TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP:

ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY 

I N EXISTING 

H O M E S

Volume One: Technology

Brainstorming
PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing) is a private/public effort to develop,

demonstrate, and gain widespread market acceptance for the “Next Generation” of American

housing. Through the use of new or innovative technologies, the goal of PATH is to improve

quality, durability, environmental efficiency, and affordability of tomorrow’s homes.

PATH is managed and supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

(HUD). In addition, all federal agencies that engage in housing research and technology 

development are PATH Partners, including the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and

Agriculture, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA). State and local governments and other participants from the

public sector are also partners in PATH. Product manufacturers, home builders, insurance 

companies, and lenders represent private industry in the PATH Partnership.

To learn more about PATH, please contact

451 7th Street, SW

Washington, DC 20410

202-708-4277 (phone)

202-708-5873 (fax)

e-mail: pathnet@pathnet.org

website: www.pathnet.org

Visit PD&R’s website

www.huduser.org

to find this report and others sponsored by

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R).

Other services of HUD USER, PD&R’s Research Information Service, include listservs; special

interest, bimonthly publications (best practices, significant studies from other sources); access to

public use databases; and a hotline 1-800-245-2691 for help accessing the information you need.
TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP:

ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY 

I N EXISTING 

H O M E S

Volume One: Technology

Brainstorming

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Policy Development and Research

Washington, D.C.

NAHB Research Center

Upper Marlboro, Maryland

June 2002
The NAHB Research Center, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is known as America’s Housing

Technology and Information Resource. In its nearly 40 years of service to the home building

industry, the Research Center has provided product research and building process improvements

that have been widely adopted by home builders throughout the United States. The Research

Center carries out extensive programs of information dissemination and interchange among

members of the home building industry and between the industry and the public.

Disclaimer

This report was prepared by the NAHB Research Center for the U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. The contents of this

report are the views of the contractor and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Government, or any other 

person or organization.
This document, PATH Technology Roadmap: Energy Efficiency in Existing Homes, is one in a

series of technology roadmaps created to serve as guides to help the housing industry make 

decisions about research and development investments.

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), administered by the

Department of Housing and Urban Development, is focused on improving the affordability and

value of new and existing homes. Through public and private efforts, PATH is working to

improve affordability, energy efficiency, environmental impact, quality, durability and 

maintenance, hazard mitigation, and labor safety. To accomplish this, PATH has identified

research and established priorities for technology development that will enable the home 

building industry to work toward the PATH mission. This priority setting process, known as

“Roadmapping,” has brought together many industry stakeholders, including builders, 

remodelers, trade contractors, material and product suppliers, financial representatives, codes

and standards officials, and public sector R&D sponsors. This is the fourth roadmap produced by

the PATH Program. The earlier technology roadmaps were: Information Technology to Accelerate

and Streamline Home Building, Advanced Panelized Construction, and Whole House and Building

Process Redesign.

This document focuses specifically on improving energy efficiency in existing housing. It

describes the challenges, and outlines activities and accomplishments that will lead to the

achievement of the vision. These include promoting new technologies, evaluating products and

processes for retrofit, building capabilities among trade contractors, and identifying potential

consumer incentives.

By addressing these issues through research, the home building industry will continue to play a

key role in providing affordable, durable housing for America’s families.

FOREWORD

Harold L. Bunce

Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Economic Affairs

PATH Program Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Roadmapping Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Situation Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Barriers/Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Roadmap Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

1. Building Envelope Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

1.1 Envelope Air Sealing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

1.2 Building Insulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

1.3 Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

1.4 Attic Radiant Barrier Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

1.5 Diagnostic Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

2. HVAC Systems and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

2.1 HVAC Monitoring and Trouble Alert System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

2.2 Improved Field Connection System for Refrigerant Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

2.3 Duct Sealing in Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

2.4 Next Generation Programmable Thermostats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

3. Appliances and Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

3.1 Programmable Load Monitoring and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

3.2 Advanced Light Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

3.3 Minimized Appliance Stand-by Energy Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

3.4 Waste Heat Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

3.5 Enhanced Compact Flourescent and LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

3.6 Architectural Daylighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

4. Distributed Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

4.1 Fuel Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

4.2 Building Integrated PV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

5. Outreach Strategies and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

5.1 Energy Retrofit Delivery Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

5.2 Energy Analysis Tools and Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

TABLE OF CONTENTS
6. Future Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

6.1 Aggressively Promote New Technology Through Cooperative R&D . . . . . . . . .28

6.2 Conduct Evaluations of Retrofit Products, Materials, and Systems . . . . . . . . . . .29

6.3 Introduce Trade Contractor Energy Upgrade Training and Credentialing . . . . .29

6.4 Consumer Outreach and Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

6.5 Supporting Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in

Housing (PATH) advances technology in the

home building industry to improve the affordability and value of new and existing homes.

Through public and private efforts in technology research, information dissemination, and

barrier analysis, PATH is adding value to

seven of the nation’s key housing attributes:

affordability, energy efficiency, environmental

impact, quality, durability and maintenance,

hazard mitigation, and labor safety.

As such, three overarching goals have been

established that all bear on those attributes:

• To determine the needs for improved 

housing technology development and

provide relevant strategic services. 

PATH will investigate the institutional

barriers that impede innovation; will propose alternative, improved, or negotiated 

services to overcome those barriers; and

will develop networks and agreement

among participants to implement these

services.

• To develop new housing technologies.

PATH will support and perform technological research at all R&D levels of the

home building supply chain with governmental and industrial funds and resources.

• To disseminate new and existing 

technological information.

PATH will coordinate dissemination of

innovation information (both for specific

technologies and for industry-wide technological information) that remains 

unbiased, technically accurate, and relevant to specific housing audiences to

increase the familiarity with, availability,

and use of technologies in the home 

building and homeowner communities.

Partners in the PATH program—the U.S.

Departments of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) and Energy (DOE), the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the

Department of Agriculture (DOA), the

Department of Commerce, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),

home builders, researchers, and manufacturers

of building materials and products—have long

recognized the importance of injecting current

and emerging technologies into the home

building process. The PATH program has identified many of the relevant technologies and

has facilitated implementation of research,

pilot, demonstration, and evaluation projects

across the United States. In addition, PATH

program partners recognize the importance of

planning research and setting priorities for

technology development that will enable the

home building industry to work toward the

PATH mission. This priority setting is known

as “Roadmapping.”

PATH PROGRAM GOALS
By 2010, consumers will be able to substantially improve the energy efficiency of their

homes and achieve positive cash flow in the

process. That is, energy savings on monthly

utility bills will more than offset the monthly

costs for financing the installation of the 

energy efficient technologies. An organized

infrastructure for marketing and installing the

necessary technologies will also be in place.

The objective of PATH technology roadmapping is to identify technology areas for immediate technological research in home building

to serve as a guide for research investments by

government and industry. The PATH Industry

Steering Committee (ISC), comprising

builders and manufacturers of building products and materials, oversees the development

of all technology roadmaps.

As the primary planning activity for PATH’s

research, the Roadmaps dictate the main areas

for research and development in PAT H ’s

research portfolio (which includes background, applied, and development activities),

as well as provide the home building industry

with a strategic plan for future technology

development. Roadmaps approved by the

PATH ISC will be provided to private sector

interests to guide their technology development and to the government to guide its

investment in research and development.

