Center for Integrated Building Systems

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We’re proud to share that Regents Professor Dr. Jeffrey Spitler recently presented at the Montreal ASHRAE Chapter meeting.

His talk, “Designing the Next Generation of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems,” focused on innovative new methods for designing borehole fields used in geothermal heat pump systems. These methods help reduce engineering effort, optimize system design, lower investment costs, and improve overall system economics.

CIBS at OSU continues to support research that advances energy-efficient technologies and sustainable building solutions.

Email [email protected] to learn how to get involved in research opportunities!

Here are the highlights of the photos from the CIBS 2026 Spring Project Update & Strategy Meeting.

Thank you to all of our faculty, students and staff for all of your efforts to put this together!

Students made connections with the following member companies, who make our research possible:
AAON, Inc., Bosch Home Comfort Group, Climate Control Group, Greenheck Group, Midea Group, and Trane Technologies.

We had a wonderful time seeing all of you, and we can't wait to see you again in the fall!
We will host our Project Proposal & Update Meeting on October 7-8th, 2026.

See you all then!

Congratulations, Rasheed!

Congratulations to Rasheed Sh*ttu (R.Engr), a Ph.D. student in mechanical and aerospace engineering, on being selected for the Central Oklahoma ASHRAE Scholarship for the 2025–26 academic year!

His research, leadership within the ASHRAE student chapter, and contributions to advanced building energy systems reflect the depth of talent and commitment within CEAT.

OSU MAE

Learn more about Rasheed: https://okla.st/3N57yms

🌎 Exciting Progress from the Senior Design Team: Off The Grid-Tiny House presented their work at the 2025 OSU CEAT Senior Design Expo last Friday, April 25th.

We are proud to share that our CIBS-affiliated research project is making great strides this semester. Their progress this semester includes designing and fabricating an efficient DC fan coil system, building an insulated enclosure for two 175-gallon above-ground thermal energy storage tanks, and integrating this system with a 300-gallon below-ground tank to aid with thermal regulation.
Additionally, they've implemented a solar power circuit, complete with solar panels and a dedicated battery bank, to promote sustainability in their tiny house design.

Kudos to our dedicated team members: Brian Douglas, Adam Mason, Reece Fuller, Conor Winn, Garon Kourt, Thomas Nye, and DJ McArthur, as well as support from MS student, Gabriel Parker and PhD student, Pouria Moghimi for their hard work and creativity in bringing this vision to life!
Shout out to advisor Dr. Jeffrey Spitler, and judges: Dr. Alyssa Avery, Dr. Christian Bach, and Brent Stockton, Director of Engineering at AAON, Inc.

The team thanks Midea Group for their donation of a minisplit heat pump, A. O. Smith Corporation for donating two insulated water tanks, CEAT for the IGSHPA Trailer, and CEAT & OG&E Energy Technology Chair for their assistance with Capstone Design Expenses.

⚙️ Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our journey towards sustainable living! 🌱

We're excited to welcome Doug Fox as our new Research Lab Manager at the Center for Integrated Building Systems! With a diverse background as a Mechanical Engineer and entrepreneur, Doug brings a wealth of experience to CIBS.

Doug is excited to share his journey and expertise! With a solid background as a Mechanical Engineer at Kicker and experience in a variety of backgrounds, he has embraced the entrepreneurial spirit as a co-founder of Wilson Engineering Research and Development. Doug's skills span from lab coordination, 3D printing, and CAD design in Solidworks to prototyping and fabrication. He has hands-on experience in thermal imaging, electrical wiring, and he has worked extensively with acoustics and fluids, along with welding and mechanic work! Additionally, Doug has had his share of experience with grant writing. Doug is looking forward to connecting with all of our faculty, students, and CIBS Industry Advisory Board!

When he's not busy in the lab, you can find him enjoying his hobbies like motorcycling, camping, or playing music on his drums and guitar. Doug believes in being inspired by one's own values and is looking forward to making a positive impact in our team. Fun fact: he has a pet cat named Butters, who is Doug's roomate of four years! 🐱
Please join us in welcoming Doug! 🎉

Read about CIBS Projects!

Dive into the work of Dr. Bach and Dr. Moftakhari's research and the work of their students within CIBS at Oklahoma State University!

CIBS research project focuses on refrigerant innovations - Oklahoma State University Dr. Christian Bach, associate professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is the principal investigator on two projects funded through CIBS by various industry partners, studying refrigerants with low global warming potential. Dr. Ardeshir Moftakhari, assistant professor of MAE,...

Welcome back, students! We're glad to have you all back, bringing life to campus.
We wanted to take a beat and congratulate you on making it through the first week of the semester.

If you're new here:
CIBS is an exciting industry-university partnership with the vision of an integrated network of buildings, industrial facilities, energy storage, and a grid that reduces carbon emissions through intelligently-controlled improvements in equipment, systems, and chemistry. Our vision is executed through a pre-competitive research mission that delivers tangible tools, data, codebases, and next generation workforce for Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) equipment, energy storage, and refrigerant transition to support decarbonization.

Our main and best form of contact is by email: [email protected]
Go Pokes! 🤠

Merry CIBS-mas!

Best of luck to our students this finals week!

"When I first joined CIBS the first thing that I felt excited about was the collaborative work with all the HVAC industries. For this reason, I came to know about the future demand of HVAC industries and corresponding research activities." -Dipa Saha, Masters Student of CIBS.

Dipa is currently working on the CIBS Project, "Reversing Valve Loss and Leakage Models for Low Temperature Heat Pumps" When Dipa completes her MS Degree, it is her plan to continue her education and obtain a PhD.