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NREL and iUnit join forces to test industrialised housing solutions.
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has partnered with Virginia-based modular developer iUnit Communities to explore how offsite manufacturing can deliver affordable, energy-efficient housing at scale. Using a 35-square-metre iUnit studio as a prototype, researchers are studying ways to reduce energy use and streamline construction through factory-built methods. (main pic: NREL researcher Shanti Pless briefs visitors at the NREL Research Block, where iUnit Communities’ modular apartment prototype is currently on site in the background. Credit all images Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
Located on NREL’s South Table Mountain campus in Golden, Colorado, the prototype is designed with a high-performance HVAC system, supertight building envelope, and hybrid energy capabilities. The unit acts as both a testing platform and a model for how modular construction can integrate energy systems into housing before it reaches the building site.
Testing building performance in real-world conditions
NREL researchers are using the prototype to examine how airtightness impacts energy performance. A year-long field test involved pumping CO₂ into the unit and measuring how quickly it escaped—a process that helps determine the leakiness of the building envelope. Results from these tests will inform new modelling tools and building standards aimed at reducing energy waste in modular housing.
The collaboration began after iUnit founder Brice Leconte and NREL’s Shanti Pless met at a construction innovation conference. iUnit supplied a studio identical to those used in its 40-unit Eliot Flats community in Denver. The prototype was first tested in a climate-controlled lab before being relocated to an outdoor research site where it now undergoes environmental exposure testing.
Standardised offsite processes deliver savings and speed
All iUnit homes are designed, manufactured and equipped with complete energy systems in a controlled factory setting. This approach allows for tighter quality control, faster delivery, and lower construction costs. The ability to integrate hybrid energy systems into each unit before it leaves the factory enables iUnit developments to operate as microgrids, increasing resilience and lowering energy bills for residents.
“By standardising production and integrating energy systems during factory assembly, iUnit can deliver move-in-ready housing that meets both performance and affordability goals,” said NREL’s Nick Cindrich.
Watch NREL’s story
New construction models support workforce transformation
Beyond efficiency gains, NREL’s Industrialised Construction Innovation team is also exploring how offsite construction can reshape the US construction workforce. Immersive training environments are being developed to teach workers how to collaborate with automation tools, helping to build a pipeline of skilled labour equipped for factory-based housing production.
Source: NREL