Through this process, new technologies and

additional research work are generated as the

Roadmaps are implemented.

The ISC initiated the roadmapping process

during the first quarter of 2000. A group of 40

builders, materials and products suppliers,

academicians, researchers, and other stakeholders identified and rank ordered technologies that hold the promise of guiding

PATH’s research. The ISC then assembled the

technologies with the highest potential benefits into four technology portfolios as follows:

• Energy Efficiency in Existing Homes;

• Information Technology to Accelerate and

Streamline Home Building;

• Advanced Panelized Construction; and

• Whole House and Building Process Redesign.

The PATH ISC recommended development

of technology roadmaps for each of the three

areas, with Energy Efficiency in October 2000,

Information Technology initiated in November

2000, Advanced Panelized Construction i n

December 2000, Whole House in March 2001.

The roadmapping reports are available on

both the PATH website (www.pathnet.org)

and the NAHB Research Center’s ToolBase

Services website (www.toolbase.org).

This report deals specifically with E n e r g y

Efficiency in Existing Homes.

ROADMAPPING PROCESS

VISION
The latest authoritative information about how

energy is used throughout the U.S. housing

stock comes from the 1997 Residential Energy

Consumption Survey (RECS), performed by

the Energy Information Administration (EIA)

of the U.S. Department of Energy. Results

appear in A Look at Residential Energy

Consumption in 1997 (November 1999), publication DOE/EIA-0632 (97).1

I n f o r m a t i o n

from the 2001 RECS survey that would supplement this picture is not yet available.

According to the RECS, in 1997 there were

over 101 million U.S. housing units, with

total energy use of 10.25 quadrillion BTUs

(quads) as measured at the building site.2 This

represents dramatic improvement on a perhousehold basis since 1978, when the 77 

million housing units in the U.S. used a total

of 10.6 quads of site energy. EIA attributes this

improvement primarily to reduction of energy

required for space heating, which would in

turn represent changes such as improved 

insulation, windows, and heating equipment

throughout the housing stock.

Figure 1 below shows this trend from 1978

through 1997 for the housing stock as a whole.

Average site energy use per housing unit was

101 million BTUs in 1997, compared to the

138 million BTU average in 1978. Yet the

entire drop had occurred by 1987, with no 

systematic change since that time. Looking to

the future, the EIA Annual Energy Outlook for

2002 calls for residential consumption to grow

at one percent per year from 2000 through

2020.3 Assuming the housing stock grows at a

comparable rate, residential consumption per

housing unit would remain relatively steady.

The EIA RECS report includes a great deal of

information that can be used to “ballpark”

potential energy savings from different types

of technological improvements, and therefore

can be helpful in assessing potential energy

retrofit technologies for use under PATH. A

two-page summary of key points from the

1997 RECS is reproduced on the following

pages. It covers all types of housing units (singlefamily, multifamily, and mobile homes).

SITUATION TODAY

1

The full report can be downloaded at http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/pdf/consumption/063297.pdf.

2

“Site” energy consumption excludes all energy consumed in the generation and transmission processes.

3

For an overview of the 2002 Annual Energy Outlook, see http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/index.html.

78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

138

101 101

Total Site Energy Consumption per U.S. Housing Unit, 1978-1997

RECS Survey Year

Sources: Energy Information Administration; 1978 through 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Surveys

150

100

50

0
The summary for single-family homes shows

that average site energy consumption in 1997

for the 74 million existing homes was 115 

million BTUs. Space heating was more than

half of the total. On an expenditure basis,

average expenditures were $1,492, about onethird of which went for space heating and 10

percent for cooling in the 73 percent of homes

with air conditioning. The balance of site

energy use, and the majority of energy expenditures, went to operate water heaters, refrigerators, washers, dryers, other large and small

appliances and lights.

SINGLE-FAMILY

HOMES

Owner-occupied homes: 83%

Homes with a...

...clothes washer: 92%

...clothes dryer: 86%

...personal computer: 40%

Eligible for the Low-Income Home

Energy Assistance Program: 27%

Total energy consumed:

115 million BTU per household

Amount spent on all energy:

$1,492 per household

Number of Households: 73.7 million

Portion of all U.S. Households: 73%

Homes where main space heating energy source was...

...natural gas: 58% ...LPG: 5%

...electricity: 24% ...kerosene: 1%

...fuel oil: 10%

Energy consumed for space heating: 60 million BTU per household

Amount spent for space heating: $482 per household

Homes with air conditioning: 73%

...with a central air conditioning system: 50%

...with room/wall units: 23%

Electricity consumed for air conditioning: 6 million BTU per household

Amount spent for air conditioning: $150 per household
End-Use Consumption of Electricity 

by End Use and Appliances, 1997

Total Households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101.5 10,215 1,036.7 100.0

Refrigerators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101.3 117.5 1,1141 1,323 134.1 12.9

Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121.8 11.8

Central Air Conditioners . . . . . . . . . . . . 47.8 2,109 100.8 937

Room Air Conditioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.8 40.6 519 817 21.1 2.0

Space Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117.9 11.4

Main Space-Heating Systems . . . . . . . . 29.6 3,760 111.2 10.7

Secondary Space-Heating Equipment . . 12.4 536 6.7 0.6

Water Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40.2 2,835 113.9 11.0

Lighting Appliances (indoor and outdoor) . . 101.5 a940 95.4 9.2

Other Appliances (total of list below) . . . . . 101.5 4,470 453.6 43.8

Clothes Dryer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.9 1,090 60.9 5.9

Freezer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.7 36.9 1,013 1,110 37.4 3.6

Color TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.2 213.0 b307 30.8 3.0

Cookingc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65.0 451 29.4 2.8

Furnace Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67.1 d398 26.7 2.6

Dishwasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.9 c410 20.9 2.0

Microwave Oven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84.2 d135 11.4 1.1

Personal Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.6 43.0 d262 317 11.3 1.1

Waterbed Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.4 10.1 d1,070 1,286 10.8 1.0

VCR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88.9 132.2 b70 104 9.3 0.9

Clothes Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78.5 d,f108 8.5 0.8

Ceiling Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61.7 155.6 e50 126 7.8 0.8

Pool/Hot Tub/Spa Heater . . . . . . . . . . . 2.7 e2,300 6.3 0.6

Stereo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69.8 d71 4.9 0.5

Swimming Pool Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5 d792 4.3 0.4

Laser Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.6 e250 3.2 0.3

Large, Heated Aquarium . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.9 e548 2.1 0.2

Answering Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59.3 e35 2.1 0.2

Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.4 e44 2.0 0.2

Cordless Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.3 e26 1.6 0.2

Fax Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3 e216 1.4 0.1

Well Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.3 d83 1.2 0.1

Copier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8 e25 0.1 0.0

Residual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101.5 159.4 15.4

End Use/Appliance Households

(millions)

Units

(million)

kWh per

unit

kWh per

household

Total

(billion kWh) Percent

Annual Consumption

Electricity Consumption for 1997

a 1993 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.

b Energy Use of Televisions and Videocassete Recorders in the U.S., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1999.

c See Appendix C, “End-Use Estimation Methodology” for a definition of the households using electricity for cooking.

d Electricity Consumption by Small End Uses in Residential Buildings, Arthur D. Little, Inc., 1998.

e Energy Data Sourcebook for the U.S. Residential Sector, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1997.

f Does not include energy used to heat water coming into the washer.

