Hot Water Innovations in Multifamily Affordable Housing

A multistory brick apartment building with a tree and streetlight.

Photo from Getty Images, 1216558112

Project Information

Team Partners

Team Lead: Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Research Member: Group14 Engineering
Implementation Member: Energy Outreach Colorado
Industry Members: Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.; Group14 Engineering

Location

Denver, Colorado

Anticipated Completion

Project specifications available in late 2025

Challenge to Solve

This Building America Retrofit Solutions team is focusing on removing barriers to heating system electrification, which can lower residents’ costs while increasing reliability.

Central hot water systems are difficult to cost-effectively electrify in cold climates, especially in existing buildings. This problem is amplified in affordable housing because of budget limitations.

With proper implementation of available technology, multifamily buildings can more easily electrify their central water heating system. Some local decision makers are starting to enact policies to mandate this conversion. But it is rare in multifamily, affordable rental housing because:

The design approach is not replicable.
Future costs for project installation and utilities are uncertain.
It is difficult to address indoor air quality issues such as ventilation.

Approach and Impact

Using community partnerships and cost-effective, proven technology strategies, the team will create and implement retrofits that address the technical and financial challenges of electrifying hot water systems in multifamily, affordable housing in cold climates.

The team will:

Produce and validate a replicable design approach to electrifying central gas-fired water heating systems.
Analyze related building improvements, such as thermal envelope and cooling, for feasibility.
Report on the validated solutions’ installation and operation costs.
Validate a methodology for identifying and incorporating renewables to offset any potential increased utility costs for residents.

American communities can benefit with the team’s work to:

Mitigate any increased costs from the retrofits.
Increase heating system reliability.
Enhance affordable multifamily housing’s access to clean energy technology.

About Building America Retrofit Solutions

As part of a Building Technologies Office initiative, the nine cross-sector Building America Retrofit Solutions teams are working on one- to three-year community-focused field validation and demonstration projects that will address hard-to-solve technical challenges of increasing efficiency, affordability, and comfort of existing homes.