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

Brennan D. Less, Núria Casquero-Modrego and Iain S. Walker
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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

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-26

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.

Keywords: decarbonization; energy retrofit; energy upgrade; deep energy retrofit; electrification; policymakers; building stock; residential buildings; literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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