About Us +
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
Research +
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.
Colum 1 +
Colum 2 +
Publications +
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.
- Presentations
News
Tools & Guides +
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.

BEST Center 2022 Presentations Available

January 18, 2022

Recordings are now available from an extensive three-day workshop that brought together faculty, students, industry partners, and technical professionals to improve the knowledge and practice of high-performance building operations.

The annual Building Efficiency for Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center National Institute, co-hosted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), wrapped up three days of virtual programming in January 2022.

This year’s theme was, “Building Technician Education in a Time of Challenges & Innovation.” The institute is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and based at UC Berkeley.

Talks covered a range of topics including cool home retrofits, workforce diversity, indoor air quality management during the COVID-19 pandemic, residential decarbonization, and building automation.

A presentation by Jennifer Holm, research scientist in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division of Berkeley Lab, provided highlights of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) that took place in Scotland in October 2021.

An informative and engaging overview of U.S. energy strategy related to building decarbonization was given by Jessica Granderson, deputy director of research for the Building Technology & Urban Systems division at Berkeley Lab, and currently on temporary assignment as Director for Building Technology at the White House.

Berkeley Lab Education Director Colette Flood also outlined opportunities for student and faculty internships. Find out more at https://education.lbl.gov/

Registrants can access presentation recordings and materials until February 7, 2022 by logging into the conference website and visiting the Auditorium. After February 7, recordings will be available on the BEST Center’s website and YouTube channel.