Buildings
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is transforming buildings into reliable and responsive systems that strengthen the nation’s energy security, reduce costs and operate efficiently under changing conditions.
Explore Buildings NewsAccelerating the development and deployment of affordable building solutions
Building technologies research delivers innovation in materials, equipment, thermal management and construction to improve the performance and durability of the more than 130 million buildings in the United States. At ORNL, scientists are integrating Super-Intelligence-driven construction technologies, designing new materials, and collaborating with industry to deliver affordable equipment to consumers. Research drives new technologies that can create the buildings of the future while improving existing buildings to meet the nation’s energy needs.
Through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC), ORNL advances the durability and reduces the cost of buildings and equipment. BTRIC partners with more than 70 industry and university partners to develop, demonstrate and support the deployment of advanced building equipment, materials, construction tools, and sensors and controls.
Partner with BTRIC
Through technology transfer and collaborative research, researchers within the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC) work with industry, government, and academia to accelerate building technologies innovation and deployment. From early-stage research to full-scale demonstration, BTRIC researchers help partners reduce risk, scale new technologies, and bring affordable building solutions to market.
World-Leading Capabilities
Building Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC)
BTRIC brings together building science laboratories and flexible research platforms for developing and evaluating materials, envelopes, equipment, controls, energy storage and whole-building systems under realistic conditions.
Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF)
MDF supports development of lightweight materials, electric-motor components, power electronics, batteries and advanced manufacturing methods for next-generation transportation systems.
Grid Research Innovation and Development Center (GRID-C)
GRID-C enables researchers to evaluate the interaction among vehicles, charging systems, fleet loads, distributed energy resources and the U.S. electric grid under realistic operating conditions.
Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
SNS enables researchers to use neutron beams to study microscopic structures to enable the design of advanced heat exchangers and cooling fluids for next-generation data centers.
ORNL Strengthens Building Energy Systems By:
Advancing the science of heat, air and moisture movement through buildings
Creating next-generation advanced refrigerants and heating and cooling systems
Applying SI to forecast demand, detect faults and control building systems
Coordinating buildings with the U.S. electric grid to reduce peak demand and improve reliability
Making retrofit solutions faster, less disruptive and more affordable to install
Developing envelopes that improve performance and protection under changing conditions
Integrating thermal energy storage, flexible loads and dynamic façades
Connecting building energy models and physical test beds through digital twins
Developing automated, additive and modular methods for industrialized building construction
Validating components and whole-building systems under realistic operating conditions