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Feature Stories on the Research Support Facility

Read NREL's collection of Research Support Facility feature stories. See the complete collection of feature stories from NREL.

Photo rendering of the fully built Research Support Facility

Small Improvements to Make Big Difference

January 26, 2011 — Research Support Facility expansion provides a rare opportunity to apply efficiency lessons right away.

Photo of the sun reflecting off of a solar panel on a roof.

Solar System Tops Off Efficient NREL Building

September 29, 2010 — A rooftop solar electric system on NREL's new office building embodies the ideals of energy efficiency and renewable energy advocated by the Lab.

Photo of a wall coved in perforated metal, with two men standing next to it.

NREL Solar Technology Will Warm Air at 'Home'

July 30, 2010 — Transpired solar collector technology developed at NREL boosts the efficiency of the new Research Support Facility on the Lab's campus.

Photo of the outside of a building with a purple flower at the base looking up towards the sun.

New Low-Energy Building a Landscape Leader, Too

July 1, 2010 — The grounds of the Research Support Facility will help shape the nation's first rating system for green landscape design and construction.

Photo of a building lobby with the NREL logo on top of wood planks with colors of gold and blue-gray.

Sustainable Solutions Abundant in New Offices

May 24, 2010 — Beetle kill wood is just the latest example of the resources used to make the Research Support Facility a model for sustainability.

Photo of two men watching as a third man goes over blueprints in the data center of the Research Support Facility.

Green Computing Helps in Zero Energy Equation

April 14, 2010 — Information Technology in the new Research Support Facility subtracts watts, adding to the building's energy efficiency while showing others how.

Photo of a man and a woman in a lab holding a window with tinted glass.

Light Inspires Energy Efficient Building Design

March 1, 2010 — The use of daylighting drives the size of the NREL's new super energy efficient Research Support Facility as well as the features of its windows.

Photo of a large three story building under construction with windows not installed against a dark blue sky.

Building Panels Protect, Provide Comfort

Oct. 30, 2009 — The exterior skin of NREL's newest building will do more than keep the weather out. The concrete panels actually will be part of the Research Support Facilities' heating and cooling system. It's an old idea brought back to life in the name of energy efficiency.

Photo of a man in a hard hat and orange vest resting his hands on a large round pipe, which is the corner support for a building structure.

Recycled Natural Gas Pipes Shore Up Green Building

July 17, 2009 — NREL's efforts to create one the of the world's most energy efficient buildings is putting a twist on an old building standard. The vertical supporting columns which will carry the weight of floors and walls in the new Research Support Facilities is made from recycled natural gas pipe.

Drawing of two wings of the building surround a courtyard and are joined by a lobby.

Labyrinth to Store Energy in Basement for Later Use

May 29, 2009 — There's a labyrinth in the basement of NREL's newest building. The maze wasn't designed to hem in a mythical beast or to confuse workers, but it is a trap — one that will capture the heat of the day or the cool of the night, hold onto it and then slowly release the thermal energy to help warm or cool the building.

Photo of a truck delivering materials to an office building under construction.

NREL Sets the Bar for Office Building Energy Use

Dec. 7, 2009 — When DOE decided on a new office building, it asked NREL to set a new energy use benchmark. The resulting Research Support Facility does that and more.

Related Stories

Photo of four men in suits holding shovels of dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony.

Major Construction Begins on NREL's Main Campus

Dec. 2007 — NREL is in the process of designing and building key facilities to meet the nation's crucial research objectives for clean and sustainable energy technologies. A $101 million increase to NREL's budget makes it possible for NREL to move forward with the construction of new facilities.

Drawing of an office with low walled cubicles and people with sky line in the background.

NREL Tests Energy-Saving Office of the Future

March 13, 2009 — New administrative offices for the U.S. Department of Energy's Golden Field Office and NREL will be in one of the world's most energy efficient buildings. Planners have set their sights on achieving a LEED Platinum rating; employees, however, are simply dubbing the building as the "office of the future."

Photo of a man in a business suit standing at a microphone answering media questions while another man in a business suit listens.

Recovery Act Money Invested at NREL

May 1, 2009 — U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu made his first visit to NREL as secretary an especially memorable one — announcing $110 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate construction of the Laboratory's campus, dramatically expanding NREL's capacity for renewable energy research and partnerships while showcasing some of the world's most energy efficient buildings.