Sustainability and affordability of building electrification: A state-by-state holistic approach for multifamily buildings

Williams, Matthew R. T.; Parker, Chris; Dillon, Amanda; Billings, Blake; Powell, Kody M.

doi:10.1016/j.scs.2024.105515

Sustainability and affordability of building electrification: A state-by-state holistic approach for multifamily buildings

Journal Article · Fri May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · Sustainable Cities and Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105515· OSTI ID:2372969

Williams, Matthew R. T. ^[1]; Parker, Chris ^[2]; Dillon, Amanda ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[1]

Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
Giv Group, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

This paper explores the evolving narrative of building electrification, considering its potential to solve climate change. Previous research has predominantly focused on hybrid renewable energy portfolios and increasing home pricing premiums, overlooking the perspectives of renters burdened by housing costs. Moreover, existing studies have primarily examined the effects of electrification on single-family homes and case studies, neglecting multifamily buildings and their relationship with the grid. This comprehensive study leverages calibrated building energy models to address these gaps and evaluates sustainability through carbon dioxide emissions and affordability through economic performance. The findings demonstrate significant progress in electrification since 2017, with nearly all states showing decreased energy usage in the electrified models. Environmentally, twenty-two states perform better or comparably with the electrified models in the most recent study. Economically, challenges persist, but a sensitivity analysis demonstrates how results could improve soon. Furthermore, the study discusses the outlook of electrified multifamily buildings, considering ongoing decarbonization plans for the electric grid. In three case studies, electrification demonstrates improvements in over half of the states by 2026. Overall, the research highlights the importance of expanding analysis to include multifamily buildings and emphasizes the positive impact of electrification as a viable energy, environmental, and economic solution.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; SC0014664

OSTI ID:: 2372969

Journal Information:: Sustainable Cities and Society, Journal Name: Sustainable Cities and Society Vol. 109; ISSN 2210-6707

Publisher:: ElseiverCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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