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Project # 68
Affordable Building Insulation Assessment via Wireless Signal Transmission
| Team Lead: | Rayyaan Vahidy |
| Other Team Members: | Heddie Martinez | Luke Teague | Tanner McCullough |
| Faculty Advisor(s): | June Young Park |
| Department: | CE |
| Project Type: | REU |
| Title: | Affordable Building Insulation Assessment via Wireless Signal Transmission |
| Abstract: | Building energy audits play a key role in identifying retrofit strategies to improve efficiency and support sustainable buildings. One major challenge is evaluating the thermal insulation of existing structures, which directly affects heat gain and loss through building envelopes. Current methods often depend on assumptions from building codes, while more accurate approaches such as infrared thermal imaging require expensive equipment and controlled conditions. This project proposes a low-cost, citizen-driven alternative that uses wireless signal transmission to estimate insulation properties. Because signal attenuation varies depending on the physical composition of building materials, the research hypothesizes that different construction types will produce measurable differences in wireless signal strength. By developing a do-it-yourself guideline using open-source hardware, the project aims to equip emerging “Citizen Building Scientists” with accessible tools to assess their own homes. The intellectual merit lies in introducing wireless signal technologies into architectural engineering and establishing foundational knowledge on their relationship to insulation materials. By bridging architectural engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering, the project expands energy audit methods. Its broader impact supports sustainability by empowering households, especially low-income and vulnerable communities, to better understand building performance, prepare for extreme weather, and reduce utility costs. |
| Poster: | View Poster #68 (PDF) |
| Judges Scoring: | Submit Evaluation (judges only) |