Sustainable Built Environment Research Consortium

The Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Research Consortium is a regional group of member firms, organizations, and researchers collaborating on applied research, development, and commercialization of sustainable technologies and services for the sustainable built environment.
The Consortium and its members not only address a critical global need, but also help our region create jobs, increase intellectual capital, and advance Oregon's role as an internationally recognized center for the commercialization of cutting-edge innovations in the built environment.
Download the Consortium brochure
Read the news release announcing the Consortium's first two projects

MEMBERSHIP
Consortium Members collaborate to achieve the Consortium's overarching goals, while creating a competitive advantage for member companies and organizations. The long-term competitive advantage of our geographic region and its businesses requires unprecedented coordination among Consortium members to drive the rapid development, deployment, and commercialization of increasingly innovative technologies and practices for the built environment.
OPPORTUNITY
Oregon BEST is defining a Portfolio of projects being constructed by both public and private partners over the next 10 years. This Portfolio is available for use as a demonstration test bed comprised of a diverse range of project types that span Oregon's varied climates and geography. The Consortium channels the abilities and interests of its members into highly focused and effective activities resulting in deployment of demonstration projects that speed market uptake, create jobs, increase regional exports, and attract new talent to Oregon’s businesses and universities.
BENEFITS
Consortium Members benefit from participation in a range of ways: Developers improve the success of their projects and businesses benefit from the unique opportunity to demonstrate their products and services as part of their commercialization pipeline. The unique nature of this test bed and the opportunity to evaluate product performance over time and over a broad range of projects will help boost the region's economy by driving private partner revenue. Download the Sustainable Built Environment Research Consortium brochure.
RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS
The Consortium's four areas of research focus are:
- Building Materials – finding and proving materials innovation that meet the Living Building Challenge "Materials Red List," reduce embodied energy, and optimize building and occupant performance.
- Occupant Behavior – gathering knowledge, providing feedback, allowing for precise controls, and understanding and impacting decision-making and building performance.
- Existing Building Retrofits – developing technologies and approaches (including financing mechanisms) for optimizing the performance of existing commercial and institutional buildings.
- Performance Monitoring – verification of building energy and water performance from component and assembly to whole building scale.

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CONSORTIUM!
To explore becoming a Consortium Member, please contact Johanna Brickman, the Sustainable Built Environment Program Manager at Oregon BEST, via email.
OREGON BEST IN THE NEWS
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$3.5M to Innovate Transportation02/02/2012
Oregon BEST founding universities land $3.5M for research and education on sustainable transportation. More.
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$2M for Fuel Cell Research01/04/2012
A grant from Oregon BEST helps the UO win a $2M grant to develop hydrogen storage materials for fuel cells. More.
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Grants Help Keep Economy Alive12/12/2011
An Oregon BEST Commercialization Grant advances electric vehicle research, helps local economy in southern Oregon. More.
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Commercialization Funding Announced11/17/2011
Oregon BEST's expanded Commercialization Program includes $1 million in Commercialization Grants funding. More.
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BEST Hires Commercialization Manager11/10/2011
Oregon BEST hires veteran of new product development and early-stage company financing to lead its Commercialization Program. More.


