Opaque Envelope

This subprogram develops next-generation building envelope technologies that have substantial potential to cost-effectively reduce building energy consumption and improve demand flexibility and occupant comfort. The opaque envelope comprises all elements of the building envelope besides windows, such as walls, roofs, and foundations, and affects 28% of building energy use, or 11% of total U.S. primary energy use.

Retrofits of existing buildings are particularly crucial to opaque envelope energy savings because nearly 93% of residential and 60% of commercial buildings that exist today will still exist in 2050. Improving the energy performance of the opaque envelope is critical to lowering energy bills for American families and businesses, enhancing resilience, and improving building occupant comfort.

The Opaque Envelopes: Pathway to Building Energy Efficiency and Demand Flexibility R&D Opportunities (RDO) report highlights five key areas of technology R&D: 

  • Ultra-High R/in Insulation Materials
  • Envelope Diagnostic Technologies and Modeling Tools
  • Envelope Remediation Technologies
  • Tunable Transport Materials
  • Energy Storage Materials and Systems.

This foundational research is key to enabling affordable retrofits of homes and commercial buildings, improving building occupant comfort and productivity while minimizing cost and disruption. Successful research, development, market entry, and widespread adoption of next-generation opaque envelope technologies require sustained, long-term, high-risk/high-reward R&D investment. Collaboration between academia, national laboratories, government, and private industry is critical to achieving these objectives. 

Resources

Building Envelope Projects

Technology Manager