Brian P. Dougherty

Brian P. Dougherty is a mechanical engineer in the Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems Group of the Energy and Environment Division (EED) of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). After working as an NBS co-op, Mr. Dougherty joined the NIST Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems Group in 1987. During his tenure, Mr. Dougherty has worked on projects that support the development and revision of test procedures for air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters, and combined heat pump-water heating appliances. As part of these appliance-related projects, Brian Dougherty has conducted laboratory testing on different appliances, participated in field monitoring projects, and performed numerous analytical studies. His work is reflected in DOE test procedures, DOE-published decisions on test procedure waiver requests, alternative methods for rating untested indoor/outdoor coil combinations, ASHRAE Standards 37, 40, and 137, and ARI Standards 210/240 and 290.  Mr. Dougherty has participated on international heat pump standardization efforts and serves on the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for ISO Technical Committee 86, "Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning."

Brian Dougherty conducts solar photovoltaics research, with a focus on building-integrated (BIPV) applications.  Dougherty and his NIST colleagues evaluate and model the electrical and thermal performance of photovoltaic panels when integrated into the building shell. Mr. Dougherty has played a lead role in constructing, commissioning, and operating two test facilities for conducting long-term, side-by-side studies on BIPV panels that have different design and installation features. As a precursor to this work, Mr. Dougherty helped to develop, demonstrate, and transfer the technology of using a solar photovoltaic array to heat domestic water.

Brian Dougherty led efforts at NIST to install, commission, and characterize a long-pulse solar simulator test facility.  The simulator is being used to investigate measurement deviations that are possible from conducting indoor testing as per existing industry standards and/or industry practices and ways to minimize those deviations.  The extent that spectroradiometic measurements can be acquired and utilized as part of photovoltaic indoor flash testing is also being studied.  NIST seeks to aid the photovoltaic industry with reducing the measurement uncertainty associated with published performance ratings and assist with incrementally increasing the amount of independent verification testing.

Brian Dougherty received a 1997 Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer, a NIST Bronze Medal Award in 1999.  He was selected for an ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award in 2006.  In 2009 Mr. Dougherty was recognized with a Department of Commerce Silver Medal for the development of appliance test procedures that forms the basis of the U.S. Appliance Energy Labeling Program.