Graham Parker, PNNL – Lab Homes: A Matched Pair of Homes for Retrofit Technology Demonstrations – Two new research facilities at the U.S. DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will serve as a test bed for studying energy efficient and smart homes.

Graham Parker from the Pacific Northwest National Lab will present.

PNNL and its partners are using the identical, 1,500 square-foot homes for experiments focused on reducing energy use and peak demand on the electric grid. Research and demonstration primarily will focus on technologies that can be added to a home after construction, and the homes will offer a side-by-side ability to test and compare new ideas and approaches that are applicable to site-built as well as manufactured homes in the region. The first project will be a nine-month study of highly insulating windows, purchased from Jeld-Wen, with future research focused on smart grid appliances provided by GE Appliances. Researchers will assess the ability of the highly insulating windows to reduce the energy and cost to the homeowner. Researchers also will evaluate how well the windows can enhance comfort in the home compared to standard, double-pane windows commonly found in many existing homes across the country.

BIO: Graham Parker

Graham Parker began his career at PNNL over 38 years ago. He currently manages PNNL’s lab (research) homes to evaluate new and emerging technologies. He also leads a project for the DOE Office of Electricity to evaluate smart grid technologies – such as grid-friendly appliances and home energy management systems – for demand response.

He is the author of over 140 publications and he has made over 100 technical presentations to national and international audiences. Graham is a Senior Member of the Association of Energy Engineers, serves on their advisory board for the annual World Energy Engineering Congress, is a member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council Regional Technical Forum and is the laboratory representative to the Western Governors Association.