The U.S. Dept. of Energy has awarded a total of $32 million for more than 30 next-generation building retrofit projects that will dramatically improve affordable housing technologies, according to a DOE news release.
Seven organizations will use the money to test renovation techniques that reduce disruption to tenants while upgrading the energy and environmental performance of buildings more quickly, affordably, and effectively, the release says. The techniques, such as prefabricating walls and drop-in replacements for heating, cooling, and hot water systems, can “revolutionize construction and renovation.”
They can also help decarbonize America’s 130 million buildings at the rate needed to address the climate crisis and meet President Biden’s goals of a net zero carbon economy by 2050, the release says. The projects are intended to drive the development of new technologies, practices, and approaches, and ensure these efficient and low-carbon innovations are widely deployed.
The awards will be used to implement numerous materials including prefabricated, super-insulated wall retrofit panel blocks, a wall system with vacuum insulated panels, a heat pump pod, a solar photovoltaic-integrated multi-functional heat pump system for space and water heating, and software tools to properly size and install retrofit packages. The selected organizations will also advance DOE’s Advanced Building Construction Collaborative, which connects companies working in prefabricated, modular, and other industrialized construction techniques with building owners, developers, financiers, utilities, and researchers to modernize the construction industry and buildings sector.
Related Stories
| Jun 5, 2012
OSHA launches campaign to warn of heat dangers in outdoor work
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a campaign to warn outdoor workers about the dangers of heat exposure.
| Jun 5, 2012
AGC’s Safety and Health Conference focuses on regulations, legislation
More than 150 industry professionals and other attendees will participate in the Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC’s) safety and health conference July 11-13 in Washington, D.C.
| Jun 1, 2012
New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available
By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.
| May 31, 2012
Proposed change in Michigan’s building code would hurt innovation, say critics
Legislation pending before the Michigan Senate would change the law that calls for building codes to be updated every three years to require an update only every six years.
| May 31, 2012
Natural gas industry opposes federal carbon-neutral construction rule
The natural gas industry and some allies are working to block a federal green building rule that was expected to be a national model for carbon-neutral construction.
| May 31, 2012
Lawsuits push the legal boundaries of green building definition
This article explores some legal issues stemming from lawsuits in which plaintiffs have charged developers with not delivering on a promised level of sustainability.
| May 31, 2012
ANSI approves Green Building Initiative’s design standard
The Green Building Initiative (GBI), a Portland, Ore. nonprofit organization, has had its new consensus-based standard for the design, construction, and operations of environmentally friendly buildings approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
| May 31, 2012
USGBC testing Minnesota buildings to see if they are living up to LEED standards
The Minnesota chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has teamed up with EnergyPrint, a St. Paul, Minn. energy consulting firm, to study the energy and water use of more than 150 buildings in the state that have LEED certification.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.