News

2015

Sustainability & Energy Summer Opportunity for Students

The Summer Institute on Sustainablilty and Energy (SISE) is doing it again. The SISE will be holding a 2 week program hosted at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The program is currently looking for applicants. Are you a undergraduate (seniors are encouraged), or graduate student, and believe you have something to gain from such an experience? Students majoring in Science, economics, political science, urban planning, engineering, architecture, and business are especially encourage to apply.

For more information please read here.

 

2014

Sustainability & Energy Summer Opportunity for Students

The Summer Institute on Sustainability & Energy (SISE) is looking for graduate students and senior-level undergraduates from all academic disciplines to apply to their 2014 summer program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). The program's goal is to prepare students for careers in sustainability and energy.

Read more here.

CBER Researchers Study Turkish Architecture

CBER researchers are studying an ancient architectural technique from Harran, Turkey. They hope to use this knowledge to develop novel sustainable building designs.

Read more here.

CBER Students Present Research to Legislatures

On April 1, over 60 undergraduates from the Regent universities will present their research to legislatures and others at the State Capitol building in Des Moines. Two CBER-affiliated students are among those presenting their research: Isabelle Leysens and Esdras Murillo-Larios. Leysens’ research project is titled “Rethinking Electrical Illumination in a Passive Solar Home”, and Murillo-Larios will present on “Annual Energy Consumption in a Community Lab and Analysis of the Electricity Energy Flow”. Both students work with CBER director Ulrike Passe.

Read more here.

CBER Affiliate Uses Supercomputers for Research

Iowa State University’s High Performance Computing initiative highlighted the work of CBER affiliate Baskar Ganapathysubramainan. The Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering uses supercomputers to help understand and develop clean energy applications. Ganapathysubramanian has used this technology to collaborate with other CBER affiliates on designing green buildings.

Read more here.

Des Moines Mayor to Give Lecture on Climate Change

Frank Cownie, Des Moines' Mayor, will present a lecture entitled "Climate Preparedness and Resillient Cities: What it Means in Iowa". This is part of ISU's Symposium on Sustainability. It will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 pm, in the Memorial Union’s Sun Room.

Read more here.

CBER's Co-Founder Returns to ISU

Howard Shapiro, the Center for Building Energy Research’s (CBER) co-founder, is back teaching at Iowa State University (ISU) after initially retiring in 2005.

Read more here.

2013

CBER Welcomes Dr. Andrea Wheeler

This fall, Iowa State University’s College of Design welcomed a new assistant professor, and the Center for Building Energy Research (CBER) gained a new affiliate: Andrea Wheeler.

Read more here.

Murillo Invited to Present Poster

Esdras Murillo, an ISU junior and former Iowa NSF EPSCoR intern, was recently invited to present his research poster at the Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence in Indianapolis. Murillo’s research was conducted at the Interlock House, and his paper was co-authored by CBER director Ulrike Passe and Iowa NSF EPSCoR postdoc Shan He.

Read more here.

ASHRAE Offers 28 Scholarships for 2014-2015

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is offering 28 scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. These scholarships are available for high school seniors entering college and undergraduate engineering students. The scholarship recipients are partially determined based on what the students can potentially bring to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) profession.

There are four different types of ASHRAE scholarships:

• Seven Regional and University-Specific Scholarships – $3,000-$5,000 each
• 13 Undergraduate Engineering Scholarships – $3,000-$10,000 each
• Four High School Senior Scholarships – $3,000 each
• Four Engineering Technology Scholarships – $3,00 each

More information is available here.

Iowa Energy Center and ASHRAE to Host Building Control Seminars

On November 12, the Iowa Energy Center and ASHRAE will host two half-day events featuring HVAC system design expert Steven Taylor.

The first event focuses on advanced variable air volume (VAV) control sequences.

The afternoon seminar is on optimizing the design and control of chilled water plants.

Find out more information, including how to register here.

Building Energy Research Leader Ron Nelson Retires

When trying to figure out Iowa State University’s history on building energy research, a good place to start is talking to Ron Nelson.

Nelson retired from ISU in May after teaching mechanical engineering for 33 years. Prior to becoming a professor, Nelson received B.S. and M.S. degrees from ISU before spending three years teaching in Ecuador and five years in a Ph.D. program at Stanford University – the only eight years Nelson has been away from ISU since the mid-60s.

See: IPRT News

CBER Affiliate Applies New Daylighting Software

Kris Nelson, Center for Building Energy Research (CBER) affiliate and Iowa State University lecturer, is learning about software that will allow ISU students and researchers to better determine the effects of daylighting in buildings. The software provides radiation maps, climate-based daylighting, glare analysis, LEED and CHPS daylighting compliance indication, and zone energy and load calculations.

