Renovation of two multifamily buildings.

Building America Team: Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)

Partners: Passive House Institute US, and Net Zero Energy Coalition

Pieces of wall hanging from heavy equipment.

This project is producing a standardized, transferable, climate-zone-specific net zero energy-ready retrofit system. This system will be tested at a multifamily affordable housing pilot site in Boston, Massachusetts. The team is in the process of developing a building delivery system for residential retrofits that provides a cost-effective zero energy ready solution. The purpose of this process is to see how the market responds to the needs of the team’s model and to identify key areas where research and development will be needed. Retrofit risks will be observed and reported to further inform industry design and innovation.

Refinements to a cost-effective, standardized, transferable, and climate-zone-specific building retrofit delivery system will enable more multifamily buildings to become zero energy ready.

Progress so far: 

  • Team released RFPs and selected project partners for:
    • Façade panel manufacturers
    • Pilot buildings (Boston site selected)
    • Mechanical manufacturers
  • Team has begun the process of designing an exterior retrofit panel and integrated, all-electric mechanical system.

For more information, project presentations, and related publications, visit the Experimental Integrated Zero Energy Ready Retrofit Solution for Multifamily Renovations webpage.