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Title: Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program network

Abstract

The Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Network was designed to describe the national network of State and local agencies that provide WAP services to qualifying low-income households. The objective of this study was to profile the current WAP network. To achieve the objective, two national surveys were conducted: one survey collected data from 49 State WAP agencies (including the coterminous 48 States and the District of Columbia), and the second survey collected data from 920 (or 81 percent) of the local WAP agencies.

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. (Aspen Systems Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Applied Management Sciences Div.)
  2. (Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States))
  3. (Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Weatherization Assistance Programs)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5293904
Report Number(s):
ORNL/CON-324
ON: DE92014917
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; US FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS; EVALUATION; WEATHERIZATION; BUILDINGS; ENERGY CONSERVATION; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE; LOW INCOME GROUPS; PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT; STATE GOVERNMENT; SURVEYS; TRAINING; US DOE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; EDUCATION; EFFICIENCY; FINANCIAL INCENTIVES; FINANCING; HUMAN POPULATIONS; MANAGEMENT; MINORITY GROUPS; POPULATIONS; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT; 291000* - Energy Planning & Policy- Conservation; 290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology

Citation Formats

Mihlmester, P.E., Koehler, W.C. Jr., Beyer, M.A., Brown, M.A., and Beschen, D.A. Jr. Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program network. United States: N. p., 1992. Web. doi:10.2172/5293904.
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Mihlmester, P.E., Koehler, W.C. Jr., Beyer, M.A., Brown, M.A., & Beschen, D.A. Jr. Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program network. United States. doi:10.2172/5293904.
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Mihlmester, P.E., Koehler, W.C. Jr., Beyer, M.A., Brown, M.A., and Beschen, D.A. Jr. Sat . "Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program network". United States. doi:10.2172/5293904. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5293904.
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@article{osti_5293904,
title = {Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program network},
author = {Mihlmester, P.E. and Koehler, W.C. Jr. and Beyer, M.A. and Brown, M.A. and Beschen, D.A. Jr.},
abstractNote = {The Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Network was designed to describe the national network of State and local agencies that provide WAP services to qualifying low-income households. The objective of this study was to profile the current WAP network. To achieve the objective, two national surveys were conducted: one survey collected data from 49 State WAP agencies (including the coterminous 48 States and the District of Columbia), and the second survey collected data from 920 (or 81 percent) of the local WAP agencies.},
doi = {10.2172/5293904},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/5293904
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  • ; ; ; ...
    The Characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Network was designed to describe the national network of State and local agencies that provide WAP services to qualifying low-income households. The objective of this study was to profile the current WAP network. To achieve the objective, two national surveys were conducted: one survey collected data from 49 State WAP agencies (including the coterminous 48 States and the District of Columbia), and the second survey collected data from 920 (or 81 percent) of the local WAP agencies.

  • ; ; ; ...
    This report characterizes the Department of Energy s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) as it was administered in Program Year 2008. WAP has supported energy efficiency improvements to the homes of low-income households in the United States since 1976. The program provides grants, guidance, and other support to grantees: weatherization programs administered by each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and some Native American tribes. Although there have been studies of some grantee-administered weatherization programs, the overall effectiveness of the national weatherization program has not been formally evaluated since Program Year 1989. Since that time, the program has evolvedmore » significantly, with an increased focus on baseload electric usage, continued evolution of diagnostic tools, new guidelines and best practices for heating-related measures, and adjustments in program rules. More recently, the program has also adjusted to large, temporary funding increases and changes in federal rules spurred by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Because the Weatherization Assistance Program of today is dramatically different from the one evaluated in 1989, DOE determined to undertake a new comprehensive evaluation of the national program. This new national evaluation is managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Under a competitive solicitation process, ORNL selected APPRISE, Inc., Blasnik & Associates, Dalhoff Associates and the Energy Center of Wisconsin to conduct the evaluation. The national evaluation comprises two independent evaluations. The first evaluation of which this report is a part focuses on Program Year 2008 (PY08). The second evaluation focuses on the ARRA-funded years of 2009 through 2011. This report, together with its companion the Eligible Population Study addresses specific program characterization goals established for the greater evaluation. The Energy Center led grantee and subgrantee data collection efforts, administering surveys to 51 grantees and 851 of the approximately 900 subgrantees that were slated to receive DOE weatherization funds in PY08. In all, seven different data collection instruments were used to gather the needed data two instruments for grantees and five for subgrantees. See Table 1 for a list of these survey instruments. These surveys were used to determine, among other things: Structure and funding of weatherization programs Training and staff development of service providers How weatherization services are delivered Clients served« less

