Building America Case Study: Philadelphia Housing Authority Energy-Efficiency Turnover Protocols, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Over one million HUD-supported public housing units provide rental housing for eligible low-income families across the country. A survey of over 100 public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country indicated that there is a high level of interest in developing low-cost solutions that improve energy efficiency and can be seamlessly included in the refurbishment process. Further, PHAs, have incentives (both internal and external) to reduce utility bills. ARIES worked with four PHAs to develop packages of energy efficiency retrofit measures the PHAs can cost-effectively implement with their own staffs in the normal course of housing operations at the time when units are refurbished between occupancies. The energy efficiency turnover protocols emphasized air infiltration reduction, duct sealing, and measures that improve equipment efficiency. ARIES documented implementation in 18 housing units. Reductions in average air leakage were 16 percent and duct leakage reductions averaged 23 percent. Total source energy consumption savings due to implemented measures was estimated at 3-10 percent based on BEopt modeling with a simple payback of 1.6 to 2.5 years. Implementation challenges were encountered mainly related to required operational changes and budgetary constraints. Nevertheless, simple measures can feasibly be accomplished by PHA staff at low or no cost. At typical housing unit turnover rates, these measures could impact hundreds of thousands of units per year nationally.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1240849
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/FS-5500-65354; DOE/GO-102016-4815
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Islip Housing Authority Energy Efficiency Turnover Protocols, Islip, New York (Fact Sheet)
Public Housing: A Tailored Approach to Energy Retrofits
Related Subjects
residential
residential buildings
ARIES
Building America
public housing
PHA
Public Housing Authority
Islip Housing Authority
Raleigh Housing Authority
Philadelphia Housing Authority
Norwalk Housing Authority
energy efficiency
BEopt
energy modeling
energy efficiency retrofit