Labyrinth to Store Energy in Basement for Later Use
National Renewable Energy Laboratory managed by Battelle

There’s a labyrinth in the basement of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s newest building. The maze wasn’t designed to hem in a mythical beast or to confuse workers, but it is a trap – one that will capture the heat of the day or the cool of the night, hold on to it and then slowly release the thermal energy to help warm or cool the building.

The building which is now under construction will rest on a low basement with concrete walls staggered to make the air take S-turns through the space, lingering a while, losing its cool or – depending on the season – its heat. That way, the labyrinth acts as a thermal battery, storing the chill of the night air to reduce the building’s cooling load in summer. In winter, the labyrinth will store heat drawn from the computers in the new data centre and outside air warmed by the sun beating down on a transpired air collector.