Home

Advancing Building System Research & Education

━━━

The Larson Building Systems Laboratory is a unique facility consisting of a pair of test chambers, each equipped with a full-sized commercial HVAC system, hot box chambers, benchtop educational platforms, and field measurement equipment for evaluating building system and envelope performance.

The lab’s test chambers are designed for dynamic testing of commercial HVAC systems. With the ability to reconfigure the interior chamber design and monitor and control HVAC system operation, the test chambers provide a platform for a range of building system performance testing, including:

  • Testing of hardware for HVAC components and systems, including AHUs, displacement ventilation units, chilled beams, radiant panels, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) units, coils, air mixers, dampers, filters, and variable frequency drives (VFDs)
  • Testing of HVAC control algorithms
  • Testing standalone HVAC and refrigeration systems, such as water heaters, boilers, thermal energy storage, and chillers
  • Evaluating dynamic interactions between building thermal response and HVAC system controls
  • Evaluating the performance of ventilation and filtration systems for indoor air quality and infection control

Laboratory Facilities & Equipment

━━━

The Larson HVAC Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder provides a flexible experimental platform for testing
HVAC systems, building controls, and indoor environmental strategies. The facility includes a full-size commercial HVAC system,
representative commercial building zones, repeatable load generation systems, and advanced data acquisition and control infrastructure.

Capabilities

━━━

Full-Scale HVAC Testing Infrastructure

The facility contains two full-sized commercial HVAC systems (1,000 and 2,000 CFM capacity), each connected to a 20’x20’ chamber with in-ceiling and underfloor supply and return ducting. Researchers can leverage these systems for evaluating HVAC system components, control algorithms, or operational strategies under realistic conditions.

Reconfigurable Research Environment

The two HVAC systems and experimental chambers are fully reconfigurable, allowing components, subsystems, or entire rooms to be installed, modified, and tested. Using our systems, you can evaluate AHUs, chilled beams, VRF units, heating/cooling coils, dampers, filters, VFDs, and thermal storage systems.

Building System Measurements

Leverage a range of instruments to assess building system performance, including blower doors, flow hoods, air quality monitors, air and water temperature sensors, humidity sensors, thermal cameras, electrical system monitors, and light monitors.

Advanced Monitoring & Data Acquisition

Leverage the building automation system to collect up to 300 data channels simultaneously including temperature, humidity, pressure, airflow rates, contaminant concentrations, fan speed, and energy consumption. Measurement accuracy meets or exceeds ASHRAE and ASTM standards.

Experimental Visualization, Modeling, & Diagnostics

Advanced measurement techniques including Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), laser sheet visualization, and high-resolution diagnostics allow researchers to analyze airflow patterns, system performance, and thermal behavior with high precision. Leverage building system and whole-building digital twins to analyze building performance.

Student & Professional Training

The lab is a resource for С Boulder undergraduate and graduate student educational training, including learning to collect building operation measurements, blower door testing, thermal performance of building envelopes, and indoor air quality testing. Professional topical training is available to external partners through our Testing & Training Services.

Interested in using the Larson Building Systems Laboratory for testing or research?

Use Our Facility

Research & Education Projects

━━━

High-Performance Filter Testing

High-performance filters can maintain low concentrations of air pollutants in sensitive environments, such as hospitals and senior care facilities, but often at high energy costs. In this study, in-duct and in-room particle emission testing found that an electronically enhanced high-performance in-duct air cleaner outperformed MERV13 and MERV14 filters by achieving higher particle removal efficiency while maintaining lower pressure drop and similar fan electrical power consumption.

In collaboration with , the 1000IL in-duct air cleaning unit was tested against MERV13 and MERV14 filters under controlled conditions measuring particle removal, pressure drop, and supply fan electrical power consumption. Testing was conducted by nebulizing potassium chloride solution in one of two locations, directly into the return duct (in-duct) prior to the air handling unit or into the test chamber the air handling unit serves (in-room). Single-pass removal efficiency was measured from 10 nm – 10 μm by placing an optical particle sizer (OPS) and scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) before and after the filter holder, and effective air changer per hour were measured using a particle monitor placed the in the chamber connected to the air handling unit. Key findings include:

  • The average single-pass removal efficiency of the 1000IL was 94.9±3% at 300 nm, compared to 1.8±13.3% and 75±3.5% for MERV13 and MERV14 filters, respectively.
  • The single-pass removal efficiency varied with particle loading rate, with in-duct testing having lower removal efficiency than in-room testing.
  • The 1000IL achieved effective air changes per hour of 7.5±0.3 h-1 for PM2.5, compared to 4.0±0.2 h-1 and 6.5±0.3 h-1 for the MERV13 and MERV14 filters, respectively.
  • Pressure drop across the filter media was lowest for the 1000IL compared to the MERV13 and MERV14 filters, while electrical power consumption by the supply fan was lower for the MERV14 and 1000IL filters compared to the MERV13 filter.
Chilled Beam Evaluation

Active chilled beam systems are gaining attention as a high-performance HVAC technology, offering efficient, low-energy cooling with superior control of thermal comfort and air quality. In this study, the energy performance of active chilled beam systems was experimentally tested under varying airflow rates and water supply temperatures, showing that total cooling capacity is primarily driven by water-side cooling, which increases with higher airflow and lower water inlet temperatures. Testing also found that air-side cooling contributes less but increases with airflow and higher water temperatures, and that design factors like nozzle size significantly influence performance, providing insights for optimizing system design and operation.

