The latest news from Research + Innovation

Welcome to The Accelerator+. This month, Vice President of Research Scott Hackel introduces the inaugural edition of our Research + Innovation newsletter. Subscribe to all our newsletters here.

In one of my first projects as a researcher I had the privilege of studying the benefits of fully commissioning lighting controls. The project was complex, involving detailed measurement, determination of daylight availability, and more… But the results were?not?complex: Lighting controls save a lot more energy when properly commissioned, and doing so is relatively cheap. That’s basically it. It was a simple story.

Such simplicity is rare, especially in 2024, when most of the solutions in our industry involve multiple complexities and tradeoffs. In this month’s Research newsletter, we discuss one such solution, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems. Like many electrification approaches, VRF has its proponents who laud its promise and efficiency. Yet there’s an opposite camp who suggests that VRF isn’t even worth considering as a solution, because of the very real risks to the climate presented by refrigerants. Still, there are good reasons to pay attention to this solution, despite the risks. In other words: it’s complicated.

This is increasingly the type of story we must explore together as we decarbonize: variable costs, messy human elements, both positive and negative impacts. We must sit with this complexity, because we need a?lot?of?different?solutions to decarbonize everywhere, and this means a wide array of solutions. In the Slipstream Research newsletter, we will attempt to relay this full complexity, while still pointing out the bright spots. We’ll share the good and the bad, often together—and we’ll identify the bright spots in these messy stories where you can find value.

Simpler headlines are usually betraying something deeper...

Slipstream's R+I Newsletter is the best way to receive quarterly updates with news, insights, and in-depth analysis from our researchers.

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Highlights from the R+I Newsletter

In a recent pilot study, we found that VRF can reduce energy use and carbon emissions in cold climates for commercial and multifamily HVAC when installed correctly.

The catch? Some early (and avoidable) installation issues were severe enough to require replacing the equipment—so we've suggested some ways programs can ensure successful outcomes for projects installing VRF systems.

Funded by a U.S. Department of Energy grant, Slipstream partnered with the University of Central Florida–FSEC Energy Research Center, Northwest Energy Works, and Washington State University Energy Program to explore HVAC innovations in new manufactured housing (MH).

The project team evaluated, refined, and tested new approaches for delivering space heating and cooling in manufactured homes to improve energy efficiency, durability, and indoor air quality without significantly increasing production and MH siting costs.

New studies and projects

Strengthening the equitable rollout of residential heat pumps

On behalf of the Minnesota Department of Commerce (MN CARD), Slipstream will develop highly localized case studies to demonstrate cost-effective pathways to electrifying homes with two different Indigenous communities in Minnesota. Another study for MN CARD will explore the role of advanced, connected diagnostic tools and software for new air-source heat pumps, which could help forestall common installation defects and provide rich documentation of proper commissioning.

Streamlining decarbonization of complex buildings

Last year the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced the launch of the Building Electrification and Transformation Accelerator (BETA): Commercial Buildings Pilot—a program to create proven models to ramp up decarbonization of the Commonwealth’s commercial building stock. We are also working with the University of Minnesota's Center for Sustainable Building Research to study an approach for strategic decarbonization of large, complex commercial buildings.

Pilots and studies like these will help us create multifaceted approaches to the puzzling task of how to decarbonize across a wide range of building typologies.

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