UPscaling Grid-friendly, Resilient, AfforDable, and Efficient modular housing
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
9th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$2,663,983
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
As of the end of 2024, the project team has completed the first phase of design and lab testing of an innovative cool room. Lab tests quantified the cooling provided by fans and portable evaporative coolers. These results will guide the development of cost-effective cooling strategies and measures for the modular homes being demonstrated.
The Issue
Housing affordability and supply shortages are among the most significant socio-economic issues in California. Between 2010 and 2020, the state added 3.2 times more people than housing units, exacerbated by the loss of homes due to wildfires since 2017. To address population growth and rebuild homes lost in wildfires since 2017, the state has set an ambitious goal to build 2.5 million new homes by 2030, with 1 million of them designated as affordable housing. Meanwhile, the state has set ambitious policy goals for near-zero carbon residential buildings and requires single-family and low-rise multi-family buildings to have a Photovoltaic (PV) system and be battery-ready. Additionally, increasingly frequent extreme weather events have placed significant stress on state power grids, leading to widespread and prolonged power outages. Rapidly building affordable housing while meeting its ambitious energy and climate goals remains one of the state’s most pressing challenges.
Project Innovation
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) will be partnering with the selected advanced modular home builder, Habitat for Humanity-East Bay and Silicon Valley (HH), community-based organization East Contra Costa Community Alliance (ECCCA), Marin Clean Energy (MCE), and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), to design and build more grid-friendly, affordable, and resilient advanced modular homes in disadvantaged areas of Bay Point in Contra Costa County (Climate Zone 12). The homes will be built upon a modular approach, which enables much faster onsite construction than conventional stick-built homes. The demonstration project will consist of three townhome units on a single site and include solar and energy storage for greater resilience; advanced high-efficiency electric heat pump equipment; the capability to shift to low power mode during grid emergencies or power outages for resilience, and a lower cost of ownership over ten years than typical modular homes today without energy storage. We will develop a first-of-its-kind manufacturing and total cost of ownership model for modular homes; integrate innovative features into [the innovative modular home provider's] California factory site; construct and demonstrate the units in the Bay Point Disadvantaged Communities (DACs); test and validate the operating cost savings and improvements in building performance and heat resilience; conduct community outreach and training with local contractors on modular homes and construction techniques; and survey underserved residents across the state for the first time on their preferences and willingness to purchase modular homes.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
Our model homes can achieve the maximum possible electric load reductions, provide grid services during peak load periods, and have a lower 10-year total cost of ownership (TCO) than the average modular homes currently available on the market and the modular builder’s baseline home. Scaling this advanced, resilient modular home prototype across disadvantaged and low-income communities in California could significantly improve local public health and economic outcomes, enhance energy equity where it is most needed, and potentially save about 5 million tonnes of CO2-eq. emissions over the next 10 years. This would be achieved all while reducing stress on California’s electricity grid and accelerating progress toward state climate and energy goals.
Affordability
This project focuses on a 10-year total cost of ownership that is less than a baseline modular home. The utility bill and development cost savings must [exceed] any increase in the first cost, setting a great example for future more affordable housing projects.
Reliability
Our proposed technology package boosts electricity reliability and lowers utility bills. Homes will be more resilient to extreme temperatures and safer for occupants. Electrification, combined with an appropriately sized PV system, saves nearly $800 per year on utility costs. A "cool room" design and small battery further reduce grid strain and provide backup power during outages.
Key Project Members
Max Wei
