The Energy Sciences Building (ESB) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Argonne's Energy Sciences Building has been certified LEED Gold.
The facility includes state-of-the-art laboratory space complete with energy-efficient fume hoods, floors made from post-consumer recycled content and countertops made from 100 percent recycled glass.
“This facility supports world-class research on the frontier of science,” said Argonne Deputy Laboratory Director for Operations Paul Kearns. “The ESB brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to work on energy research critical to the development of new technologies and our national economic security.
”Researchers at Argonne’s ESB work in a range of interdisciplinary areas including basic materials design, fundamental chemistry and energy systems.
“The work scientists and engineers are doing at Argonne — it can’t be performed in just any laboratory setting,” said Karen Hellman, Argonne Facilities Management and Services Associate Division Director. “Our researchers need specialized equipment and laboratory space that ensure ideal environmental conditions, as well as adaptable space. The building has unique physical elements that enable cutting-edge research including vibration, temperature and electromagnetic controls.”
The $95 million ESB was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. The building’s energy-efficient features are projected to save approximately $110,000 annually and will reduce the lab’s greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1127 metric tons each year.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.