Notes: “Residual” includes appliances not listed, such as dehumidifiers, evaporative coolers, crankcase heaters, automatic drip coffee makers, irons, air

cleaners, and a myriad of other small electrical appliances. “Residual” also includes errors that may be present in estimates of annual consumption. Totals

may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding. This table does not reflect the interactive effects of appliance usage, especially when mixing the estimates from RECS with those from outside sources. For example, for a home with an electric oven, range, and a microwave, the use of the

microwave may not add 132 kWh to the cooking consumption. For more discussion of this problem, see Appendix C, “End-Use Estimation Methodology.”

Sources: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Forms EIA-457A-C, E, and H of the 1997 Residential Energy

Consumption Survey (RECS), RECS Public-Use Data Files, American Electric Power Service Corporation, and Southern California Edison.
In-depth information about how energy was used in residential housing units

that were occupied year-round is provided by the EIA in this analysis of the 1997

RECS results. The uses and costs of residential energy (excluding vehicle fuels,

primarily gasoline) were analyzed by using households’ energy-related characteristics, such as location, type (i.e., single-family), size, number of household members and vehicles, and age.

THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SPENT $1,338 ON ENERGY IN 1997 AND

USED 101 MILLION BTU OF ENERGY

The average household spent most of their energy dollars on refrigeration, other

appliances, and lighting, followed by space heating. Over 45 percent of the 

average household’s energy costs was for energy used in appliances and lighting,

while space heating accounted for another 30 percent. Water heating and air

conditioning expenditures accounted for the remaining energy expenditures in

the average household.

The 101 million BTU value reflects the energy content of all energy sources,

including electricity, as they are used in the home (so-called “site energy”).

However, large amounts of additional energy are used to generate and transmit

electricity for residential use. If the energy losses in electricity generation and

transmission are added to the energy value of the electricity as it enters the

home, then the total energy requirement associated with the average household

(so-called “primary energy”) becomes 172 million BTU.

About half of the average household’s site energy consumption was used for

space heating. Another 22 percent was used for appliances. On a per- h o u s ehold basis, site energy consumption was 27 percent lower in 1997 than in 1978.

Most of the decrease was in the amount of energy used for space heating and

occurred between 1978 and 1987. The 1997 site energy consumption was the

same as in 1987.

HOUSEHOLDS SPENT MORE MONEY ON ELECTRICITY THAN ON ALL

OTHER FUELS COMBINED

Households spent a total of $136 billion on energy and almost two-thirds of the

total ($88 billion) was used to purchase electricity. The remaining amount was

spent on natural gas ($36 billion), fuel oil ($7 billion), LPG ($4 billion), and

kerosene ($0.5 billion).

THEY USED MORE NATURAL GAS THAN ALL OTHER FUELS COMBINED

Households used a total of 10 quadrillion BTU of site energy in their homes.

Natural gas (5.3 quadrillion BTU) and electricity (3.5 quadrillion BTU) dominated. Fuel oil (1.0 quadrillion BTU), LPG (0.4 quadrillion BTU), and kerosene

(0.1 quadrillion BTU) accounted for the remainder. The relatively high cost of

electricity per BTU accounts for the fact that more was spent on electricity

despite the fact that more natural gas was consumed.
APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF THE ELECTRICITY USED IN HOMES

WAS USED TO OPERATE APPLIANCES, REFRIGERATORS, AND LIGHTS

Appliances, refrigerators, and lights accounted for approximately two-thirds of

the electricity consumed in homes; no single appliance was clearly dominant.

The remaining one-third was approximately equally divided among air conditioning, space heating, and water heating.

THE GREATER SHARES OF MOST OTHER FUELS WERE USED FOR SPACE

HEATING

Sixty-eight percent of natural gas consumption was devoted to space heating, as

was 72 percent of LPG and 84 percent of fuel oil. Kerosene was used almost

exclusively for space heating.

NATURAL GAS REMAINED THE PREDOMINANT FUEL FOR SPACE HEATING

Natural gas was used as the main space heating fuel in over half of all homes in

1978 and in 1997. In 1978, fuel oil was the second most prevalent space heating

fuel, while only 16 percent of homes had electric heat. By 1997, the situation was

reversed; close to one-third of homes had electric heat, while only 9 percent were

heated with fuel oil.

REFRIGERATORS, COLOR TELEVISIONS, RANGES, AND OVENS ALL WERE

FOUND IN TYPICAL U.S. HOMES IN 1997

The market penetration of refrigerators and color televisions was almost universal.

More precisely, 99.9 percent of the homes had at least one refrigerator and 98.7

percent had at least one color television. (In fact, nearly two-thirds of the households had two or more color televisions.) Similarly, 99.2 percent of the households had ranges and 98.8 percent had ovens.

HOWEVER, THE PRESENCE OF CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING DEPENDED

ON THE LOCATION OF THE HOME

N a t i o n a l l y, on average, 47 percent of the homes had central air conditioning. In the

South, the warmest region, 70 percent of the homes had central air conditioning. In

the Northeast, in contrast, only 22 percent of homes had central air conditioning.

THE PRESENCE OF A CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYER DEPENDED ON THE

TYPE OF HOME

The share of households with clothes washers and dryers varied substantially by

type of home. Among single-family homes, 92 percent contained a clothes washer

and 86 percent contained a clothes dryer. By contrast, among units in apartment

buildings with five or more units, 21 percent contained a clothes washer and 18

percent contained a clothes dryer.

THE PRESENCE OF A DISHWASHER DEPENDED ON THE AGE OF THE HOME

Not surprisingly, the share of households with dishwashers was higher among

new homes than among old homes. The percent of homes with dishwashers was

30 percent for old homes (built in 1949 or before) and 77 percent for new homes

(built from 1990 through 1997).
Table 2 (page 5) disaggregates electricity 

consumption by end use and shows the market

penetration of different types of electric appliances. Total electricity usage per household

for all purposes averaged 10,215 kWh in 1997.

This was 35 percent of total site energy usage

in BTUs and 65 percent of total expenditures

on energy. Note that more than 50 percent of

electricity is used for lighting and appliances

other than refrigerators, water heaters, and air

conditioners.

A graphical breakdown of average electricity

consumption by appliance type is in Figure 2

b e l o w. The proportions showing relative

usages for refrigerators, air conditioning, 

lighting, water heating, and other purposes

reflect a combination of market penetration

(the proportion of households that have 

electric appliances of each type) and appliance energy intensity (the average energy

usage by each such product). 

Percent of Total Electricity Consumption in U.S. Housing Units, 1997

Other Appliances 43.8

All Others 28.1

Cooking 2.8

Color TVs 3.0

Freezers 3.6

Clothes Dryers 5.9

Source: Energy Information Administration, Forms EIA-457A, B, C, E, and H of the 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey

Refrigerators 12.9

Air Conditioning 11.8

Space Heating 11.4

Water Heating 11.0

Lighting 9.2

U.S. Residential End-Use Consumption of Natural Gas, 1993

Total Households Using Natural Gas . . . . . . 58.7 899 5,274 100

Main Space Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.4 709 3,644 69

Secondary Space Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 215 26 (

a)

Water Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.4 255 1,312 25

Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.1 238 2 (

a)

Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.8 77 290 5

End Use/Appliance Households

(millions)

Annual Therms* Consumed per

Household for End Use Indicated Trillion BTU Percent

Natural Gas

Consumption for 1993

* A therm is 100,000 BTU.

a Less than 0.5 percent.

Notes: Appliances include ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, outdoor gas lights and gas grills, hot tubs, and swimming pool heaters.

Sources: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Forms EIA-457 A-C and F of the 1993 Residential Energy

Consumption Survey (RECS), and RECS Public Use Data Files.
Finally, Table 3 from the 1993 RECS disaggregates residential natural gas consumption by

end uses such as space heating and water 

heating. (Note: Data from 1997 was not 

available.)

Any overview of the current environment for

energy efficiency in existing homes must also

consider other important developments,

including recent developments. These

include:

● Growth in family incomes, which tends to

increase overall energy use associated with

a rising standard of living

● Rising consumer interest in the “environmental” attributes of products, including

building products, leading to greater concern

about recycled content and recyclability,

e m b odied energy used in manufacture and

p r oduction, and emissions to air and water

during production, use, and disposal

● The popularity of mortgage refinancings as

homeownership periods lengthen, especially

when interest rates drop

● The overall stability of nominal energy

prices at the consumer level in recent

years, and the corresponding decline in

inflation-adjusted energy prices

● The deregulation of natural gas at the

wholesale level in the 1980s and at the

retail level in the 1990s

● The gradual move towards deregulation of

electricity at the retail level, beginning in

the late 1990s, with the development of

new wholesale markets and the potential

for lower electricity costs to end users

● The decline in utility-sponsored energy

efficiency programs and the rise in time-ofday rate schedules, both resulting from

deregulation and other forces

● The visible disruptions to the California

economy in 1999 and 2000 associated with

blackouts, electricity shortages, and wholesale price spikes in a deregulated market,

and the success in reducing consumption

during the crisis through behavioral

responses by building occupants

● The expanded scope of federal minimum

appliance efficiency requirements, and

periodic tightening of those minimums,

such as newly adopted rules requiring more

efficient central air conditioners, heat

pumps, and water heaters in coming years

● The rapid growth in performance of microcomputers, the breadth and intensity of

Internet use, and the growing comfort of

consumers with computer technology in

homes and appliances

In order to be relevant to tomorrow’s market,

a sound plan for improving energy efficiency

should be developed in light of these larger,

longer-term trends. Where possible it should

also attempt to take advantage of them.
In order to identify strategies for improving

energy efficiency in the existing housing

stock, it is very helpful to start by considering

the range of barriers or impediments to

achieving the goal, and some potential steps

for mitigating or eliminating those barriers.

The current marketplace includes many product and system choices that have the potential to reduce energy consumption in the

housing stock. However, they are surrounded

by a series of economic, institutional, and

practical obstacles that inhibit their deployment on a large scale.

Some of the barriers identified in Table 4 can

only be addressed indirectly, yet considering

the whole set of barriers and potential steps to

overcome them is central to developing s t r a t egies that can achieve new levels of energy 

savings. In general:

● There is a need to bring a continuing

stream of improved technology to market

in the form of energy-saving prod u c t s ,

materials, and systems that are suitable for

use in all or part of the existing home 

sector, not just products for new homes.

BARRIERS/CHALLENGES

Identify and fill in remaining gaps while also expanding

the set of opportunities through availability of new and

improved technologies.

Work to create new choices and to make old choices

more attractive.

Promote financing tools and focus on high ROI or low

cost; create, implement, or coordinate financial 

incentives to align public and private goals.

Work on technologies that address the unique 

constraints of existing homes; leverage opportunities at

time of product or system replacement for other 

reasons; and promote low-cost DIY activities and nocost behavioral steps that save energy.

Consolidate retrofit opportunities where appropriate;

identify and promote opportunities to benefit from 

synergistic system effects; focus on maximizing total

impact rather than per-house savings.

Expand demand and market size through visibility and

targeted technical information; expand supply through

enhanced technology.

Provide basic information through education and 

outreach without calling for accuracy; ensure that 

market forces can help guide decision-making.

Promote branding as in the form of EPA Energy Star;

train contractors in energy upgrade technologies and

methods to market them in conjunction with other 

homeowner R&D investments.

Increase opportunities for cost-shared applied research

and government building-related research programs

(such as lab programs in building envelopes, HVAC,

lighting, and windows) to respond more directly to

industry needs.

1. Many of the simple, straightforward improvements

for existing homes have already been made.

2. Rising incomes and generally stable energy prices

have dampened interest in energy efficiency.

3. Homeowners are illiquid and burdened with 

consumer debt.

4. Energy upgrades in existing homes usually face

greater technical challenges than in new homes,

and frequently involve high investment cost along

with high search costs.

5. Under a piecemeal approach to retrofit, it is very

difficult to achieve large per-house savings.

6. Technical complexity makes accurate analysis, 

prediction of energy savings, and economic optimization costly and difficult.

7. There is no significant organized infrastructure for

marketing and delivering energy savings to 

homeowners.

8. There is insufficient R&D in the private sector.

9. There is low ROI for retrofit products and the

DIY market.

Barrier to Improving Energy Efficiency Steps to Address Barrier
● There is a need to raise consumer awareness of the potential benefits and provide

ready market access to the technical opportunities to reduce energy consumption.

● There is a need to expand the ability of

private sector general and specialty contractors to market, deliver, and properly

install energy-saving improvements.

● There is a need to provide consumers who

want to invest with financing to support

their investments, and to motivate action

with incentives that reflect the beneficial

social impacts of private decisions to save

energy.

With these general approaches in mind, it is

appropriate to look to what the future may

bring for energy efficiency in existing homes,

including approaches that are beginning to

see use and possibilities that do not yet exist.

These are described in the next section.

OVERVIEW

For purposes of presentation, the needs and opportunities covered in this

section are loosely organized into five categories that are intended to encompass

the whole range of approaches available for use in addressing residential energy

consumption. 

● Building Envelope Technologies reduce the heating and cooling loads that

must be met. 

● HVAC Systems and Controls improve the efficiency of equipment and

systems in meeting the envelope loads. 

● Appliances and Lighting use energy for purposes other than space heating

and cooling, and represent major (and growing) contributors to overall

energy use. 

● Distributed Generation can allow small-scale, more efficient production of

electricity near the point of use. 

● Outreach Strategies and Tools are not technologies in themselves, but

create the linkage between potential end users and available technologies

that supports adoption. 

Of course, this logical organization and classification are primarily adopted for

presentation and do not rule out the popular “systems” approach that cuts

across multiple products or categories. Such approaches can be built from the

bottom up by identifying interactions and exploiting synergies, and are

discussed as appropriate in the sections that follow.

R O A D M A P
1.1 Envelope Air Sealing

Air leakage through the building envelope is a major contributor to heating

and cooling loads in homes of all ages, but it is particularly problematic in older

homes. Significant air leakage around window and door frames or through holes

for pipes, wiring, and fixtures results in a drafty, uncomfortable house in winter

with noticeable cold spots around the perimeter. An increasing variety of

caulks, foams, and other types of weatherstripping or gasket systems are

available for use in air sealing. Some products are for general use and others

address special purposes; most are sold directly to consumers, but some are sold

only to professionals.

