In this edition: Decarbonization perspectives, Smarter Building Start, and other research progress.
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What Does it Mean?


THree experts at PNNL share decarbonization perspectives 

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Most people likely would agree that decarbonization involves, in its simplest definition, removing carbon from the environment. But from there, a variety of factors may influence an individual’s definition of decarbonization and views on potential solutions.

The Building Decarbonization @ PNNL newsletter editor reached out to three Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) buildings experts—a division director (Karma Sawyer), a mid-career researcher (Veronica Adetola), and an early-career researcher (Sam Rosenberg)—and asked them to answer, in approximately 200 words:


“What does decarbonization mean to you and your work?”


Karma Sawyer - Director, Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division                      


I grew up in Scranton, PA, the Electric City, a community centered around the important roles coal mining and electricity generation can play, both in raising the well-being of individuals and building an economic foundation for the community. I witnessed Scranton’s energy, economic, environmental, and human health tensions in a real way. So, I bring a very personal perspective to the decarbonization discussion.


With that in mind, perhaps it’s not surprising that while my education initially focused on fundamental science, eventually my interests gravitated to delivering impact in the buildings sector, where I’m getting to be involved in some of the premier energy and environmental endeavors of our time—decarbonization of buildings and electrification.


It’s an incredibly exciting place to be. I am honored to work with extraordinary people at PNNL—and our sister labs as well—because they really are moving the ball down the court in these research areas.


I smile not only about the important technical contributions staff at PNNL are making, but about their commitment to energy equity, which focuses on the people who have been underserved by the electricity system and new technologies, yet have the greatest needs that could be served in the biggest ways.


Veronica Adetola - Chief research scientist and team leader for Resilient Control Methods


Decarbonization of buildings requires innovations in two main areas: energy efficiency and electrification. The idea of electrification—which involves transitioning millions of buildings and homes from fossil-fuel-based energy to clean, zero-carbon electricity—is both daunting and exhilarating. And beyond the technical challenges, we must be mindful of electrification’s equity issues—no one can be left behind due to lack of affordability or access.


I lead a Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office-funded project that seeks to solve several key electrification challenges. This multi-institute project is creating and demonstrating innovative design optimization and control solutions for integrated heat pump (HP) systems. Electric HPs offer the most viable alternative for space heating and cooling and can deliver rapid reductions in the built environment’s carbon emissions. However, most HPs' efficiency and performance decline in cold weather.


By integrating right-sized thermal energy storage with HPs and effectively utilizing the stored energy, our project aims to expand HP operational capacity for cold climate operation and offer cost-effective, grid-responsive, and reliable solutions for building owners and tenants.


Sam Rosenberg - Data scientist, Technology Integration


Decarbonization is important to me because it supports a happy, healthy, and enjoyable environment for myself, my potential children, and the generations that follow. Decarbonizing buildings is fundamentally the task of reducing the energy use in buildings by increasing efficiency and serving the remaining energy needs with low-carbon emission sources.


One way we can reach decarbonization of our buildings is through grid-responsive electrification, and one of the projects that I work on is aimed at decarbonizing homes in rural Alaska through the adoption of high-efficiency heat pumps that are responsive to varying electric grid emissions profiles. This work is taking place in a region where decarbonization through electrification can be more difficult than elsewhere in the country due to climate, location, and income barriers.


This project allows researchers to bring the health, comfort, and environmental footprint benefits of decarbonization and electrification directly and equitably to communities who may not be able to reach them on their own. Projects like these are instrumental in achieving our nationwide goals and extending the outcomes from high-performance- buildings research to all people. 

Featured PNNL Publication:

Smarter Building StarT – A distributed Solution  

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 Photo: Artem Page | Unsplash 
 
This paper, in the March 1 edition of Energy and Buildings , was authored by Timothy Salsbury , Karthikeya Devaprasad , and Robert Lutes of PNNL, and Austin Rogers of Cascade Energy Inc. The researchers explored system start-up as an important but often neglected aspect of building operation where significant energy savings are possible, and they put forward a smart building start algorithm. The algorithm was tested in both simulations and a real building, and provided superior energy and comfort results compared to a fixed start time . Read More .  
DOE Connected Communities

PNNL Helps coordinate Productive Regional SUMMIT 

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Summit participants, pictured at the South Landing’s Catalyst Building in Spokane, WA.
 
Representatives of five DOE Connected Communities projects met in Spokane, WA, in March to share information about their respective efforts and explore collaboration opportunities. The projects are helping to realize a vision of buildings communicating with and aiding the operation of the power grid.

PNNL partnered with Edo and Avista to organize the meeting, the Northwest Connected Communities Summit. Read More. 

2023 DOE Building Technologies Office (BTO) Peer Review

PNNL Showcases work in Codes, controls, Lighting, and more 

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At the BTO Peer Review, PNNL's Tim Yoder presents a poster on building performance evaluation.
 
Researchers from PNNL shared their progress on BTO-funded projects at the 2023 BTO Peer Review, held April 24-28 in Arlington, VA. The projects address national technology needs in areas ranging from building energy code adoption and electrification to emerging heat pump technologies and control tools for buildings.

During the week, PNNL representatives delivered 26 presentations, which were peer-reviewed by experts in the field, and displayed more than 40 posters. 


“We were thrilled to return to the BTO Peer Review in person after a hiatus of four years. The number of projects and posters presented this year is unparalleled,” said Bing Liu, PNNL building sector manager.


“In addition, the kick-off meeting of the National Emerging Technologies Collaborative signifies a new phase for BTO, the national labs, and partners, as we work together with utilities, state agencies, and other stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of affordable and widely accessible clean technologies to decarbonize our buildings," Liu said. 

Building-Grid Integration
 
New Brochure outlines PNNL's capabilities
 
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Building-Grid Integration for a Transformative Energy Future provides a high-level perspective of PNNL's building-grid research strategies, capabilities, and facilities. The four-page brochure also touches on several PNNL projects.  
 
Staff Spotlight
 
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Andrea Wilkerson has been named to the inaugural editorial board of LEUKOS, The Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Read More. 
 
 
 

 

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A paper on advanced building controls, co-authored by Ján Drgoña, was recently named one of 2022’s best papers in the journal Building and Environment. Read More.
 
 
 
PNNL’s scientists in advanced lighting, building controls, energy codes, and diagnostics are helping us get one step closer to decarbonizing our country’s buildings and making our homes and work places more energy efficient and comfortable.
 
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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