  • ; ;
    This report characterizes the U.S. Department of Energy s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) during the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) period. This research was one component of the Recovery Act evaluation of WAP. The report presents the results of surveys administered to Grantees (i.e., state weatherization offices) and Subgrantees (i.e., local weatherization agencies). The report also documents the ramp up and ramp down of weatherization production and direct employment during the Recovery Act period and other challenges faced by the Grantees and Subgrantees during this period. Program operations during the Recovery Act (Program Year 2010) aremore » compared to operations during the year previous to the Recovery Act (Program Year 2008).« less

  • The field performance of weatherizations based on a newly-developed advanced technique for selecting residential energy conservation measures was tested alongside current Retro-Tech-based weatherizations in North Carolina. The new technique is computer-based and determines measures based on the needs of an individual house. In addition, it recommends only those measures that it determines will have a benefit-to-cost ratio greater than 1 for the house being evaluated. The new technique also considers the interaction of measures in computing the benefit-to-cost ratio of each measure. The two weatherization approaches were compared based on implementation ease, measures installed, labor and cost requirements, and bothmore » heating and cooling energy savings achieved. One-hundred and twenty houses with the following characteristics participated: the occupants were low-income, eligible for North Carolina's current weatherization program, and responsible for their own fuel and electric bills. Houses were detached single-family dwellings, not mobile homes; were heated by kerosene, fuel oil, natural gas, or propane; and had one or two operating window air conditioners. Houses were divided equally into one control group and two weatherization groups. Weekly space heating and cooling energy use, and hourly indoor and outdoor temperatures were monitored between November 1989 and September 1990 (pre-period) and between December 1990 and August 1991 (post-period). House consumption models were used to normalize for annual weather differences and a 68 F indoor temperature. Control group savings were used to adjust the savings determined for the weatherization groups. The two weatherization approaches involved installing attic and floor insulations in near equivalent quantities, and installing storm windows and wall insulation in drastically different quantities. Substantial differences also were found in average air leakage reductions for the two weatherization groups. Average, weather-normalized heating and cooling energy savings were 33 and 18%, respectively, for weatherizations where the new technique was used, and 23 and 3% for Retro-Tech-based weatherizations. Weatherizations using the new technique achieved 43% more heating energy savings and substantially more cooling energy savings; they cost around 10% less at two agencies and considerably more at the third; and they were nearly equivalent in labor requirements. The following major conclusions were drawn from the study: (1) The advanced audit significantly increased heating energy savings. (2) Heating energy savings of around 33% were achieved using the advanced audit with blower-door-directed air sealing. (3) The advanced audit appeared to increase cooling energy savings, although wide variances occurred. (4) As tested in North Carolina, the advanced audit overpredicted heating energy consumption and savings for houses with high heating loads. (5) The advanced audit did not increase weatherization costs and actually lowered costs for two of three weatherization agencies. (6) The advanced audit recommended some measures in near identical quantities to Retro-Tech-based weatherizations and others in dramatically different quantities. (7) Blower-door-directed air sealing more than doubled the air leakage reductions achieved from standard air sealing techniques. (8) Low-income houses in North Carolina had much higher average leakage rates than similar New York houses but were sealed as well or better.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    This report summarizes findings from a national field study of indoor air quality parameters in homes treated under the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The study involved testing and monitoring in 514 single-family homes (including mobile homes) located in 35 states and served by 88 local weatherization agencies.