National Renewable Energy Laboratory

NREL Newsroom

Construction Update

Photo of construction activity on the Research Support Facilities.

More than 200 precast panels have been installed on the new Research Support Facilities. Credit: Carl Cox

NREL's South Table Mountain campus and National Wind Technology Center 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.

Updated: November 17, 2009

Construction for the new Research Support Facilities is progressing. Interior mechanical and electrical rough continues in the north and south wings and interior painting is underway.

Construction of the Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility continues. Structural steel erection has begun and soldier beam installation west of building needed for retaining wall support has been completed. The east retaining wall has been placed.

Weekend work is planned for Saturday, November 21, from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Research Support Facilities and Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility.

For additional information, contact NREL's Public Relations Office at 303-275-4090.


Research Support Facilities

The 218,000 square-foot Research Support Facilities (RSF) are 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 is planned to be designated 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 summer 2010.

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.

DOE and Siemens Turbine Installation

NREL recently installed two new wind turbines at the National Wind Technology Center to study the performance and reliability of a new generation of larger land-based turbines. Data from each of the new turbines will help industry and policymakers determine how the United States could economically generate as much as 20 percent of its electricity from the wind in the next 20 years. The DOE turbine operates atop a 262-foot steel tower. The diameter of its rotor reaches 253 feet. The Department of Energy bought the turbine and awarded it to the NWTC for long-term studies. The Siemens turbine uses a second tower of the same height, but its rotor diameter is 331 feet. The Siemens turbine employs an advanced new rotor design. Learn more about the Multi-Megawatt Turbine Installation at the NWTC (PDF 64 KB) or download the August Community Newsletter, (PDF 118 KB). Download Adobe Reader

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 200-250 NREL researchers and support staff. Employees could possibly occupy the ESIF in late 2011.