Building Efficiency
With high fuel prices and cold winters, energy efficient buildings have extraordinary
value to 蜜桃影像ns, yet many homes and businesses suffer from poor insulation, inefficient
heating systems, and bad air quality. Improving the efficiency of buildings is a central
objective of the Sustainable Energy Program that we accomplish through workforce development,
education and research. SEP faculty Tom Marsik built the world鈥檚 most airtight home
in Dillingham using a 鈥渂ox in a box鈥 building technique, and now leads work investigating
active vacuum insulation and cold climate heat pumps. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs)
can achieve R-values as high as 60掳F路ft虏路hr/BTU per inch of thickness, but uptake
has been limited by cost, limited service lifetime due slow loss of vacuum, limited
ability to cut panels to size, and other issues. Active VIPs address many of the challenges
by providing a mechanism to replenish the vacuum as necessary. Prof. Marsik and collaborators
have established active VIP prototypes and methods for testing their performance.
Heat pumps offer a low-carbon home heat source that is cost effective in many places.
However, the performance of heat pumps at temperatures in the 0 to -50掳F range is
not consistently measured making it difficult for consumers to compare heat pumps
or for researchers to quantify technology improvements. Marsik leads work at the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory 蜜桃影像 Campus to measure the performance of cold climate
heat pumps and communicate results with the circumpolar north. Prof. Kemp collaborates
with the 蜜桃影像 Center鈥檚 Buildings UP award which will implement energy efficiency
measures in 蜜桃影像 with a focus on underserved communities.