Overview of national residential and small commercial energy-conservation programs

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6455557

Karnitz, M A; Mixon, W R; Ehrenshaft, A R

The National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978 directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Residential Conservation Service (RCS) Program, which requires large gas and electric utilities to offer on-site energy audits to their residential customers. A model energy audit procedure has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), and the Rocky Flats Wind Energy Program as technical assistance for voluntary use by states and utilities. The Model Audit Manual contains procedures for customer interviews, building measurements, and cost and savings calculations for applicable site-specific retrofit actions chosen from the approximately 22 nationally approved options. Data forms, calculation aids, regional weather data, and a form for presenting results to the customers are also included in the manual. The Commercial and Apartment Conservation Service (CACS) Program has extended the utility audit program to small commercial and multifamily buildings. This program will encourage the adoption of energy-conserving operation and maintenance procedures and the installation of energy-conserving measures and renewable resource measures. In conjunction with the development of the audit procedures, ORNL has undertaken research to document the accuracy of the suggested methodology, to identify additional conservation actions, and to develop a technical basis for determinig optimal cost-effective choices. Descriptions of selected research projects of the RCS Program and the CACS Program are presented.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 6455557
• Report Number(s): CONF-830226-2; ON: DE83009859
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
320104 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Commercial & Industrial Buildings-- (-1987)
AUDITS
BUILDINGS
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
COST
DATA
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY AUDITS
GAS UTILITIES
INFORMATION
INSTALLATION
MAINTENANCE
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
WEATHER