Case Study

James Geddes Development

Innovative Hydronic Shell HVAC overclad to transform Syracuse Housing Authority high-rise

This case study was chosen as part of the Empire Building Challenge competition. Click here to learn more about the Empire Building Challenge competition.

Project Highlights

Funding

Cycle Retrotech and Hydronic Shell Technologies, in collaboration with the Syracuse Housing Authority and other partners, has been awarded multiple grants for the development of the retrofit pilot at 418 Fabius St, including the 2023 Enterprise Community Partner’s Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge (HABC), the 2024 U.S. Department of Energy Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT), and The Clean Fight’s 2024 Empire Technology Prize; and it is anticipated that 100% of the project will be funded through grants and incentive programs.

Project Planning

Hydronic Shell’s HVAC distribution system will be integrated into the prefabricated panels and all major components will be installed from the outside of the building, with minimal tenant disruption. This is a novel and replicable approach that will facilitate the deployment of building deep energy retrofits at scale.

Emissions Reductions

The proposed scope will add central cooling and balanced ventilation to every apartment, improving indoor air quality and comfort, while also bringing the building’s site Energy Use Intensity (EUI) below 30, even without the integration of solar power or other Distributed Energy Resources (DERs).

Step 1

Step 1: Examine Current Conditions

A baseline assessment is key to understanding current systems and performance, then identifying conditions, requirements or events that will trigger a decarbonization effort. The assessment looks across technical systems, asset strategy and sectoral factors.

Building System Conditions

System Failure
Equipment nearing end-of-life
New heat source potential
Comfort improvements
Indoor air quality improvements
Facade maintenance
Resilience upgrades
Efficiency improvements

Asset Conditions

Recapitalization
Carbon emissions limits
Owner sustainability goals

Market Conditions

Technology improves
Market supply changes
Infrastructure transitions

The decarbonization roadmap for the James Geddes Development outlines a comprehensive and actionable plan designed to achieve substantial energy efficiency and ambitious capital and operational improvements while striving for considerably lower emissions and better public housing for the James Geddes community. This housing development is facing challenges related to aging infrastructure and limited funding for necessary upgrades, which are issues that are also prevalent among other SHA developments and housing authorities nationwide. The proposed roadmap addresses these issues by providing a modern technological solution and an innovative implementation model that supports the long-term revitalization of essential public housing assets.

The proposed panelized solution will reduce installation time, enabling the application of logistics planning and installation tools, and ultimately reducing costs compared to conventional methods, such as the installation of EIFS or rainscreens, shifting the paradigm of deep energy retrofits from time consuming labor-intensive field assembly to a scalable, industrialized assembly and installation method. This prefabricated, modular, non-invasive, and cost-effective retrofit solution has the potential to be scaled across the remaining buildings in the James Geddes Development, other properties in SHA’s portfolio, and buildings of similar typology in the US. The success of Phase 1 of the 418 Fabius retrofit could serve as a catalyst for a broader initiative, paving the way for the development of subsequent Phases 2 and 3.

Step 2

Step 2: Design Resource Efficient Solutions

Effective engineering integrates measures for reducing energy load, recovering wasted heat, and moving towards partial or full electrification. This increases operational efficiencies, optimizes energy peaks, and avoids oversized heating systems, thus alleviating space constraints and minimizing the cost of retrofits to decarbonize the building over time.

Existing Conditions

This diagram illustrates the building prior to the initiation of Strategic Decarbonization planning by the owners and their teams.

Click through the measures under “Building After” to understand the components of the building’s energy transition

Sequence of Measures

2027

2029

Building System Affected

heating
cooling
ventilation

Step 3

Step 3: Build the Business Case

Making a business case for strategic decarbonization requires thinking beyond a traditional energy audit approach or simple payback analysis. It assesses business-as-usual costs and risks against the costs and added value of phased decarbonization investments in the long-term.

Decarbonization Costs

Business-as-Usual Costs

Business-as-Usual Risks

Decarbonization Value

Net Present Value

Cost details forthcoming

The proposed business case for the project leverages the advantages of a modular offsite solution with increased efficiencies in building operations to significantly improve the financial performance of the building. Through this model, the cost of ownership of the building will decrease significantly, and a more stable and predictable cash flow for the property will be ensured. This stability is particularly crucial in the context of public housing, where predictable funding and cost management are essential. This model provides a replicable framework for improving the financial health and operational efficiency of public and affordable housing across the United States. By adopting such a model, other affordable and low-income housing authorities can achieve similar benefits, ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience for their portfolios while enhancing the quality and equity of public and affordable housing for years to come.

Additionally, while this project is the first pilot of this technology, wide-scale adoption could reduce costs by up to 50% through economies of scale, efficient production, and reduced labor expenses, making future retrofits even more financially attractive. Also, utility rates are relatively low in Syracuse, but the NOI will be more favorable in markets with higher utility rates such as New York City (NYC). This is because the retrofit will lead to greater savings on utility costs, which will have a more substantial impact on the NOI, improving the overall financial performance in these markets.

Strategic Decarbonization Action Plan

An emissions decarbonization roadmap helps building owners visualize their future emissions reductions by outlining the CO2 reductions from selected energy conservation measures. This roadmap is designed with a phased approach, considering a 20- or 30-year timeline, and incorporates the evolving benefits of grid decarbonization, ensuring a comprehensive view of long-term environmental impact.