The U.S. construction industry is facing a housing supply deficit on the order of millions—and growing—at a time when climate targets mean that every unit should be built as efficiently, sustainably, and affordably as possible. To help meet this need, the construction industry must modernize to increase the speed and scale of high-performance building delivery.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers are eager to give partners a blueprint for optimizing performance by leveraging industrial construction methods. Techniques such as high-volume off-site construction, prefabrication, and on-site construction automation provide a pathway to decarbonization that also addresses the affordable housing crisis.
On Sept. 21, the NREL Industrialized Construction Innovation team hosted an Industry Demonstration Day.
Process improvements are behind some of the biggest cost reductions fueling the adoption of low-carbon technologies. In recent years, falling prices associated with more efficient solar panel production, wind plant development, and light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturing have led to rapid growth in those industries. But green building upgrades seem to be on a steeper learning curve.
“Anyone who manufactures anything models their industrial process,” Pless said. “But because we haven’t traditionally thought of buildings as manufactured products, the industry was repeatedly experimenting with one-off approaches that remained costly. For the first time, we’ve adopted productivity optimization tools and applied them to energy-efficient building.”
CLICK HERE to read the entire National Renewable Energy Laboratory report
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder. Email at [email protected]
To learn more about the Offsite Construction Industry, sign up for your free monthly issue of Offsite Builder, the Construction Magazine for Builders and Developers
