Brief
The German research organization Fraunhofer has come up with a really interesting solution for the typical column and slab buildings from the ’50s through the ’70s: a prefabricated wall system that integrates a heat pump, ventilation with heat recovery, high-efficiency glazing, with the solid portions of the wall covered in photovoltaic panels.
Insight
We like to repeat architect Carl Elefante’s adage that “the greenest building is the one already standing,” but there are untold millions of square feet of office buildings around the world with leaky curtain walls and inefficient heating systems that will have to be upgraded in the next few years.
The German research organization Fraunhofer has come up with a really interesting solution for the typical column and slab buildings from the ’50s through the ’70s: a prefabricated wall system that integrates a heat pump, ventilation with heat recovery, high-efficiency glazing, with the solid portions of the wall covered in photovoltaic panels.
“We are not renovating the entire building, just the facade. In the future, the old facade will be replaced using new, industrially prefabricated modules with integrated systems technology, providing a multifunctional solution that meets the latest energy standards,” explains Jan Kaiser, project manager and scientist at Fraunhofer IEE. “All the heating, cooling and ventilation equipment required for the adjoining offices is integrated within the facade.”

The technical part of the unit, containing the heat pumps and ventilation, is a standard four feet wide and a foot deep, and is insulated with vacuum panels, and can service an area of about 260 square feet. The press release notes the installation just takes a few hours: “Since the heating and ventilation technology is already integrated, there is no need to lay any new pipes within the building. The facade simply needs a power connection to continue air-conditioning and ventilating the rooms during periods without PV electricity.”
There is no word on how much electricity is produced by the solar panel, or what percentage of the electricity needed to run the heat pumps and ventilation system it is estimated to cover. We have asked and will update if and when Fraunhofer responds, but I suspect it’s not much. However, it’s still a very good idea, and the whole system is projected to cut electricity consumption by 75%.
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