Comprehensive Single-Family Home Deep Energy Retrofits with Prefabricated Panel-Block Wall Insulation

Lead Performer: Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation – Brookline, MA

Buildings

March 15, 2023

Lead Performer: Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation – Brookline, MA
Partners:
-- Green Building Alliance – Pittsburgh, PA
-- H C Fennell Consulting – North Thetford, VT
-- Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) providing support through the AmplifyMass program – Boston, MA
-- Mackinac Technology Co. – Grand Rapids, MI
-- Progressive Foam Technologies Inc. – Beach City, OH
-- PTC – Boston, MA
-- Rising Tide Partners – Pittsburgh, PA
-- Steven Winter Associates – Norwalk, CT
-- VEIC – Winooski, VT
-- Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) – Alexandria, VA
-- Gradient Comfort – San Francisco, CA
DOE Funding: $4,938,343             
Cost Share: $1,234,763
Project Term: September 2, 2022 – August 31, 2026
Funding Type: Advanced Building Construction FOA Award

Project Objective

In this Phase 2 ABC Integrated Building Retrofit project, the project team will refine the exterior wall-retrofit system and process that were prototyped in Phase 1 and incorporate them into an integrated deep energy retrofit (DER) solution comprising a suite of high-performance building technologies. Targeting 1- to 4-family homes located in cold, very cold, and mixed climates, the DER package achieves up to an 80% reduction in whole-home heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) plus domestic hot water (DHW) site energy consumption. It comprises designed processes and technologies that address the largest barriers to DER uptake, foremost excessive installed cost, disruption of inhabitants, and prolonged implementation timelines. The project team uses digitalization, including scan-to-BIM and augmented reality, to: 1) minimize site work; 2) enable computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) mass customization; 3) empower semi-skilled workers to be much more efficient; and 4) ensure high-quality retrofits, in a capital-lean way that is compatible with the business model of most small business contractors. 

Project Impact

This project aims to result in the following:

  1. Integrated DER process has a demonstrated pathway to completion in seven days.
  2. DERs achieve a 75% reduction in HVAC + DHW site energy consumption.
  3. Clear pathway established for comprehensive electrified DERs for $30/ft2 (including recladding the building’s walls), at volume, for at least one set of existing conditions representing a nontrivial portion of the 1- to 4-family building stock.
  4. DER delivers superior indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and comfort for inhabitants.
  5. Advanced licensing discussions for the prefabricated insulated panel blocks (PB) system and process with at least one major vinyl siding or insulation manufacturer, or engaged with investors, both venture capitalists and/or corporate investment arms to fund the creation of a startup to commercialize the PB system.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Eric Werling
Co-PIs: Kurt Roth and Andre Sharon, Fraunhofer USA Center for Manufacturing Innovation

RELATED INFORMATION

Visit the following page for information on the Phase 1 prototype project that preceded this Phase 2 demonstration project: