The built environment covers every aspect of the things we build to facilitate our daily lives. This means not only our buildings but also our public spaces, transport systems, and the wider scale structures of urban spaces. In the United States, buildings themselves are responsible for using around 40% of our total energy, and 75% of our electricity. Understanding how buildings operate is vital from both an energy efficiency and a comfort perspective. In an urbanizing world, optimizing building design and understanding the myriad complexities of the ways people use them is a central challenge of the 21st century.
These considerations are especially important in Texas, where buildings must withstand large variations in temperature, as well as hurricane-force winds. Understanding how to construct resilient buildings that can keep people comfortable and safe even when power systems fail is a central research goal of the Webber Energy Group. Our research also focuses on understanding how homes and businesses can get the most affordable energy services possible and how new heating and cooling technologies impact this.
Ongoing and recent projects include:
- Optimal Buildings Weatherization Strategies Under Winter Storm Conditions
- Affordability and Viability of Heat Pumps Nationwide
- Long-term Domestic Home Energy Use Patterns
