Photo by Ed Hancock, NREL
Project Information
Partners
- Team Lead: Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Research Member: FSEC at the University of Central Florida
- Implementation Members: Tennessee Valley Authority, CLEAResult, Pearl Certification, Southern Company, National Energy Improvement Fund
- Industry Members: Daikin U.S. Corp., The Energy Conservatory, Owens Corning
Location
Nashville, Tennessee
Anticipated Completion
Early 2026
Challenge to Solve
This Building America Retrofit Solutions team is addressing barriers to upgrading ductwork at the same time as installing heat pumps.
Ducts can impact realized energy performance, comfort, air quality, and durability. When installers attach new high-efficiency heat pumps to leaky, uninsulated, and undersized duct systems—which are common in the southeast United States—energy and cost savings can decrease significantly.
Technical barriers to upgrading or replacing ductwork at the time of HVAC changeout include:
- Inability to quantify the impact of installing the heat pump without improving the ducts.
- Complex diagnostic methods and inaccurate testing methods.
- Unfamiliarity with how to approach the work.
Approach and Impact
The overall objective is to develop and validate a market-led process to triage residential, forced-air distribution systems during the heat pump sales process and to prescribe and implement appropriate remediation. The team aims to increase overall system performance and improve the customer experience.
The team will test, validate, and package a comprehensive solution to triage homes, predict performance, and implement appropriate repairs. The solution will combine newly piloted diagnostic technologies with a range of climate-appropriate remediation tactics to create a replicable and scalable process.
The team’s data collection focuses on owner-occupied, single-family homes in Nashville, Tennessee. American communities may benefit from the team’s work to:
- Decrease energy use and costs while providing the same level of thermal comfort.
- Improve access to ductwork upgrades made along with HVAC retrofits.
- Increase access to and adoption of highly efficient household technologies.
The research results from this project will inform HVAC contractor development and training, which will enhance their business opportunities.
About Building America Retrofit Solutions
As part of a Building Technologies Office initiative, the nine cross-sector Building America Retrofit Solutions teams are working on one- to three-year community-focused field validation and demonstration projects that will address hard-to-solve technical challenges of increasing efficiency, affordability, and comfort of existing homes.
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