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

Author

Listed:
  • Brennan D. Less

    (Residential Building Systems Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA)

  • Núria Casquero-Modrego

    (Residential Building Systems Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA)

  • Iain S. Walker

    (Residential Building Systems Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA)

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Brennan D. Less & Núria Casquero-Modrego & Iain S. Walker, 2022. "Home Energy Upgrades as a Pathway to Home Decarbonization in the US: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-26, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:15:p:5590-:d:877866
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thomson, H. & Thomas, S. & Sellstrom, E. & Petticrew, M., 2009. "The health impacts of housing improvement: a systematic review of intervention studies from 1887 to 2007," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99, pages 681-692.
    2. Maidment, Christopher D. & Jones, Christopher R. & Webb, Thomas L. & Hathway, E. Abigail & Gilbertson, Jan M., 2014. "The impact of household energy efficiency measures on health: A meta-analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 583-593.
    3. Liddell, Christine & Morris, Chris, 2010. "Fuel poverty and human health: A review of recent evidence," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 2987-2997, June.
    4. Thomson, Hilary & Thomas, Sian, 2015. "Developing empirically supported theories of change for housing investment and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 205-214.
    5. Ortiz, J. & Casquero-Modrego, N. & Salom, J., 2019. "Health and related economic effects of residential energy retrofitting in Spain," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 375-388.
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    Cited by:

    1. Gerber, Daniel L. & Nordman, Bruce & Brown, Richard & Poon, Jason, 2023. "Cost analysis of distributed storage in AC and DC microgrids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 344(C).
    2. Marco Noro & Filippo Busato, 2023. "Energy Saving, Energy Efficiency or Renewable Energy: Which Is Better for the Decarbonization of the Residential Sector in Italy?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.

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