Tens of thousands of three-family homes were built at the turn of the 20th century to house immigrant workers who filled factories across New England. Thousands of these triple-deckers still exist in and around Boston, often poorly insulated with oil or gas-fired furnaces. The Triple Decker Challenge seeks to uncover affordable, practical solutions for all-electric retrofits that can meet Massachusetts’ 2050 net zero emissions goal.
WestFaulkner teamed with Placetailor to design a renovation and build a financial model that could incentivize owners to upgrade HVAC systems and building envelopes.
A deep energy retrofit (DER) is proposed with most upgrades applied from the exterior, allowing residents to remain in place during the renovation.
A pre-assembled fourth floor increases property value, while providing rental income and an ideal roofscape for PV panels. Each unit has a solar hot water heater; the boiler is replaced with an energy recovery ventilation system (ERV), and mini-split heat pump.
