Look at the rundown interior of 5 Channel Center, a nearly 100-year-old building in the Fort Point neighborhood, said Nolan Browne; admittedly, it might be hard to see why the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems would relocate there from Cambridge.

The firm, which is a subsidiary of the German research organization Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, helps start-up energy efficiency companies commercialize cutting-edge products and services. But right now, its designated new space looks pretty shabby, with paint peeling off the walls, pipes and wires dangling toward the dust, and office detritus littering the floor.

But picture 5 Channel Center as Browne, the group’s managing director, does: with a first-floor reception area showcasing the latest energy efficiency technologies, and a sixth-floor multiroom facade-research laboratory where siding, insulation, and other building materials can be tested and compared.

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