Stor4Build is a new consortium focused on energy storage for buildings that will accelerate the growth, optimization and deployment of storage technologies. The consortium will be co-led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley.

Eight scientists from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are among the world’s most highly cited researchers, according to a bibliometric analysis conducted by the scientific publication analytics firm Clarivate.

Neutron scattering techniques were used as part of a study of a novel nanoreactor material that grows crystalline hydrogen clathrates, or HCs, capable of storing hydrogen. The researchers, from ORNL and the University of Alicante, or UA, in Spain were inspired by nature, where methane hydrates grow in the pores and voids within natural sediments.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists designed a recyclable polymer for carbon-fiber composites to enable circular manufacturing of parts that boost energy efficiency in automotive, wind power and aerospace applications.

Carbon-fiber composites, or fiber-reinforced polymers, are strong, lightweight materials that can help lower fuel consumption and reduce emissions in critical areas such as transportation. However, unlike metal competitors, carbon-fiber composites are not typically recyclable, meaning wider adoption could present waste challenges.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a tool that provides accurate measurements and positioning directions to those installing energy-efficient panels over existing building exteriors. This method will decrease installation time and cost by more than 25%.

One approach to upgrade aging buildings is to increase thermal performance and lower carbon emissions by fitting prefabricated insulated panels over the envelope – any part of a structure that separates the building’s internal and external environments.