Building Envelope

For more than 35 years, ORNL’s Building Envelope Materials Research Group. has been using its expertise in heat, air, and moisture transport to develop and evaluate new building envelope materials and assemblies that reduce energy use, enhance occupant comfort, are moisture durable, and/or provide grid services. To this end, the Building Envelope Materials Research Group. collaborates with ORNL researchers that specialize in material science, polymeric chemistry, advanced manufacturing, imaging and machine learning, advanced composites, sensors and controls, and roll-to-roll manufacturing. These collaborations also include industry partners for the commercialization of developed technologies.

Current Focus Areas

High-R insulation materials
Metrology for high-R insulation materials
Self-healing materials
Advanced building construction
Thermal energy storage
Envelope retrofits
Moisture durability
Grid services
Highly-insulated windows
Controls for shading systems

Capabilities and facilities

Advanced hygrothermal simulations
Characterization of hygrothermal properties
Large-scale chambers for wall and roof assemblies
Natural exposure test facilities for assembly evaluations
Unoccupied test buildings for whole-building evaluations