to
developing technologies that improve the energy efficiency and environmental
compatibility of residential and commercial buildings. Our program is
divided into two parts: building envelope research, which focuses on the
structural elements that enclose a building (walls, roofs and foundations), and
materials research, which concentrates on the materials within the envelope
systems (such as insulation). The building envelope provides the thermal
barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment, and its elements are the
key determinants of a building's energy requirements that result from the
climate where it is located.
to move to the BTC web site.
facilities & equipment
The ORNL Buildings Technology Center is made up of a cluster of six buildings
with over 20,000 square feet of laboratory space. Within this complex are four
major experimental apparatuses used primarily for building envelope research.
They are the Large Scale Climate Simulator (LSCS),
Rotatable Guarded Hot Box (RGHB), Roof
Thermal Research Apparatus (RTRA), and
Envelope Systems Research Apparatus (ESRA).
for a web tour of our facilities
and equipment.
research staff
The Building Envelope & Materials program staff consists of scientists,
engineers, and technicians with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Responsibilities range from research and authoring to product testing and
development.
to meet our research staff.
how to work with us
We work with universities, other government agencies, and private industry to
accelerate the market penetration of the most promising energy-efficient
building envelope systems.
to learn more about how to
work with us.
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