Aug. 7, 2014: LBNL’s New Lab to Help Increase Building Efficiency
FLEXLAB Can Test HVAC, Lighting, Windows, Building Envelope, Control Systems, and Plug Loads
BERKELEY, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced what is being called the world’s most advanced energy efficiency test bed for buildings, the FLEXLAB at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). FLEXLAB is already signing up companies looking to reduce their energy use by testing and deploying the most energy efficient technologies as integrated systems under real-world conditions. The facility includes a rotating test bed to track and test sun exposure impacts, and other high-tech features.
In its first test bed experiment, leading biotech company Genentech is leveraging FLEXLAB to test systems for a new building at the company’s South San Francisco headquarters.