Cold Climate Housing Research Center

NREL’s Far-North Campus

In 2020, the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Fairbanks, Alaska, joined NREL
to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy in extreme climates, address Arctic
and climate-threatened communities, and expand NREL’s wealth of experience in building
technologies.

The CCHRC is the farthest-north LEED Platinum building in the world and showcases
clean energy technologies such as solar, geothermal, air source heat pumps, biomass,
and thermal storage. Alaska’s extreme climate—combined with its remote communities,
lack of infrastructure, and abundant renewable resources—offers tremendous opportunities
to solve the sustainability challenges faced by the rest of the world.

CCHRC programs focus on the built environment and include building science research,
sustainable home design, and social and economic research. Central to CCHRC’s mission
is engaging with local and Indigenous people to incorporate traditional knowledge
into technology solutions.