The Low-GWP Mechanical Modules for Rapid Deployment Project (LG-MM Project) will design, fabricate, test, optimize and demonstrate a low-GWP prefabricated Mechanical Module that will help enable the rapid deployment of zero net carbon (ZNC) retrofits in multifamily residential buildings in California. The Module will be designed to suit the most common multifamily building typology in California (previously identified under EPC 17-040 REALIZE-CA project) and will be capable of providing heating, cooling, domestic hot water, ventilation, and real time energy use monitoring, control and feedback, in a compact, lightweight, pre-fabricated package designed to be built offsite and installed quickly. The Module will be designed with an eye towards manufacturability, and ease of installation. The end goal is to develop, test, and demonstrate a packaged product to replace all of the mechanical components in a multifamily residence. This high performance, low-GWP HVAC replacement module will be designed so that it can be installed quickly, easily, cost-effectively, and without substantial disruption to residents.
The ultimate goal of the project will be to transfer the developed system to industry for additional refinement, manufacturing and mass distribution.
Our Mechanical Module approach allows the building’s HVAC infrastructure to remain largely intact while the retrofit work is mainly performed outside, which makes the process less disruptive and less sensitive to the building’s existing conditions. Our Mechanical Module approach offers five main advantages beyond the current state-of-the-art:

1. Consolidation of all major HVAC components into a packaged system reduces the coordination between multiple trades, and allows installation and commissioning to be performed more quickly, more cost effectively, and with less disruption to building occupants.

2. The performance of conventional HVAC systems is greatly impacted by the quality of on-site construction work. Factory construction and automated commissioning ensures optimal performance with minimal reliance on contractor experience.

3. Co-location of all major HVAC components enables substantial energy efficiency opportunities (e.g. heat recovery from cooling utilized for DHW) and optimized grid-interactive controls (e.g. a single controls platform to coordinate operation of all systems).

4. Standardization of the enclosure, connections, and assembly process can reduce cost compared to a traditional HVAC retrofit where all components are decentralized, time intensive to replace, and not readily able to communicate or interconnect.

5. Packaged integration of all mechanical components allows for a small, factory-charged, hermetically-sealed, refrigerant circuit that eliminates the need for refrigerant handling in the field and greatly reduces the possibility of leakage during operation and maintenance. Moreover, this design approach is more appropriate for some low-GWP refrigerants that are flammable or operate at very high pressure.