One distinguishing feature about air tightening is that most of the materials

used deteriorate over periods as short as a few years, especially those directly

exposed to harsh exterior conditions, as caulks shrink and crack, or

weatherstripping becomes torn and brittle. This means that homes will

naturally tend to become more leaky over time, even if they have been

previously weatherized.

New homes that have been designed and built to achieve very low air

infiltration rates raise special concerns about ventilation, but these need not

discourage air sealing in leaky homes. Without extraordinary measures, it would

be very difficult or impossible to tighten up most leaky houses after

construction to the point where ventilation air is inadequate. And while it is

recognized that air tightening will generally tend to raise indoor humidity levels

during winter, leaky existing homes typically suffer from low humidity rather

than high humidity in cold weather.

Practitioners and researchers have identified several needs and technical

opportunities particular to air sealing of existing homes, generally incremental

in nature. Air sealing is more complicated than it used to be, but material costs

are low and the work does not require a high level of skill.

Sealing Outlet Boxes in Place. Electric outlet and switch boxes located on the

inside of exterior walls are a familiar entry point for outdoor air. Better

techniques for sealing these boxes tightly to eliminate this infiltration path are

needed. This is a real challenge in retrofit where the drywall remains in place,

because access is so limited. The most common approach, foam pads inserted

under the cover plates, can be almost completely ineffective.

New and Improved Foam Sealants. Foams are the sealant of choice in many

uses, since caulks are unsuitable for bridging wide gaps or filling deep gaps.

Foams also offer some level of insulation performance that caulks lack. It is

likely that new and improved types of foams will be introduced over time, in

part because properties of the ideal foam vary by use. Perhaps the most

important application is sealing around window and door frames, since stuffing

insulation in these voids does little to keep air from leaking under and around

the trim. Both low-expansion and high-expansion foams are available for use as

sealants. The high-expansion variety can easily fill these gaps but can also

expand with such force that they bind windows and doors in their jambs. The

1 BUILDING ENVELOPE TECHNOLOGIES
minimal expansion foams avoid this problem but must be applied more carefully

in order to seal the openings. Both types also cure slowly. Two-part foams that

cure and set quickly are available as well, but they are more difficult to apply

and less commonly used. One performance goal in new formulations is a onepart foam that expands without exerting large forces, and cures rapidly. A

closely related informational goal is providing users with clear, conspicuous

performance characteristics, application data, and precautions. This latter goal

also applies to the foam products in use today.

Standardized Weatherstripping Profiles for Windows and Doors. The

weatherstripping on doors and windows is considered a “wear item” destined to

require replacement once it deteriorates and fails to seal adequately.

Unfortunately, obtaining replacement parts is often difficult since they must be

purchased from the original manufacturer based on the specific product

involved. Consumers must otherwise resort to ad-hoc solutions or endure the

leaks. What is needed is a set of generic or standard weatherstripping profiles

and channel shapes that could be incorporated into new products and facilitate

development of a market for the replacement parts. It would take years for this

to materialize due to the low replacement rates for windows and doors, but the

end result would be products that perform better over longer periods of time.

Removable, Re-usable Caulk. Homeowners who cannot afford to replace old

windows that leak air in any particular year could benefit significantly from a

reasonably durable, removable caulk or similar product that could be cut to

length and pressed into place around window sashes and other leakage paths,

then removed without damage to the substrate or itself at the end of the season

when the window must be operated again. It could be used alone or in

conjunction with tape-on plastic storm windows. The rope caulk available

today is overly fragile, adheres poorly, and is not suitable for repeated

application. This type of “self-help” product, while low-tech, could be quite

inexpensive and is far better than nothing at all for older windows.

Blower Door Assisted Air Sealing with Combustion Safety Test. Using a

blower door to identify building envelope air leakage routes by house

pressurization or depressurization is a powerful tool for enhancing air sealing

compared to other methods. It has been used in weatherization programs and

other applications. Complex leakage paths connecting remote parts of the

envelope (e.g., unheated attics to crawl spaces or basements) can be identified

with the blower door, and major reductions in air leakage can sometimes be

achieved at low cost. Experts often recommend combustion safety testing for

buildings that have been tightened in this way to ensure that backdrafting of

atmospherically vented furnaces or water heaters leading to spillage of

combustion gases is unlikely to occur even under extreme conditions. Suggested

protocols for such testing can be found in ASTM Guide E1998-99, Guide for

Assessing Depressurization-Induced Backdrafting and Spillage from Vented

Combustion Appliances, as well as in some building codes (for example, see

Appendix D to the 1997 International Fuel Gas Code). However, these

protocols have yet to achieve broad acceptance due to concerns about

repeatability and false positive results. The equipment and expertise needed to

perform blower door-assisted air sealing have historically left this technique

primarily in the hands of specialists, reducing its use. Additional information

about blower door technology is available at www.toolbase.org/techinventory/

blower_door.
1.2 Building Insulation

Crawl Space Wall Insulation Retrofit. Crawl spaces are the predominant

foundation type in some areas of the country, and are often used under building

additions in many different areas. Traditionally, crawl spaces have been built

with wall vents to reduce moisture problems, and separated from the

conditioned space in the house by an insulated floor. This remains the most

common type of crawl space construction, but it can and has led to problems in

some homes, particularly in mild, humid climates. The problems include

condensation on cooler duct and first floor surfaces that can saturate insulation,

destroy finished flooring from below, promote rot in framing members, and lead

to other problems. Fortunately, there is an alternative for new construction—

crawl spaces with insulated walls. More importantly, where a conventional

crawl space is causing problems for an existing home, it can be converted

through retrofit into a crawl space with insulated walls.

The retrofit and conversion of an existing crawl space involve sealing the

vents, insulating the walls and a strip of floor around the perimeter, and

covering exposed dirt on the floor with polyethylene sheeting or a similar

material to limit the entry of water vapor from the soil. Some method of

pressurizing the crawl space relative to the building and the outdoors is also

recommended. The likelihood that HVAC equipment cabinets and ducts are

located inside the crawl space makes the retrofit more attractive, because

insulating the crawl space walls effectively moves such ducts and any associated

duct leakage into conditioned space and thereby improves energy efficiency.

Basement Wall Insulation Retrofit Systems. Innovative methods of insulating

basement walls in place have great market potential in existing homes.

Basements in many areas were commonly built without wall- or floor-above

insulation well into the 1990s, and unless those basements have been finished,

the walls most likely remain uninsulated today. Inexpensive, easily-installed

systems that provide even modest insulation value along with a finished

interior wall surface that allows for utilities through raceways and is acceptable

from an aesthetic and fire protection standpoint could find acceptance in

existing homes. The wall system also must not harbor mold or mildew growth

and must be designed to resist deterioration in a basement environment that

experiences greater temperature and humidity swings than other living spaces.

Insulating Encapsulating Panel. Some types of wall construction that are too

expensive or inconvenient to retrofit with cavity insulation could be materially

improved by installing relatively thin interior panels, possibly as simple as 

3/8-inch gypsum adhered to 1/2-inch foam, against existing walls (and possibly

ceilings). Electrical outlets would be extended to the new surface, as would

window and door trim. Such a product could add R-3 or so to an existing wall,

as well as cutting air infiltration (particularly with lath and plaster walls).