See: IPRT News

Iowa EPSCoR Releases Video Series on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Iowa EPSCoR Released a four-part educational video series on energy efficiency in a building environment. The videos were created in collaboration with Iowa State University Extention and Outreach and faculty and students from ISU's College of Design -- including Ulrike Passe, CBER Director.

Click here to watch the videos.

Click here for more information.

Climate Change's Impact on Buildings' Energy Usage

Climate change could significantly alter the amount of energy used, and the way it is used, by buildings in the future.

Iowa State University meteorology graduate student Shannon Patton explores this issue in her Master’s thesis. Her research was conducted under the supervision of Ulrike Passe, Director of the Center for Building Energy Research (CBER) and Associate Professor of Architecture, and Eugene Takle, CBER affiliate and Professor of Atmospheric Science.

Read more here.

2012

ISU Research to Practice Team selected to attend USGBC Greenbuild Conference in San Francisco

In the Fall of 2011, the US Green Building Council launched the Research to Practice Program, which aimed to bring together multi-disciplinary groups of university students to study topics in green building research. The unique spatial constraints of the expansive Iowa State campus lead the ISU team to study a range of potential low-cost building retrofits in 5 different scientific research buildings.

In Phase I of the research, the team proposed a number of small-scale interventions that would drastically reduce energy consumption, such as lowering air exchange rates on fume hoods, replacing light fixtures, and educating building occupants about green energy practices. When the USGBC invited ISU to participate in Phase II of the program, the group's aim shifted towards making the Phase 1 conclusions more feasible. This was done through documenting research processes to develop user manuals in order to create accurate energy savings projections.

The study concluded with the ISU Facilities, Planning, and Management department adopting the lighting retrofit project with plans to execute the new lighting installation throughout campus buildings this next year. This summer the ISU team was selected as one of two finalists invited to attend the USGBC Greenbuild Conference in San Francisco in November 2012.

Kalvelage Attends ASHRAE Conference in San Antonio

ISU graduate student Kelly Jo Kalvelage has been participating in CBER-funded research, investigating how the enviornment impacts building construction and HVAC systems. Kalvelage recently attended the ASHRAE Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, where she presented a paper based on her CBER research group's findings (Passe, Takle, Rabideau, Mann, Kalvelage). Kavelage talks about her experience in a short essay.

Read the full article here.

ISU Architecture Professor Pursues Groundbreaking Work on Energy and Buildings

Professor Ulrike Passe and a team of graduate students are purusing cutting-edge research, studying energy efficiency, renewable energy, and zero-energy buildings. Passe and her team are in the midst of a 5-year, $20 million NSF study, along with connected teams at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. The building science group at ISU is currently using the Interlock house and other resources to help quantify the full benefits of energy-efficient buildings.

Read the full article here.

Iowa State’s Takle Addresses USDA on Climate Change and Its Effects on Agriculture

Gene Takle of Iowa State will be giving a seminar addressing the relevance of climate change to agriculture. Takle will discuss regional climate change's effects on harvesting and planting crops, types of machinery to invest in, pollination, and other key issues. Takle said there is good reason to understand climate change: "Based on climate models," he said, "climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that the future will be more extreme than today."

Read the full article here.

Passe to Keynote AEI/ASHRAE Expo in Omaha

CBER director Ulrike Passe will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the first annual AEI/ASHRAE Expo on Mar. 7, 2012. The event is sponsored by the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). It will be a one-day Technical Conference and Expo for professionals and students involved in the building industry. The event is at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha, Neb. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Berlin Summer Academy 2011 Exhibition Opening: Adaptive Interface - Building Envelope

Jan. 17, 2012, 5:30 -7:30 p.m., Lightfoot Forum, College of Design

Opening reception for an exhibition of student work from the ARS Berlin Summer Academy 2011, which teamed architecture and landscape architecture students from Iowa State University with students and young professionals from Germany and Italy to work on design projects in Berlin. The projects were based on a pre-existing master plan for an urban brownfield rehabilitation site (EUREF) and aimed to develop strategies for adaptable, flexible mixed-use building typologies with a focus on the building envelope as an interface for light, solar radiation and air.

The teams worked with energy modeling and dynamic daylight simulation software as a design tool and integrated quantitative and qualitative daylighting, illumination and shading strategies as performance parameters into their designs. A smaller group of ISU students continued the project into the fall 2011 semester; their further elaborations on the designs created last summer also will be a part of the exhibition.

The 2011 program was developed by Ulrike Passe, ISU assistant professor of architecture and director of CBER, and Robert Dremel, visiting professor at the Beuth Hochschule für Technik Berlin, home to the ARS Berlin Summer Academy. Dremel and Professor Willie Hasselman, the coordinator of the summer academy, will be guests at the exhibition reception.

