Ground was broken in October for the Sustainable Energy Technology Center (SEnTeC), a research and development facility at the campus of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Va. The facility, which will aid the development of a renewable energy and bioproducts industry in Virginia, is being created to develop bio-based fuels.

Image Courtesy Lord, Aeck & Sargent and Dewberry

Ground was broken in October for the Sustainable Energy Technology Center, a research and development facility at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Va. The facility will aid in the development of bio-based fuels.

Funded through a grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification Commission and Community Revitalization Commission, SEnTeC includes 25,000 sq ft of research laboratories, support laboratories, graduate student research spaces and faculty offices.

SEnTeC will build upon research being pursued in the Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources, which is developing plant feed stocks to optimize properties for biofuel production.

Dewberry of Danville is the project architect. Lord, Aeck & Sargent is the laboratory design architect and sustainability consultant. New Atlantic Contracting of Winston Salem, N.C., is the contractor.

The project is targeting LEED certification. Sustainable features include a rainwater cistern to harvest water for irrigation, solar thermal panels and a vegetated green roof.

Construction is scheduled to complete in November 2011.