Penn State Team To Run Building 'Hub'

The Department of Energy last week selected a team led by Pennsylvania State University to receive $122 million over five years to create an R&D center to develop technologies that make buildings more energy efficient. The R&D hub will be located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and will consist of 20 partners, including two national labs and several universities and private research facilities. Such hubs are an attempt by Energy Secretary Steven Chu to bring together key scientists to examine a particular energy-related problem. Chu estimates that buildings account for 40% of U.S. energy consumption and carbon emissions. With this grant DOE will have formed three energy hubs to examine specific energy problems. The others focus on nuclear energy and on the creation of energy from sunlight (C&EN, June 14, page 35; and Aug. 2, page 32).