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Researchers in the Building Technology & Urban Systems Division (BTUS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory develop data and technologies that increase energy efficiency and improve the health, safety and comfort of building occupants, in the United States and worldwide.

We work closely with industry partners, academics and government officials to achieve these goals, and share our research widely
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We are at the forefront of cutting-edge research that redefines building technology and explores all areas of urban systems.

We have been leaders for decades in developing energy-efficient windows, improving indoor air quality, coming up with new ideas to fix the nation's electricity grid, and so much more.

Visit our research areas at the right to find out more.
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Enjoy presentations from Building Technology & Urban systems research experts on a wide variety of topics in the areas of building energy efficiency, the electricity grid and how it relates to buildings and much more.
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Explore our tools, guidebooks and software and download for free.

We offer a variety of technologies designed to simulate and model real-world circumstances to assist in energy-saving programs and help building owners build better buildings. These tools can help calculate performance of building systems like windows and shades, help consumers and builders pick the best windows for a variety of applications and much more.

New Platform Showcases Energy Management Systems Success

March 20, 2024

Any organization seeking to decarbonize must manage its energy, and an enterprise-wide strategy offers the best chance of success. From giant corporations to small businesses and NASA facilities to neighborhood schools, organizations of all kinds globally are cutting carbon emissions, saving money, and saving energy with energy management systems. Based on the international ISO 50001 standard, energy management systems help to build a data-driven culture around managing energy. A new online tool, the Energy Management Systems Insights database, displays successes from hundreds of case studies in a user-friendly and shareable way.

“With Energy Management Systems Insights, users have easy access to high-quality, data-driven case studies at their fingertips. This first of its kind database includes helpful filters and content tags for user-friendly, highly targeted searches," said Dr. Peter Therkelsen, Staff Scientist and Energy Management Systems Team Lead at Berkeley Lab. “Whether you're looking for examples of energy performance improvement in automotive manufacturing, or compelling testimonials from the healthcare sector, this is the tool for you.”

Recent research by the same team has shown that organizations implementing ISO 50001-based energy management systems achieve persistent annual energy efficiency gains exceeding 3%, surpassing those needed to meet IPCC climate targets. This new database not only highlights organizational achievements but also provides a platform for knowledge sharing within and across sectors. An intuitive search menu lets users select only the case studies they want to see, filtering by sector, country, size, or keywords. Downloadable maps and charts summarize energy, carbon, and cost savings across selected case studies, while key testimonials highlight what participants found most successful.