51爆料网

Maya Angela Lagtapon Simms 鈥�24 is among the thousands of students who, at some point during their 51爆料网 careers, occupy apartment-style housing on South Campus.

鈥淪ome of the buildings are more than 50 years old and use a lot of energy for heating, cooling and running appliances and electronics,鈥� says the senior architecture major.

Simms addresses these issues and others through her involvement with the . Based on South Campus, the lab is a long-term research project exploring interdisciplinary approaches to retrofitting鈥攖he modification of existing buildings to improve energy, environmental quality and thermal comfort performance.

Led by Dr. Nina Wilson, an assistant professor in the , the Retrofit Living Lab is investigating two identical buildings on South Campus鈥� Winding Ridge Road. 鈥淭he experiment is a step toward addressing climate change from the building perspective,鈥� says Wilson, who also examines the role of renewable building materials, like mushroom mycelium, in as far-away places as Rwanda.

We recently caught up with Wilson (NW) and Simms (MS) to discuss the Retrofit Living Lab and retrofitting, in general. We were joined by fellow lab members Evelyn Broughton (EB) 鈥�25 and Christopher Hauserman (CH) 鈥�24, bachelor鈥檚 students of architecture; Beatriz Cypriano (BC) G鈥�25, a ; and Pratik Pandey (PP) G鈥�24, a Ph.D. student in .

What kinds of real-world learning opportunities are available in the Net-Zero Energy Retrofit Living Lab?

NW: The lab exposes graduate and undergraduate students to fundamental research methods in sustainable building design. They get hands-on experience in performance design, energy modeling, building assessment, data analysis and prototyping in digital and physical environments.

Many students end up presenting at conferences and symposia and, in some cases, co-author trade articles. Graduate-level work is externally funded and separate from their thesis and capstone projects.

BC: I recently did 3D modeling and graphics for a retrofitting exhibition at the [Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology]. Several of us built a large-scale model with foam, CNC [computer numerical control] machines and a 3D printer. We also created a wooden base for the model and then painted the space.

EB: On Winding Ridge, I鈥檝e led air quality and flow tests, interfaced with contractors and documented other activities. These experiences have helped me understand the impact of low-carbon technologies on building projects.

MS: In addition to the Retrofit Living Lab, I鈥檝e helped Dr. Wilson develop mycelium-based composite materials. These large-scale, 3D printed structures are sustainable and biodegradable and can be used for insulation, acoustic dampening and compression. Engaging with these technologies and materials is preparing me for a career in sustainable design practices.

The Retrofit Living Lab takes a low-carbon approach to retrofitting. How do you define 鈥渘et zero鈥� and 鈥渓ow carbon鈥�?

NW: Broadly speaking, carbon refers to the global warming potential of construction and demolition activities, which produce nearly 40% of all carbon emissions. [Carbon makes up carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in Earth鈥檚 atmosphere.] Construction and demolition also account for more than 600 million tons of landfill waste a year.

A net-zero energy building harnesses as much as energy as it consumes over an annual period. It does this with renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which are coupled with energy-saving strategies, like heat pumps and a well-sealed building envelope [i.e., exterior walls, foundations, the roof, windows and doors]. This approach reduces electricity loads and building energy consumption to match what the renewables are generating.

What are other advantages of retrofitting?

PP: A retrofitted building can perform as well as, if not better than, a new building in terms of operational use and embodied carbon. Retrofitted buildings are resilient and capable of handling extreme weather events, like heat and cold waves. They also produce three times more input energy [than output energy] and provide continuous indoor ventilation.

We specialize in deep-energy retrofits, which are more effective than conventional retrofits and can save 40%-50% of the energy used on site. In time, deep-energy retrofitting will become affordable.

NW: Our retrofitting data confirms an 80% decrease in HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] energy use, even with new cooling and ventilation systems. Apply this on a large scale, and you have less burdened electrical grids. Retrofits have the potential to increase resilience in the face of climate change and extreme weather events.

What鈥檚 the difference between retrofitting and renovating?

CH: While both involve existing buildings, retrofitting is an intentional effort to increase energy efficiency. This includes adding insulation and improving HVAC systems, which, in turn, regulate indoor air quality.

EB: Renovation focuses on aesthetics, making a building more modern looking. Retrofitting updates these systems by moving away from standards that were once commonplace鈥攍ike little or no insulation, high-energy heaters and unregulated air quality鈥攖o ones that are more sustainable.

Discuss the importance of the Retrofit Living Lab.