Differential Climate Chamber

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been at the forefront of durability research for advanced building envelope technologies since the 1990s. The need for an upgraded Differential Climate Chamber, is to address need for researching durability and resiliency of newer building envelope technologies. It also arises from the limitations of existing equipment, which is often overutilized, leading to delays in research progress. Current facilities cannot adequately support the expanding scope of work, especially as NREL engages in new standards for durability assessment of technologies like vacuum insulating glass (VIG) and other emerging building materials and systems. This chamber will replace aging equipment that no longer meets the rigorous demands of current and future research. Acquiring a new Differential Climate Chamber is to enhance NREL’s capability to evaluate the durability and resilience of various building envelope technologies under a controlled environment. By implementing this advanced chamber, NREL aims to conduct comprehensive research that addresses current gaps in durability assessment protocols, specifically for innovative materials developed under DOE programs. The upgrade will provide essential data for benchmarking newer technologies, leading to improved standards and performance metrics for the industry. It will also help to research and evaluate resiliency of these material.