Multiple faculty and graduate students affiliated with the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) 2024 Peer Review. As BTO’s signature event, this annual peer review process brings together academics, practitioners, and policymakers in the building sector.
Bess Krietemeyer, Associate Professor in the School of Architecture (SOA), led a presentation on SU’s Advanced Building Construction award, “Integrated Whole-Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit Solution for Residences in Cold/Very Cold Climates.” Using a demonstration site on Syracuse University’s South Campus, Professor Krietemeyer’s team is developing a method for retrofitting single-family residences. By leveraging insulated panels and prefabricated systems, they can create significant energy savings and improve indoor air quality with minimal disruption to building occupants.
Ian Shapiro, Professor of Practice in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and Associate Director of Building Science and Community Programs, gave a presentation on SU’s Building America Project to improve the heat pump efficiency by reducing applied energy losses. SOA Assistant Professor Nina Wilson presented another Building America project led by Cycle Architecture + Planning, a SyracuseCoE Partner Program member, which will focus on field validation projects for residential retrofit solutions.
Three MAE Ph.D. students, who played key roles in SU’s DOE projects, participated in the peer review: Shayan Mirzabeigi, Sameeraa Soltanian-Zadeh and Ji Zhou. Sameeraa also attended workshops and gatherings specifically for DOE IBUILD Graduate Research Fellows.
SyracuseCoE collaborators represented at the BTO event included Taitem Engineering, Association for Energy Affordability, Cycle Architecture + Planning, and Hydronic Shell Technologies. Jianshun “Jensen” Zhang, Executive Director of SyracuseCoE and MAE Professor also participated in the 2024 Peer Review.
“The annual BTO peer review meeting was a great opportunity for researchers and practitioners to learn about the wide range of high-impact projects supported by DOE, exchange knowledge and explore new collaboration ideas in addition to a rigorous review of the various funded projects,” said Professor Zhang. “It was exciting and gratifying to see so many SU faculty, students and collaborators participating and presenting findings from pioneering research sponsored by DOE at this event.”
DOE’s BTO works to develop cost-effective tools and technologies that make residential and commercial buildings more energy efficient. Supporting an equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system, BTO works in three key areas: research and development, market stimulation and building codes and equipment standards.