This was a full-scale experimental study of active chilled beam (ACB) systems to evaluate how key operating parameters, particularly supply airflow rate and chilled water temperature, affect their cooling and energy performance. Using 54 test cases across six commercial ACB units, the study separated total cooling capacity into water-side and air-side contributions and showed that system performance is dominated by water-side cooling, while air-side cooling plays a secondary role. The results demonstrate how airflow, water temperature, and design features like nozzle size influence cooling capacity and efficiency, and the findings provide valuable data for improving system design, operation, and simulation models of ACB systems. Key findings include:

  • Total cooling capacity is dominated by water-side cooling, which increases with higher airflow rates and lower water inlet temperatures.
  • Air-side cooling capacity increases with higher airflow rates and higher water inlet temperatures but contributes less overall than water-side cooling.
  • Increasing primary airflow enhances induction of room air through the coil, improving overall cooling performance.
  • Smaller nozzle sizes improve water-side cooling efficiency by increasing induction and heat transfer effectiveness.

Learn more:

SMARTmobile Educational Platform

Traditionally building systems operate in silos, rarely communicating with one another. Smart buildings aim to connect disparate building systems to improve energy efficiency, occupant health and comfort, and streamline building management. The SMARTmobile educational platform provides students with the ability to program and operate HVAC, lighting, and other building systems and explore the capabilities of smart building architecture.

The SMARTmobile was developed in collaboration with to provide an educational platform for students to learn about programming and operating smart building systems and components. Consisting of an active chilled beam, hot and chilled water loops, lighting system, and air quality sensors, students learn to connect various building systems to a backbone of ABB system controllers then use this connectivity to achieve building system controls that would not be otherwise possible, such as:

  • Using occupancy sensor data from the lighting system to control the HVAC system to turn on only when a space is occupied.
  • Using air quality data collected via an API to tell the HVAC system when to prioritize air quality over thermal comfort, such as during wildfire events.
  • Use lighting sensor data to tell window shades to open or close to maintain a comfortable lighting environment.

Work With Us

━━━

Research & Education Collaboration

Partner with the Larson Building Systems Lab to access our world-class research expertise and testing capabilities. Contact us if you are interested in conducting research at the lab or supporting our educational mission.

Request Collaboration

Testing & Training Services

Access the product testing capabilities of the Larson Building Systems Lab, as well as custom topical training, energy auditing services, field equipment rental, and more through , a С Boulder RBSA.

Our lab also offers professional training programs designed for HVAC installers, designers, engineers, and manufacturers.

Scholarships & Legacy

━━━

Interested in solving real-world challenges and shaping the future of sustainable buildings?
The Larson Building Systems Lab offers students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies, from advanced cooling
systems to smart building controls, while working alongside faculty and industry partners on impactful research.
As a scholarship recipient, you’ll gain valuable technical skills, mentorship, and opportunities that can set you apart for graduate school or a career in the building energy field.

Larson Scholarships are available year-round to undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in HVAC
or building systems engineering to work in the Larson Building Systems Lab as an undergraduate research assistant.

If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, contact the lab manager, Nicholas Clements, to learn more.

2025-2026

  • Tyler Van Hare (BS, Mechanical Engineering)

2024-2025

  • Airyl Dayrit (BS, Mechanical Engineering)
  • Evelyn Ingraham (BS, Architectural Engineering)

2023-2024

  • Ben Clairday (BS, Mechanical Engineering)
  • Caden Bolding (BS, Mechanical Engineering)
  • Riley Apen (BS, Mechanical Engineering)

2020-2021

  • Christian Polanco (BS, Mechanical Engineering)
  • Edgar Verela (MS, Architectural Engineering)
  • Mohammad Dabbagh (PhD, Architectural Engineering)
  • Robert Traxler (BS, Electrical & Computer Engineering)

2017-2018

  • John Basttistelli (MS, Architectural Engineering)
  • Dareum Nam (PhD, Architectural Engineering)
  • Angelique Fathy (BS, Architectural Engineering)
  • Stavros Roditis (BS, Architectural Engineering)
  • Shawn Rupp (MS, Architectural Engineering)

Collaborators

━━━

logos for ABB, Trane, Siemens, SafeTraces, Alpen High Performance Products