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As a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tugba Turnaoglu is investigating new thermal energy storage materials and ways to incorporate them into cost-effective and energy-efficient heat pump designs. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept of Energy

Tugba Turnaoglu: Integrating advanced materials into buildings

The common sounds in the background of daily life – like a refrigerator’s hum, an air conditioner’s whoosh and a heat pump’s buzz – often go unnoticed. These noises, however, are the heartbeat of a healthy building and integral for comfort and convenience.

Buildings technologies researcher Philip Boudreaux uses a camera and a technique known as background-oriented schlieren photography to identify air leak sources in a concrete block wall mock-up. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Air leak detection system visualizes building drafts with the click of a camera

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a new detection system that allows home energy auditors to see air leaking from a building in real time with the help of a camera.

Mahabir Bhandari and Kashif Nawaz portrait images.

Two ORNL buildings researchers earn top ASHRAE honors

Kashif Nawaz and Mahabir Bhandari, building technologies researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, were recognized for research achievements in support of ASHRAE during the 2023 annual conference.

BioHome 3D sits on the campus of UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center and is made from bioderived materials that were developed in collaboration with ORNL researchers. Credit: UMaine

ORNL, UMaine 3D print home from biobased materials, develop blueprint for rapid manufacturing

On the grounds of the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center sits the nation’s first additively manufactured home made entirely from biobased materials - BioHome3D.

ORNL, NREL, and Berkeley Lab have launched Stor4Build, a consortium on energy storage for buildings. ​​​​​​​Credit: NREL, in collaboration with Berkeley Lab and ORNL.

National laboratories launch buildings consortium leveraging benefits of thermal and electrochemical energy storage for all Americans

Stor4Build is a new consortium focused on energy storage for buildings that will accelerate the growth, optimization and deployment of storage technologies.

Materials scientist Denise Antunes da Silva researches ways to reduce concrete’s embodied carbon in the Sustainable Building Materials Laboratory at ORNL, a research space dedicated to studying environmentally friendly building materials. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Denise Antunes da Silva: Unraveling concrete’s secrets to decarbonize building materials

Materials scientist Denise Antunes da Silva researches ways to reduce concrete’s embodied carbon in the Sustainable Building Materials Laboratory at ORNL, a research space dedicated to studying environmentally friendly building materials. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

ORNL’s Adam Guss and colleagues used synthetic biology to develop a custom microbe capable of converting deconstructed mixed plastic waste into valuable new materials. Credit: Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Bringing custom microbes to the business of recycling plastic

Scientists working on a solution for plastic waste have developed a two-step chemical and biological process to break down and upcycle mixed plastics into valuable bioproducts.

ORNL scientists created a new microbial trait mapping process that improves on classical protoplast fusion techniques to identify the genes that trigger desirable genetic traits like improved biomass processing. Credit: Nathan Armistead/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy. Reprinted with the permission of Oxford University Press, publisher of Nucleic Acids Research

Retro technique advances modern bacterial engineering for bioenergy

ORNL scientists had a problem mapping the genomes of bacteria to better understand the origins of their physical traits and improve their function for bioenergy production.

A zoomed in view of downtown Chattanooga’s sensors, which allowed the researchers to create building occupancy schedules that could enable improved energy efficiency and faster emergency responses. Credit: Andy Berres/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Traffic-based analyses of buildings advance smart city capabilities

Every day, hundreds of thousands of commuters across the country travel from houses, apartments and other residential spaces to commercial buildings — from offices and schools to gyms and grocery stores.

Brian Fricke, equipment research group lead at ORNL, works with Anthony Gehl at the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center on a new prototype installation. Collaboration with fellow researchers across the building technologies area strengthens his group’s capabilities. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Brian Fricke: Pioneering refrigerant work delivers big gains in carbon footprint reduction

When Brian Fricke walks into a supermarket, evidence of his scientific achievement is all around in the refrigerated cases housing the fresh fruits and vegetables. As an Oak Ridge National Laboratory building equipment researcher, Fricke has a long history of making sure that produce is kept fresh in an energy efficient and environmentally sound manner.