OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Nestled in the verdant hills of Tennessee is the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The largest of DOE’s multiprogram research laboratories, ORNL does research on everything from basic science and chemistry to materials research, nuclear safety, and energy conservation.
ORNL is also home to the Building Technology Center (BTC), which works on building energy efficiency improvements. Under that umbrella exists the Advanced Heating and Cooling Equipment Program which, among other things, focuses on improving commercial refrigeration equipment and systems. The major sponsor of ORNL’s BTC research activities is DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).