Home Energy Upgrades as a Pathway to Home Decarbonization in the US: A Literature Review

Less, Brennan D.; Casquero-Modrego, Núria; Walker, Iain S.

doi:10.3390/en15155590

Home Energy Upgrades as a Pathway to Home Decarbonization in the US: A Literature Review

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Energies

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155590· OSTI ID:1879237

Less, Brennan D.; ;

This work aims to characterize how home energy upgrade projects and programs in the US have evolved over the past decade. It also identifies what changes are needed to drive expansion of the US energy retrofit market in such a way that addresses carbon emissions from buildings, improves resilience and upgrades the housing stock. This review focuses on whole-home energy upgrades, targeting deep energy retrofit savings of >30%. The topics we cover include trends in home electrification, US and European home energy upgrade programs, energy upgrade measure costs, business economics, and health effects. Key changes in project design noted in this review include: (1) the electrification of dwellings with rapidly improving heat pump systems and low-cost solar photovoltaic technology; and (2) a shift away from high-cost building envelope strategies and towards more traditional home performance/weatherization envelope upgrades. Promising program design strategies covered include: (1) end-use electrification programs; (2) novel financing approaches; (3) the use of carbon-based program and project metrics; and (4) “one-stop shop” programs. Based on the existing market barriers, we suggest that the industry should adopt new project performance metrics. Additionally, market drivers are needed to spur widespread energy upgrades in the US housing stock. Costs must be reduced, and projects designed to appeal to homeowners and contractors.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1879237

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1903567

Journal Information:: Energies, Journal Name: Energies Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 15; ISSN ENERGA; ISSN 1996-1073

Publisher:: MDPI AGCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Switzerland

Language:: English

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Home Energy Upgrades as a Pathway to Home Decarbonization in the US: A Literature Review

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