SyracuseCoE Research and Technology Forum

New York State has launched initiatives aimed at reducing the energy use and carbon emissions of buildings through the implementation of Deep Energy Retrofits (DERs). Syracuse University is leading research efforts to develop replicable, economical approaches to Deep Energy Retrofits by aligning laboratory testing of new technologies, computational modeling, and full-scale physical testbeds. The Net Zero Energy Retrofit Living Lab at Syracuse University is a three-year project focused on the development of replicable approaches to deep energy retrofits to improve building energy efficiency, indoor air quality for human health, and thermal and visual comfort for thousands of existing multifamily buildings in New York’s cold climate. The Living Lab project’s retrofitting system is currently in use on Syracuse University’s South Campus, with the short-term goal of improving climate control and energy usage for student apartments on Winding Ridge.

Led by principal investigator Nina Wilson, SyracuseCoE Faculty Research Fellow and Assistant Professor of Syracuse University’s School of Architecture, the project aligns laboratory testing of new technologies with computational modeling and a full-scale testbed to analyze and improve the effectiveness of retrofit design and technical strategies. The Living Lab, funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Energy to Lead program, is part of a larger effort to advance the state of practice in retrofits to achieve building decarbonization goals. New York’s Climate Action Plan aims for zero emissions statewide by 2050, and research in deep energy retrofits are playing an important role in accomplishing that goal.