Blending Behavioral Science and Physics-Based Models Inform Equitable Decarbonization Pathways in the US Housing Stock: Preprint

Conference · Mon Aug 26 04:00:00 EDT 2024

OSTI ID:2439128

Stenger, Katelyn; Rothgeb, Stacey; McCord, Kieren H.; Fuentes, Tracey; Antonopoulos, Chrissi; Guillante, Patricia

A just energy transition is an imperative of the Biden-Harris Administration, emphasizing the equitable distribution of benefits through energy-efficient and decarbonizing household technologies. Understanding the factors that increase a household's willingness to adopt these technologies helps policymakers implement more targeted and effective approaches. Our research addresses this by blending 550,000 housing stock types and energy simulation data with a nationally representative survey on residential technology adoption and decision-making (n=10,000). We identify energy equity gaps across tenure and income, highlighting disparities in energy burdens and insecurity. Findings show that households with prior modification experience are more willing to renovate, suggesting that small-scale retrofit programs could foster greater willingness. Energy secure but burdened homeowners are least willing to modify, highlighting the need to consider energy bill perceptions in policy design. Nearly half of US households that are energy burdened also face energy insecurity, with a significant gap in assistance for low-income households. We emphasize the need to understand household perceptions to improve policy. This research underscores the importance of understanding household behaviors to improve policy effectiveness, offering actionable insights for policymakers to promote equitable housing upgrades and advance a decarbonized future.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (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: 2439128
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP-5500-90533; MainId:92311; UUID:b11f587a-d5a0-4fb5-a1e6-a3dda9cd29cb; MainAdminId:73472
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
behavioral science
decarbonization
decision-making
energy efficiency
energy justice
equity