Innovation

Cold climate heat pumps in a variety of formats, centralized VRF systems with individual in-unit control, heat pump water heating solutions, air-to-water, packaged and wall/window configurations, are all among the options emerging on an almost daily basis. 

 

These new technologies are bringing with them a plethora of new challenges that MaGrann is helping to solve through our research and demonstration services in support of pilots and programs, and clients from manufacturers to developers, utilities, government agencies and labs. 

 

Our work engages on questions such as: 

 

• Can neighborhood electrification present a viable and higher value alternative to replacing aging natural gas infrastructure? 

• What design attributes are most beneficial to deployment of wall and window cold climate heat pumps in apartments? 

• How can the consumer experience of these new technologies be improved through the user interface and education? 

• How can split incentive implications, cost shift impacts and savings attribution be best addressed when implementing an electrification retrofit of existing centralized fossil fuel systems in multifamily buildings? 

• How can existing apartment building envelopes be retrofitted to dramatically improve performance without resorting to the typical invasive and disruptive measures? 

• Can multifamily new construction achieve a net zero energy performance level with sufficient confidence to guarantee zero energy costs to residents? 

• And what can real time analytics tell us about the ongoing performance of newly constructed or retrofitted buildings to help ensure that anticipated levels of performance are achieved and maintained over time, with reduced operating and maintenance costs? 

 

We look forward to hearing what challenges you may be seeking to understand and resolve!