Proper sealing and detailing would also allow the panels to encapsulate any

lead-based paint. It would be cut to size in the field and come in narrow

sections (e.g., 2-foot width) to minimize scrap. The product would be applicable

in homes with frame or concrete block walls that lack wall insulation,

especially with interior lead-based paint. A 1997 study by Argonne and Oak

Ridge National Laboratories involving possible application of such a product is

available on the web at www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/partner_compwall.html.
Thin, High-R Leveling Board for Re-siding. Re-siding of existing homes is a

relatively common major replacement project in which older, often deteriorated

products are typically replaced with low maintenance alternatives. Consumer

survey data from 1999 and 2000 shows that each year, between 2 and 3 percent

of existing homes underwent major siding replacement. One utility product

that has become popular is a thin foam leveling board installed under the new

siding. Its primary purpose is to provide a smooth, level surface over existing

wall sheathing prior to re-siding, but other advantages include adding some

insulating value to the wall (about R-1 for a 1/4-inch thickness) and providing

an air barrier and drainage plane for the re-sided area. The potential energy

savings are greatest when it is used with underinsulated walls built without

panel sheathing products. Enhancing the R-value of a leveling board or making

sure the product reduces infiltration effectively could stimulate usage and help

address the very difficult problem of retrofitting wall insulation.

1.3 Windows

Economical Replacement Windows. The high installed cost of replacement

windows is a tremendous disincentive to their use, leading occupants to endure

poorly performing windows for years, even decades, before taking action.

Typical replacement costs for contractor jobs averaged almost $600 per window,

according to consumer survey data from 1999 and 2000, and the average wood

window being replaced was about 40 years old. Even though new windows are

generally far more energy efficient than those being replaced, the high cost of

replacing functional windows simply cannot be recovered from energy savings

except in the most extreme circumstances.

Development and introduction of more economical replacement window units

could potentially increase the replacement rate. One possible approach involves

an “adjustable” replacement window designed to be able to accommodate small

dimensional irregularities and eliminate the need to custom manufacture each

replacement unit to fit the exact dimensions of each opening. This could allow

mass production of replacement windows in a relatively small number of

standardized sizes, potentially reducing cost.

Advanced Replacement Windows. The U.S. Department of Energy has

recently sponsored development of a Window Industry Technology Roadmap,

calling for incorporating many advanced, mostly energy-related product features

into windows over the next 20 years. Some of the technologies identified in

that Roadmap are electrochromic glazings that can be switched from

transparent to opaque, aerogel-filled insulated glass units, and windows with

integrated photovoltaics. If variations of the new construction products are also

made available in the replacement window market, their impact is likely to be

much larger and much faster.

Vacuum Glazing for Existing Sash and Frame. The window industry has

considered the possibility of using evacuated insulated glass units for new

windows in order to achieve extremely high glass R-values with a thin profile.

A vacuum glass panel manufactured in Japan became commercially available in

1997. This dual pane glazing has a total thickness of just 6 mm (less than 

1/4-inch), and can be installed into existing wooden window frames for single

panes where it would cut heat loss through the glazed area by 75 percent. More

information is available at www.caddet-ee.org/infostore/details.php?id=2834.
Depending on the extent to which the sash must be modified during

installation, this product, or some improved variation along similar lines, could

prove to be ideal for retrofit applications in wood-frame windows where the

underlying window structure is sound.

Window Films. There is a market for field-applied solar control window films

in the commercial building sector. Similar products for residential windows

could be easily imagined. Two specific products come to mind. The first is a

low-e film for installation on the outside of prime windows that are used with

storms, or on the inside of storm windows. This could improve assembly Ufactor substantially. The second is a spectrally selective film that would cut

direct solar gain in summer, ideally with very little impact on visible light. It

would represent an advance on the bronzed or grey-tinted plastic films that

have existed for years, and could be used on existing windows whether or not

storms are also used. Such products might come in a roll and could be easily cut

to size, held in place without adhesive, and removed to allow re-use. In

principle, each product could be used at the appropriate times of the year. This

would allow optimizing window performance for both winter and summer,

which is difficult or impossible using permanent factory-applied coatings (i.e.,

direct heat gain is very desirable in winter but very undesirable in summer). As

described here, these would be removable films, but permanent applications

could also be effective and offer a better appearance.

1.4 Attic Radiant Barrier Paint

A low-emissivity paint or coating suitable for spray application to the underside

of a roof deck and to rafters or top chords of trusses could save cooling energy

in hot, sunny locations by limiting radiative heat gain to ducts and to the attic

floor or top of the insulation pack. Ease of application in tight spaces is

particularly important for retrofit. New construction can use structural

sheathing with a reflective face, but this is not practical in an existing home.

The goal would be an emissivity comparable to that of aluminum foil (= 0.05),

representing a considerable improvement over current radiant barrier paints,

which are reported to have emissivities of around 0.3. Energy savings potential

from lower attic temperatures is greatest for homes that have their cooling ducts

and equipment located in the attic. Technical concerns about implementation

of this technology primarily reflect the potential for elevated roof deck

temperatures to reduce the service life of asphalt shingles.

1.5 Diagnostic Equipment

Inexpensive blower door equipment that could be purchased and used by more

r e m odeling contractors would make this weatherization method more widely

available. Methods for accurately estimating supply and return duct leakage

with the blower door and without using a separate duct blaster could reduce

the labor requirement and total cost of diagnostic testing. The potential

benefits of comprehensive air sealing in leaky houses are significant, and the

positive implications for comfort are in addition to the energy savings.

H o w e v e r, the small market for blower doors has led to few prod u c e r s ,

complicating the realization of economies of mass production. Furthermore,

more research is needed to develop and validate indirect methods for

estimating duct leakage rates.
2.1 HVAC Monitoring and Trouble Alert System

Studies have found that large numbers of air conditioning systems and heat

pumps suffer from improper refrigerant charge, leading to problems that range

from reduced operating efficiency to system freeze-up. Field testing during

maintenance work or trouble calls is presently the only way to identify the

affected systems. A sensor or sensors and monitoring hardware that would detect

low refrigerant charge and notify the occupant would help correct these problems

at an earlier stage. While the system could monitor these parameters directly, an

alternative approach that was reportedly investigated during the 1980s at Oak

Ridge National Laboratory, but not further pursued, involved analyzing the

“motor current signature” electronically. Improvements in digital signal

processing speed and cost may make this approach much more practical tod a y

than it was 15 years ago. Whatever the design, it would be best if a monitoring

system could be retrofit into existing equipment as well as being designed and

built into new systems. Many new systems may already have the basic sensors

and interface required to collect this information and use it internally. The

purpose here is to bring the homeowner into the information path.

Other enhancements can be easily imagined and incorporated into this type of

system. These include monitoring for other “trouble” conditions, such as low

combustion efficiency in oil or gas furnaces, or excessive pressure drop across

the air filter in any type of equipment signaling time to replace the filter. The

latter problem might also be identified by measuring airflow downstream of the

filter. Modern automobiles have been very successful in networking low-cost

sensors in order to maximize performance of emission control systems, improve

fuel economy, and assist service personnel.

As the functionality of an HVAC monitoring and trouble alert system becomes

more advanced, the advantages of attaching it to a communications gateway

become more apparent. One possibility is automatic notification of the

manufacturer or service company when their assistance is warranted. This could

be beneficial even if the homeowner is the principal or sole recipient of the

information, by providing more flexibility in where and how it is displayed. A

simpler approach might be to use an enhanced thermostat as the display and

input/output device rather than using hardware mounted on the equipment,

since occupants might go for long periods of time without seeing or checking on

a system that is not in an accessible location.

