Effort launched to develop better process for zero-carbon retrofits in multifamily sector

Three organizations have teamed up on an initiative to “catalyze the development of a speedy and scalable process for zero-carbon retrofits in the multifamily home sector.” Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the U.S. Dept. of Energy, and the California Energy Commission will work together on RMI’s REALIZE initiative.

The three-year collaboration consists of pilot projects totaling about 500,000 sf in California, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. The goal is to demonstrate an industrialized approach to conducting zero-emissions retrofits.

In addition, the three organizations and others, such as New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s RetrofitNY program, are working on scaling mechanisms designed to mobilize and organize the supply chain and kick start a market for integrated retrofit systems. Six pilots are slated for development in RetrofitNY’s program.

REALIZE is combining demand aggregation and supply chain coordination to deploy high-quality, prefabricated mass-scale retrofit packages that are easy to install and are financed through utility cost savings.