ReNEWW House

Retrofit Net Zero: Energy. Water. Waste.

Whirlpool Corporation, along with Purdue University, has transformed an existing home near Purdue’s campus into a world class research laboratory and sustainable living showcase. ReNEWW stands for Retrofitted Net-zero Energy, Water & Waste and represents the aspirational vision for the project: to convert a home, originally built in 1928, to offset all its energy use with solar power, to only rely on locally available water sources, and to have waste handling systems in place that prevent any household waste from going to the landfill. ReNEWW House is providing valuable insights for our homebuilder collaborators and customers on technologies that enable sustainable living. We leverage the world class facilities and collaborate with Purdue researchers to accelerate the development of the next generation of ultra-high efficiency appliances that increase core performance while lowering their impact on the environment and cost to operate.

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ReNEWW House in the News

Whirlpool Corporation Empowering Support and De-escalation Through Mental Health First Aid Training

In today's fast-paced and demanding work environment, mental health challenges have become prevalent. Recognizing the importance of supporting employees who might be struggling with their mental well-being, throughout the first quarter of 2023 at all Whirlpool...

Whirlpool Corporation Recognized as One of America’s Climate Leaders for 2023 by USA Today

Whirlpool Corporation has been recognized by USA Today as one of America’s Climate Leaders for 2023. This inaugural award recognizes U.S.-based companies with the most significant year-over-year reductions in scope 1 and scope 2 emissions relative to revenue. “We are...

2023 iF Design Award Winner

Whirlpool Corporation is proud to announce that 7 products among our Whirlpool, Hotpoint and KitchenAid brands triumphed for exceptional product design by winning the internationally prestigious iF Design Award 2023. The awards seek out the year’s best products, with...

Groundbreaking held for New Heights Laundry Hub bringing essential services to Benton Heights

A groundbreaking yesterday marked the start of construction on the New Heights Laundry Hub in the heart of Benton Heights, aiming to increase the overall well-being for neighborhood residents. The new facility, which will include a laundromat and host human and social...

Whirlpool Corporation highlights commitment to environmental sustainability, social responsibility and employee support in 2022 Sustainability Report

Whirlpool Corporation today published its 2022 Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s enduring commitment to environmental sustainability, social responsibility, corporate governance initiatives, and progress in meeting its sustainability and Inclusion and...

Designing optimism with KitchenAid brand Color of the Year ‘Hibiscus’

A behind the scenes look at how Hibiscus reflects society's want of optimism KitchenAid brand’s Color of the Year, Hibiscus, is vibrant, bold and lush. Designers at Whirlpool Corporation see it as a reflection of how society has overcome so many obstacles in recent...

Cost of Home Advocacy Campaign Policy wins with Whirlpool Corporation’s support

Mattie, one of Habitat for Humanity’s homeowners, had been living comfortably for 10 years in her Habitat for Humanity home she helped to build in Rochester, New York. She worked full time, but a chronic autoimmune disease that requires her to be on oxygen caused her...

Whirlpool Corporation recognized by RepTrak in the Global RepTrak 100 for the eleventh consecutive year

The list recognizes 100 companies with the best corporate responsibility reputations in the world Whirlpool Corporation announced today that is has been included in the Global RepTrak 100 for 2023, which recognizes companies for their ability to build and communicate...

Whirlpool Corporation recognized by Newsweek as One of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies for 2023

Whirlpool Corporation announced today that it has been named one of Newsweek’s Most Trustworthy Companies in 2023. To create the list, Newsweek partnered with Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data, to evaluate companies’ business practices and...

Whirlpool Corporation named one of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023

Whirlpool Corporation has been recognized by Fortune as one of America's Most Innovative Companies in 2023. The inaugural list celebrates companies that have demonstrated success across three areas, including product innovation, process innovation, and innovation...

Why Retrofit?

The average age of a single family home in the US is 34 years old, meaning that much of the existing housing stock was constructed in an era that offered both relatively inexpensive energy and did not consider carbon dioxide as a form of pollution that contributes to global warming.  Consequently, simple energy efficiency measures are sorely lacking in these homes—a problem with far reaching consequences, but also an opportunity for substantial energy savings.

The ReNEWW House retrofit sought to both preserve the historic character of the house, while also vastly improving its’ overall energy and water efficiency. The retrofit took place in 3 stages – first, a deep energy retrofit to get to Net Zero Energy. This was followed by an interior remodel and water system retrofit to achieve Net-Zero Water Usage, in which Whirlpool worked with Kohler Corporation. Finally, Ford Motor Company enabled the addition of a new garage with a Ford Focus BEV and EV Charging Station.

Before & After - Front of House

Before & After - Back of House

Before & After - Kitchen

Before & After - Central Area

Before & After - Basement

Before & After - Garage

Net Zero Energy

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), residential housing units account for 22 percent of the total primary energy usage in the US. Over two thirds of this energy is used for HVAC, appliances, or water heating¹. Since the ReNEWW House is in a heating climate with many cloudy days, the home underwent a massive energy retrofit to address energy consumption and storage. This included new appliances, insulation, HVAC, water heater, lighting, windows, doors, siding and roofing. In addition, a drainline heat recovery system was added to recover waste energy from the shower drain and use it to heat incoming cold water. Finally, to get to Net Zero Energy, a Solar Thermal (PVT) System was added to the roof, to generate as much energy in one year as is used inside the house.

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Solar Panel – South Side

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Solar Panel – West Side

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Outside Insulation

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Siding & Windows

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Geothermal HVAC

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Water Heating

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Drain Heat Recovery

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LED Lighting

Net Zero Water

The average person in the United States uses 91 gallons of water per day. This water use translates into roughly $1000 per American family per year to pay for their water usage. Much of this water usage is potable, treated water that is flushed immediately down the drain. In phase 2 of the ReNEWW House Retrofit, the old, outdated water-using fixtures and appliances were replaced with new, water-efficient Kohler fixtures and Whirlpool appliances. In addition, rainwater harvesting and filtration was installed onsite for all potable water applications. Finally, in an effort to offset potable water usage for toilet flushing, a CleanBlu Greywater treatment system was installed onsite. After all these improvements, the residents of the house have been consuming roughly 21 gallons per person, per day… a ~75% reduction in water usage!

Have questions about the ReNEWW House?

Email Us at ReNEWWHouse@gmail.com