2.2 Improved Field Connection System for Refrigerant Lines

An alternative to conventional brazed or soldered connections on refrigerant

lines for air conditioners and heat pumps would be welcomed if it could provide

a positive, long-lasting connection without requiring any significant skill on the

part of the installer. It could be applicable to any newly-installed HVAC system

with refrigerant lines. The previous item noted the potential benefits of

automatic detection of refrigerant leakage, while this item may be preferable

because it could do much toward eliminating those leaks in the first place.

2 HVAC SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS 
2.3 Duct Sealing in Place

Duct leakage adversely impacts overall HVAC system efficiency, especially

when the leakage occurs to unconditioned or semi-conditioned space. But the

inaccessibility of many duct systems and the practical difficulties of air sealing

in place have made it difficult to address leaky ducts in a finished house. An

emerging technology addressing this challenge, developed by government

scientists, is dubbed “Aeroseal” and is now being privately commercialized.

Adhesive particles spray applied from inside and forced through the ducts under

pressure are able to seal leaks and bridge gaps up to 1/4-inch in size. More

information is at www.toolbase.org/techinventory/aerosol_duct_sealing.

2.4 Next Generation Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats have been available for years, but still remain

relatively uncommon in existing homes. They can save energy through more

sophisticated operation of the HVAC system, yet they are not installed as

standard equipment even with replacement furnaces or air conditioners. One

persistent problem has been complexity that leads homeowners to ignore them,

or defeat their features in frustration. Their functionality also remains

surprisingly limited.

Advances in embedded digital systems, display technology, and networking

combine to enable development of a next generation of programmable

thermostats. Some of the possibilities include user-friendly features such as

voice programmability, or relieving the user of the programming burden

through a process of adaptive learning. Government-sponsored research into a

thermostat design with a variable deadband that could reduce equipment

cycling and improve efficiency is also relevant.

The thermostat offers bigger possibilities as well. It represents a convenient,

familiar user interface that can become a platform for new services. Thermostats

with modern display capabilities can provide an interface to furnace and air

conditioner diagnostics, informing users about any fault conditions as well as

the need for maintenance such as changing filters, as discussed elsewhere.

Another very important step forward would be to add the equivalent of a utility

interface that would automatically adjust system settings in response to realtime energy price information or requests from the energy supplier. These

functions might require additional specialized wiring of the thermostat itself, or

they could be implemented with wireless network technologies.
3.1 Programmable Load Monitoring and Management

Some type of system providing occupants with programmable control over

multiple energy-using devices seems certain to emerge in the coming years.

This could allow improved management of the energy used by water heaters,

refrigerators, fixed lighting, and possibly other devices by enabling, disabling, or

even “scaling back” activity according to time-of-day, power availability, realtime energy cost, or any other parameters that can be monitored. It probably

should be integrated with HVAC thermostatic control and general home

automation, and represents a more sophisticated version of current devices that

control single appliances, coupled with the flexibility of a dedicated

communications interface for remote operation.

There are many design options. Local communications could be by power line

carrier or might build on recent advances in wireless local area networks.

Control logic and the communications gateway could reside on a local PC, or

control could even be distributed entirely across the embedded systems found in

many of today’s appliances, similar to the way multiple devices are networked

in modern automobiles. Most existing homes could manage significant loads in

this way. Even if average consumption is not greatly reduced, loads can readily

be shifted away from peak usage periods or unoccupied times, which would save

money for the occupant and potentially improve the load profile faced by the

energy supplier as well. Of course, from an energy standpoint, it would be very

important for direct energy savings (or cost savings) through load management

to outweigh the additional stand-by power requirements necessary to support

the underlying switching, monitoring, and communication activities. A

management system that achieved even small net savings every day could

represent an excellent economic ROI over time.

Some form of home automation is inevitable, including home automation in

existing homes. The direction is obvious even if the timing is uncertain, and

the proliferation of embedded computer systems in modern appliances already

provides a basic platform for these services. A standardized interfacing protocol

would be required, and multiple compatible devices would be needed for

maximum effectiveness.

3.2 Advanced Light Switches

Light switches with advanced performance that could be installed in existing

switch boxes are potentially a useful retrofit device. Possible features include

proximity sensing operation, day/night modes, and timers. They could have a

convenience value as well as an energy-saving value, although the two might

conflict in some situations. For example, automatic operating modes might

shut lights off sooner but could also turn them on sooner than manual

operation. Potential savings are small since all lighting only totals about 10

percent of average electricity use, but where children are present or lights

remain on unnecessarily for any reason, an automatic solution could be simple

and effective.

3 APPLIANCES AND LIGHTING
3.3 Minimized Appliance Stand-by Energy Usage

Electronic appliances dating back more than 30 years to “instant-on” TVs have

consumed small amounts of power even when not in use, so long as they

remain plugged into the wall. This was originally designed to keep circuits

warmed up so the device could be switched on quickly. More recently, powerconsumption-when-off has been used to support remote control (TVs, VCRs,

stereos) and/or built-in continuous displays (e.g., microwave ovens). Some

stand-by power usage levels recently measured with a digital power meter

included 3.2 watts for a 21-inch color TV with remote, and 2.2 watts for a

microwave oven with a clock.

Other devices powered by AC transformers, rechargeable batteries, or wall

adapters also use some energy so long as the transformer is plugged in, even

when the device is not turned on or even connected to the transformer or

charging station. Examples include answering machines, portable radios,

external modems, computer printers, and many other electronic devices.

Illustrative values for a radio, external modem, and computer speakers ranged

from 0.5 to 0.7 watts, while the AC adapter for an inexpensive color computer

printer used 3.6 watts whenever it was plugged into the wall. Finally, even

devices that do not use wall adapters and provide no functionality at all when

switched off may consume power, totally unknown to the user, because by

design the main power switch is located downstream of the internal power

supply. For example, a compact stereo system (one piece) was measured at

1.2 watts with the power switched off, and an early Pentium-class PC (133

MHz) used 1 watt when turned off, so long as the power cord was plugged into

a receptacle.

Based on these numbers, total “parasitic” energy consumed in this way would

almost certainly exceed 2 percent of typical residential electricity use, and is

probably growing as small appliances proliferate. Researchers from the

Department of Energy have dubbed these devices “energy vampires” and

reported that an average home has more than 20 appliances consuming standby power which is responsible for about 5 percent of electricity use. The topic

has received much recent media attention, and more information is provided

at a special website sponsored by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL):

h t t p : / / s t a n d b y.lbl.gov/. Ironically, there is generally no way for users to

measure these power draws without special equipment, or to determine standby usage from published specifications or markings on appliances or

transformers. Furthermore, where such appliances are used infrequently, they

can easily consume more power when “off” than when in operation. Self-help

steps such as using switchable outlet strips can effectively eliminate this form

of energy use, but one drawback of this approach is experienced whenever

devices such as televisions “forget” preset stations or volume levels whenever

the power is disconnected.

Appliances can undoubtedly be built to reduce or even eliminate these

continuous energy drains, which probably would be better than self-help

solutions. Several approaches are available. LBL reports that new technologies

cut stand-by power by 90 percent without sacrificing convenience or features.