2011

Green & Main Featured on
U.S. DOE Web Site

Green & Main, a project in Des Moines, Iowa, to renovate an old building into a mixed-use facility with LEED Platinum certification, is featured in an article on energy.gov, the U.S. Dept. of Energy Web site. CBER is partner in the project.

See “A Touch of Green for Des Moines’ Sherman Hill“

ASHRAE Senior Undergraduate Project Grant

The ASHRAE Senior Undergraduate Project Grant Program provides grants to engineering, technical and architectural schools worldwide with the goal of increasing student knowledge, learning and awareness of the HVAC&R industry through the design and construction of senior projects. Projects involving the building of working models, testing equipment, experimental teaching aids, and laboratory experiments are encouraged.Deadline is Dec. 15, 2011. See ASHRAE Senior Undergraduate Project Grant Program or contact Tarra Holman, ASHRAE – Assistant Manager, Student Activities,tholman@ashrae.org

Solar Decathlon Seeks Former Decathletes

The Solar Decathlon Alumni Association is seeking former decathletes from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon as part of a fall membership drive. The mission of the alumni association is to provide a forum for former students and faculty to connect and build relationships, expand their knowledge base, and support future Solar Decathlon competitions. See Solar Decathlon Alumni Association

Lecture Covers Building Information Modeling

Ute Poerschke, a national expert in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and environmentally conscious design, discussed different understandings of BIM in education and professional practice as part of the fall-semester Architecture Advisory Council Lecture Series at Iowa State University. It was held Nov. 14, 2011, on the Iowa State campus. SeeISU Calendar

Students Sought for Washington Internship

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is now accepting applications for the 2012 Washington Internship for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. The WISE program provides selected participants with a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from government officials, professional societies, and others who are involved with crafting national public policy that affects the engineering profession and building industry. Applicants must be ASHRAE student members. Applications must be postmarked or emailed by December 31, 2011. See application

ISU Solar Decathlon House Featured on WHO TV

Iowa State University’s Interlock House is featured in WHO TV’s “Renew Iowa” report. The house was designed and built by Iowa State University students and faculty for the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in 2009. It was then purchased by the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources and installed at Honey Creek Resort State Park. Ulrike Passe, leader of the Interlock team and director of IPRT’s Center for Building Energy Research, is now tracking the building’s performance in Iowa’s climate. See WHO TV: Interlock House

CBER to Track Performance of Reassembled Interlock House

The Interlock House has been reassembled at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Honey Creek Resort State Park for use as a nature interpretive center and staff offices. The solar-powered house was Iowa State University’s entry into the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in 2009. Researchers from CBER will track the building’s performance in Iowa’s climate. “This is a unique opportunity for real-time, long-term building performance evaluation of a net-zero energy building in Iowa,” says Ulrike Passe, CBER director. SeeIowa State News Release

President Obama Targets Commercial Building Energy

President Obama has introduced the “Better Buildings Imitative,” part of his vision for investing in innovative clean energy technologies and doubling the share of electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. The President is proposing to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings, which consumed roughly 20 percent of all energy in the U.S. economy last year. The effort will make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade by catalyzing private sector investment through a series of incentives to upgrade offices, stores, schools and other municipal buildings, universities, hospitals, and other commercial buildings. See White House News Release

Transportation Research Symposium Calls for Abstracts

The 2011 Mid-Continent Transportation Research Symposium will be hosted by the Institute for Transportation at Iowa State University. Researchers are invited to submit brief abstracts of proposed session or poster presentation topics by February 28, 2011. The event is Aug. 18-19, 2011.All submittals are via an online form.

Symposium Covers Sustainability at Iowa State

Iowa State University is organizing its 3rd Annual Symposium on Sustainability, Feb. 21- 22, 2011. It provides the platform for students, Faculty, and staff to take ownership in determining their specific interests, opportunities, and commitment to a sustainable future for Iowa State through interactive visioning sessions and a number of education and awareness building presentations and panel discussions. See 2011 Symposium on Sustainability at Iowa State University

Sustainability Symposium Calls for Posters

Iowa State University is organizing its 3rd Annual Symposium on Sustainability, Feb. 21- 22. This annual event is part of President Geoffroy’s Live Green! Initiative. The symposium is calling for posters on sustainable development in research projects, teaching strategies and service initiatives.

