Heather Goetsch
Researcher III-Mechanical Engineering
Heather.Goetsch@nrel.gov
303-275-4708
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9737-5292
Dr. Goetsch joined NREL in 2020. As a member of the Building Energy Science Group within the Building Technologies and Science Center, her research focuses on decarbonization and applying circular economy principles to the building sector. She is particularly interested in applying these principles to building design, innovative low-impact material use and reuse, waste reduction and management, and off-site construction. Her research also includes determining and overcoming industry barriers to decarbonization.
Prior to NREL, Heather was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO). In that role, she led the visioning effort and strategy development to include life cycle impacts and circular economy frameworks within BTO’s mission space.
Research Interests
Circular economy for buildings
Full accounting of building industry construction and demolition materials
Design for disassembly of building structures
Reuse potential of demolition waste
Building industry barriers to decarbonization
Education
Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan
M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Share