BEST labs find ways to go green

A new research lab has just opened at the Syracuse Center of Excellence, where scientists will find ways to create more energy-efficient buildings.

Ed Bogucz, the executive director at the Center of Excellence, said the U.S. spends 40 percent of its energy dollars on buildings. He said the new lab will test different materials to make walls that are more resistant to outside air. Creating "healthy buildings," he says, will save money and produce jobs.

"One of the opportunities to create jobs in the United States is weatherization of buildings, so making buildings more energy efficient," said Bogucz.

The Building Envelope Systems Test Laboratory, or BEST lab, is a two-story house on South Campus at Syracuse University.

Dr. Charles Driscoll, director of the Center for Environmental Engineering, said Syracuse is the best place to have the lab because it has a variation of weather year round.

"The facility is good for evaluating buildings in northern climates like Syracuse," said Driscoll. "It's thought to be an important component driving new economies. So, new technology, new buildings. It's very important for the region."

Researchers plan to work in this lab over the next three years to make sure they can test the building against all weather conditions.