APT Calls for Student Abstracts

The Association for Preservation Technology International is soliciting student abstracts for its APT Victoria 2011 Student Scholarship program. The deadline is Thursday, March 31, 2011. Students whose abstracts are selected will be invited to give a short presentation during one of the APT paper sessions and are awarded a full conference package including registration and travel expenses. The conference is Oct. 11-16, 2011 in Victoria, Canada.
Student Call for Abstracts and online Abstract Submission Form

Seminar Covers Climate Change Impacts on Iowa

Eugene S. Takle,, a professor of geological and atmospheric sciencesand agronomy and director of Iowa State University’ Climate Science Program, is presenting “Climate Change Impacts on Iowa: Summary and Expansion on the 1 January 2011 Report to the Iowa Legislature.” The event is Jan. 11, 2011, at 4:10 p.m. (refreshments at 3:50 p.m.), 3140 Agronomy Hall, on the Iowa State campus. See Iowa State News Release

Green and Main in Sustainable Sites Initiative

The Green and Main retrofit project has been selected to participate in the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES). It is the first project in Iowa to be selected for the initiative, which is the nation's first rating system for green landscape design, construction and maintenance. The Green and Main project is the retrofit of a historic commercial building in the Sherman Hill District of Des Moines, IA. The Center for Building Energy Research is a partner in the project. See Green and Main News Release

2010

Research Grants Available to Students

The American Public Power Association (APPA) awards student research grants/internships each year to university students as part of its Demonstration of Energy-Efficient Developments (DEED) Program. APPA is the service organization for the nation’s community-owned electric utilities. DEED is APPA’s research program that funds innovative, energy related research. See Flyer (PDF)

Event Series: Toward Sustainable Cities

The Iowa State University Council on Sustainability, College of Design, and LiveGreen! Initiative are presenting “Toward Sustainable Cities,” a series of events focused on issues surrounding the development of sustainable cities. The opening reception is 5:30 p.m., Oct. 25, in the 2010 Lyle E. Lightfoot Forum, College of Design. It will include remarks by Ulrike Passe, ISU assistant professor of architecture and CB director. The series also features "Energizing Architecture" a lecture by Claudia Lueling, professor of architectural design, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, at 5:30 p.m., Nov. 4, in room 416, College of Design. The Ames and ISU communities are invited to join the debate. See ISU Event Calendar

Iowa Ranks 12th in Energy Scorecard

The state of Iowa tied for the 12th highest score in a recent assessment of states’ energy efficiency efforts, up six spots from its 2009 ranking. The scores appeared in the 2010 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard from the nonprofit and independent American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). According to the organization, the report is a comprehensive, energy efficiency policy scorecard to document best practices, recognize leadership among the states, and provide a roadmap for other states to follow. See Release on ACEEE Web Site

Grants Available for Senior Undergraduates

The ASHRAE Senior Undergraduate Project Grant Program provides grants to increase student knowledge, learning and awareness of the HVAC&R industry through the design and construction of senior projects. Grants are to be used to fund equipment and supplies for projects that focus on ASHRAE-related topics. Deadline is Dec. 15, 2010. See ASHRAE Web Site

CBER Assists in Green Retrofit

Ground breaking for the retrofit of a historic commercial building in the Sherman Hill District of Des Moines, IA, was held Tuesday, September 23. The developer, Chaden Halfhill (Indigo Dawn LLC and Silent Rivers, Inc.), is proud to begin construction on the project called “Green and Main,” a retrofit of a small-scale commercial building with intentions of receiving LEED platinum certification. The building, which once acted as a grocery store for the surrounding residential community, will be given new life as a women’s holistic health clinic with residential space on the second floor. The Center for Building Energy Research at Iowa State University is partner in the project.

State Energy Program Grant Funding Opportunity Announcement

DES MOINES – The Iowa Office of Energy Independence (OEI) is seeking proposals under the State Energy Program (SEP) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) from municipal organizations in Iowa for projects that will reduce energy use, have a positive impact on budgets and enhance economic development through job creation. Up to $4,000,000 of grant funding is available to be awarded under the program.

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to seek projects from entities that are eligible to issue tax-exempt debt, under section 103 of the Internal Revenue Code. These would include school districts, cities, counties, and other local government agencies, or other non-profit entities. Potential applicants are encouraged to review the RFP application by visiting the OEI web site.Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit electronic applications through the web site. Those interested may also register with OEI’s Recovery Team at,

Energy Efficiency And Conservation Block Grant Awards $5.8 Million for Energy Projects

DES MOINES – The Iowa Office of Energy Independence (OEI) has awarded 78 statewide grants totaling $5,840,862 under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) program. The awards are for projects from cities and counties across the state that will reduce energy use, have a positive impact on budgets and enhance the economic development through job creation. See www.iowa.energy.gov . (Energy News Wire Iowa Office of Energy Independence)

Iowa State University has been accepted as one of only 20 teams into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition for 2009. Within the Center for Building Energy Research, a team of faculty and students from 11 departments in five colleges has formed as the first team from the state of Iowa to participate. SeeISU Solar Decathlon Web Site