60% of multifamily buildings in the U.S. were built before 1980. The outdated and deteriorating infrastructure in these buildings is unsustainable from an environmental, social, and economic perspective, especially for those in affordable housing communities. Deep energy retrofits are needed at massive scale to reduce their harmful emissions and high operating costs, while improving the health, comfort, and well-being of their occupants.

Despite the urgent need, such retrofits are rare today. The main barriers are poor return on investment and the logistical challenges of retrofitting an occupied building. Without innovative new approaches to disrupt the status quo, the future of our aging housing stock looks bleak.

That’s where Hydronic Shell comes in. Our technology enables deep energy retrofits from the exterior of the building, thereby greatly reducing the cost and time to complete the retrofit while minimizing disruption to residents. We integrate our patented high performance central HVAC system into prefabricated modular facade panels that form the new insulated shell around the building. the result is lower energy bills and maintenance costs, superior comfort and indoor air quality, as well as a new revitalized exterior that’s more beautiful and resilient.

Our focus since the company’s founding in 2020 has been, and remains, on affordable housing which has been deteriorating for decades and where the need is most urgent. In the future we will expand to other building typologies as well as new construction. The potential of facade-integrated mechanical systems to improve the performance and productivity of the construction sector is enormous and we will lead the way in the development and deployment of this new technology and new way of building.