Ian Shapiro (far right), professor of practice in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, is a pioneer in the design of eco-friendly heat pumps.
Ian Shapiro has built a career on helping others. Even as his own lab awaits completion in the , the award-winning researcher finds ways to practice environmental stewardship and sustainability.
鈥淭he built environment reflects our culture, values and beliefs,鈥� says Shapiro, an professor of practice. 鈥淏uildings are always changing, and it鈥檚 my goal to make them more resilient and energy efficient.鈥�
That Shapiro mostly retrofits old buildings speaks to the fluidity and temporal qualities of architecture. He considers every space a 鈥渓iving laboratory,鈥� enabling him to pursue model-based analysis, fieldwork and testing. 鈥淧rovided we have the right equipment, my students and I can work almost anywhere.鈥�
Shapiro is particularly known for his contributions to the design of eco-friendly heat pumps. These systems absorb heat from the air, water or ground and then transfer it indoors to warm up a space. Conversely, heat pumps soak up indoor heat and transport it outdoors to provide air conditioning.
A student uses a digital multimeter to measure electrical and mechanical components in a heat pump system.
Based in the (MAE), Shapiro is using a seven-figure, five-year grant award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)鈥檚 to perform heat pump retrofits in 麻花影视鈥檚 historic 15th Ward.
He also is launching the University鈥檚 Building Training and Assessment Center in collaboration with MAE Associate Teaching Professor Jackie Anderson G鈥�11. The center will prepare students and professionals to carry out building assessments throughout Central New York.
鈥淥ur goal is to give students hands-on, real-world training,鈥� says Shapiro, founder of Ithaca-based . 鈥淭hey鈥檙e our greatest resource.鈥�
Finding a Common Goal
Building America does more than fund heat-pump demonstrations. It also will support the testing of heat pumps with the Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, an ECS interdisciplinary center located inside 727 East Washington St., near main campus.
Such testing not only facilitates the identification of potential sources of applied energy losses in heat pumps. It also enables MAE students to conduct original, meaningful research.
Ian Herrmann G鈥�24 (far left), a master of architecture candidate, with Wenfeng Huang, Ji Zhou G鈥�23 and Sameeraa Soltanian-Zadeh, all of whom are Ph.D. candidates in mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Ph.D. candidate Sameeraa Soltanian-Zadeh has worked with Shapiro to identify various sources of applied energy losses. Such losses, she points out, can occur during the design, installation or operation phase of a heat pump system and reduce its efficiency.
Soltanian-Zadeh uses this data to improve the heat pump鈥檚 ratio of energy output to input, known as the coefficient of performance (COP).
鈥淏y addressing these losses, we aim to improve the heat pump's COP and break the 4.0 barrier,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his would not only enhance efficiency, but also deliver significant energy savings, especially to those least able to afford high energy costs.鈥�
She works alongside Ph.D. candidate Ji Zhou G鈥�23, who credits Shapiro for teaching him how to manage environmental risks from different angles. 鈥淭his leads to innovative solutions and a deeper understanding of the systems that we study,鈥� Zhou says.
Ph.D. candidate Wenfeng Huang echoes these sentiments. 鈥淲e visit and assess a lot of homes and buildings, and most of the time, we find lots of issues. But that鈥檚 the beauty of people from different backgrounds working together鈥攚e have a common goal.鈥�
From Probable to Possible
鈥淢y house is a case study,鈥� says Herrmann (kneeling), who has designed and installed a heat pump system in his home near campus.
Shapiro鈥檚 fascination with heat pumps began during the 1981-82 recession, following a global energy crisis. Then a master鈥檚 student at Columbia, he noticed growing concerns about the environment and the need for a more sustainable future.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I realized engineering and energy science could work together to make a difference,鈥� recalls Shapiro, who also lectures in the .
While heat pumps have been around since the 1850s, the ones that Shapiro designs are intended to run on green electricity (e.g., wind, solar or hydropower) instead of fossil fuel. 鈥淭his makes them highly efficient and versatile,鈥� he adds. 鈥淭he next step is to make them even more efficient and more affordable.鈥�
Shapiro is everywhere these days. When the City and Town of Ithaca asked him to write a building energy code, he led a team that developed one of the most advanced local codes in the United States.
And with New York state on track to achieve 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, Shapiro is tirelessly educating, advocating and consulting.
Zhou (seated) credits Shapiro for teaching him how to manage environmental risks from different angles.
鈥淣ew York state has some of the cleanest air in the country and some of the toughest climate laws on record,鈥� says the former Carrier engineer, who co-authored with Frank Ching the landmark book Green Building Illustrated, now in its second edition. 鈥淣ew York also has something that most states don鈥檛 have鈥攖he Niagara Power Project, one of the nation鈥檚 largest producers of hydroelectricity.鈥�
Master of Architecture candidate Ian Herrmann G鈥�24 applauds Shapiro鈥檚 optimism. An intern at the Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, Herrmann has designed and installed a heat pump in his own house, along with underground ventilation ducts (aka earth tubes) that work in tandem with the pump to passively increase energy efficiency.
鈥淢y house is a case study,鈥� says Herrmann, who also has contributed to the Building America project. 鈥淧rofessor Shapiro not only sees what鈥檚 probable, but also has the knowledge and experience to make it possible. He brings out the best in us students and our research.鈥�
Adds Shapiro: 鈥淲hat choice do we have? Our future depends on them.鈥�
