flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

MBMA partners with ORNL for whole building energy efficiency study

MBMA partners with ORNL for whole building energy efficiency study

The results are intended to advance energy efficiency solutions for new and retrofit applications.


By Posted by Tim Gregorski, Senior Editor | September 18, 2012
These test buildings will provide the opportunity to prove solutions in a low ri
These test buildings will provide the opportunity to prove solutions in a low risk environment so they can be more readily accep

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) has started the first phase of a long-term plan for major research in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The industry and DOE hope this joint work will ultimately provide designers with the knowledge to design higher quality and more energy efficient structures. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was awarded the MAXLAB project under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and this research is an element of that project.

ORNL’s light commercial building flexible research platforms will expose the test buildings to natural weather conditions for R&D purposes. The results are intended to advance energy efficiency solutions for new and retrofit applications. These test buildings will provide the opportunity to prove solutions in a low risk environment so they can be more readily accepted in the marketplace in actual commercial buildings.

The research will consist of two full-scale light commercial buildings. The first building to be completed will be a 2,400-sf, one-story metal building system with a gable roof. The second building will be a 3,200 square-foot, multi-story light framed building with a flat roof. MBMA will conduct research on the low-rise metal building.

Both buildings will have hundreds of very sophisticated sensors that will send data back to a central data center within the main MAXLAB research building to closely monitor heat flow through the various surfaces. The buildings will be constructed on insulated concrete foundations that include in-slab heating/cooling loops, which enable  researchers to control the temperature of the fluid circulating in the loops. The slab system, which was specially designed for the experiments, will eliminate heat transfer between the ground and the test buildings. This separation of the buildings from the effects of the ground is necessary to accurately model the energy performance of the building shells and makes the research more useful for various geographic locations.

The structural frame for the metal building has been constructed on the site, and the roof and walls are currently under construction. Once construction is completed, ORNL researchers will begin setting up sensors and other scientific equipment to measure the energy performance of the building and to establish a performance baseline. The benchmark building will be insulated to a low level to establish a starting point. Future experiments will include higher insulation levels for the roof and walls and introduce other energy saving strategies that will be measured against the original benchmark performance.

Since metal buildings are used in approximately 40% of all low-rise non-residential construction, this is an important construction type to study in order to analyze, document, and show improvements in energy performance.

Energy research on buildings has previously focused on the component level, such as hot box testing, cool roof tests, air barrier tests, etc. However, whole building testing in a complete building system will allow for combined and individual impacts to be evaluated together due to the complicated interactions among the building components under controlled conditions. +

 

 

Related Stories

| Mar 26, 2012

Ball State University completes nation's largest ground-source geothermal system

Ball State's geothermal system will replace four aging coal-fired boilers to provide renewable power that will heat and cool 47 university buildings, representing 5.5-million-sf on the 660-acre campus.

| Mar 22, 2012

Hawaiian architecture firm chooses FRP trellis system over traditional materials

MGA Architecture plans to add five more trellis systems on the neighboring building. 

| Mar 22, 2012

Moline Public Library uses copper as an exterior building material

Architects incorporate decorative copper panels to create the look of a heavy plate copper shingle. 

| Mar 21, 2012

10 common data center surprises

Technologies and best practices provide path for better preparation.

| Mar 21, 2012

ABI remains positive for fourth straight month

Highest spike in inquiries for new projects since 2007.

| Mar 21, 2012

Iowa’s Mercy Medical Center’s new Emergency Department constructed using Lean design

New Emergency Department features a "racetrack" design with a central nurses' station encircled by 19 private patient examination rooms and 2 trauma treatment rooms. 

| Mar 21, 2012

Clary, Hendrickson named regional directors for HDR Architecture

New directors will be responsible for expanding and strengthening the firm throughout the central region. 

| Mar 20, 2012

FMI releases 2012 first quarter construction outlook

The last time construction put in place was at this level was 2000-2001.

| Mar 20, 2012

Ceco Building Systems names Romans marketing director

Romans joins Ceco Building Systems with over 15 years in marketing and customer service.

| Mar 20, 2012

UT Arlington launches David Dillon Center for Texas Architecture

Symposium about Texas architecture planned for April.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Urban Planning

The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile

Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example. 


Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021