Manufacturers can also inform users about stand-by energy use just as they

report power draw during normal operation. The Environmental Protection

Agency recently announced that Energy Star appliances will be limited to one
watt of stand-by energy consumption, which should be beneficial for some

devices but irrelevant for others. A similar standard has found its way into

legislation and federal procurement policy during 2001. Work to achieve or

surpass the one-watt value offers potential benefits throughout (and beyond) the

entire housing stock.

3.4 Waste Heat Recovery

Refrigerator Waste Heat Recovery or Disposal. The energy consumed by

refrigerators, averaging over 1,300 kWh per household in 1997, is ultimately

released into the living space as heat. Even in winter it might be possible to use

this heat more prod u c t i v e l y, and in summer it would reduce cooling loads or

improve comfort if this heat could be diverted or used in some other way. While

new units are much more efficient than older ones and it could be impractical

to retrofit older refrigerators, the possibility of design changes to new units

remains. All heat reductions in summer would reduce the cost of cooling.

Drainwater Waste Heat Recovery. Production of hot water is recognized as

one of the most energy-intensive activities in the home. Where electric water

heating is present, it accounts for over 25 percent of total electricity use. Gas

water heating is slightly more common, and is responsible for a similar fraction

of total gas use. What is less known is the fact that most of the energy used to

heat water, even in gas systems, is ultimately lost down the drain. Centralized

drainwater heat recovery devices have been developed in an attempt to use this

waste energy, but they are not widely used and there is uncertainty about their

economic performance. The savings from drainwater heat recovery from current

devices is also constrained because they are only effective when supply and

drainwater flow are simultaneous. More information about this technology is

available at www.toolbase.org/techinventory/drainwater_heat_recovery.

Clothes Dryer Waste Heat Recovery. Clothes dryers account for about

6 percent of residential electricity use, as well as a portion of residential natural

gas use. Well over half of the energy used to operate clothes dryers is vented out

of the building as heated exhaust air. While alternative dryer technologies are

also a possibility, it is clear that a system for recapturing some portion of the

waste heat exhausted by conventional electric and/or gas clothes dryers and

using it for space heating or other domestic purposes would also reduce overall

energy use. The challenges presented here result from the substantial amounts

of moisture, lint, and particulates in the exhaust stream.

3.5 Enhanced Compact Flourescent and LED Lighting

Compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs have been on the market for over

10 years, but have yet to achieve a large market share. They are promoted as

superior substitutes for ordinary incandescent light bulbs, and prices have

dropped at the same time as they have been adapted to work in conventional

fixtures rather than special ballasts. Yet there are suggestions that CF light

bulbs, while they last much longer and consume only about 25 percent as much

electricity as comparable incandescent bulbs, suffer from significant problems.

One is spectral drift or deterioration that affects the color and quality of light.

Another is loss of lumen output that affects the intensity and usability of light.

These issues need to be investigated and, if the concerns are verified, the

products should be re-engineered to eliminate them. It is also well known that

the electronic components required to operate CF bulbs generate radio-
frequency noise and interference that have limited their application. Electronic

noise and static may be even more problematic in a future environment that

relies more heavily on communications and electronic controls.

Another new lighting technology with significant implications for all homes is

white-light LED “bulbs” with edison-type bases. These solid-state products are

far more energy efficient than even CF bulbs, and their energy use is

insignificant compared to incandescent lights. LED lights are likely to last

longer than CF lights as well. They are finding growing use in the commercial

market, especially for lighting that remains on continuously, such as exit signs,

and their cost is coming down (although still higher than CF alternatives). It

would not be surprising to see LED lighting displace CF bulbs as the energyefficient lighting product of choice at some point in the next decade. More

information about LED lighting is available at www.toolbase.org/techinventory/

white_LED_lighting.

Wholesale substitution of CF and/or LED lighting as an alternative to

incandescent lights in fixtures and portable lamps is an attractive possibility

that has the potential to cut residential lighting from 10 percent of average

electricity use to essentially nothing. Their potential advantages are clear and

very worthwhile, and they have an obvious role to play in any effort to reduce

energy use in existing and new homes alike.

3.6 Architectural Daylighting

It is both feasible and popular to use fixed elements such as skylights and, less

c o m m o n l y, light “pipes,” “shelves,” or “tunnels” to supply general lighting or

task lighting in residences. The addition of skylights to existing homes is

commonplace, primarily for aesthetic reasons. Impacts on heating and cooling

energy requirements depend on many factors, but all of these technologies allow

the residents to substitute daylighting for artificial light, and some can be much

easier to retrofit than skylights. Lighting energy is used in essentially every

home and accounts for 10 percent of average residential electricity use, although

it is not clear how much of this occurs during daylight hours. In principle, with

most residential building envelopes it should be possible to virtually eliminate

daytime use of artificial general lighting and even task lighting.
4.1 Fuel Cells

Various technologies are now or soon will be available for small-scale

generation of electricity on-site. One of the most interesting involves new

stationary hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell technologies, which are now being

commercialized and studied more closely than ever. A short write-up on fuel

cell technology appears at www.toolbase.org/techinventory/fuel_cells. 

Local generation offers both advantages (e.g., higher net efficiency than power

plants) and disadvantages (e.g., overhead costs to interconnect with the power

grid). The power shortage and reliability issues experienced during 2000 and

2001 in connection with the deregulation of electricity supply in California

have focused renewed attention on local generation. If a fuel cell, for example,

could generate electricity using natural gas at lower cost than purchased

electricity from the grid, then it could potentially be installed in an existing

home (or a new home) and reduce the cost and/or total resources used to

provide electric service.

In principle, any home that uses electricity could take advantage of some form

of distributed generation. In practice, the most cost-effective applications of

fuel cells would make use of waste heat generated during the reformation stage

where natural gas is transformed into hydrogen, as well as heat released from

the fuel cell itself. Either might be tapped for producing hot water. As with

other innovations, this type of system integration will likely be simpler and less

expensive when it can be built into a new home than when such a product is

retrofit into an existing home.

4.2 Building Integrated PV

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) cells into functional building products

provides another avenue leading to distributed generation of electricity.

Opportunities for using PV technology to produce electricity directly from

sunlight have been studied intensively for decades, yet these products remain

too expensive for use outside of niche applications. However, conversion

efficiencies that have grown at the same time as hybrid products such as PV

roofing have been developed and introduced as an alternative to conventional

solar panels.

4 DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
5.1 Energy Retrofit Delivery Systems

Contractor and Trade Certification. Remodeling contractors perform energy

upgrades when they know how to do them and stand to benefit from doing

them. However, interest and knowledge in this area may have declined

significantly during the 1980s and 1990s, as concern over fuel prices and

conservation waned. Educating remodelers and the major trades in energy

efficiency technologies and how to sell them is one way to make sure the

market can address these concerns. Offering certification to recognize

accomplishments and professionalism in this area is a form of “branding” that

provides an incentive to becoming trained and an aid to marketing. This could

be linked to other certification and image programs in the industry. And tying

third-party energy ratings into home improvements might make the selling job

easier and the results more beneficial.

Consumer Education and Awareness. Indifference of consumers towards

energy efficiency improvements can result from many factors, including lack of

information about the opportunities and prospective rewards, and capital

constraints or high discount rates. On the one side, it could be beneficial to

give consumers better tools for identifying energy upgrades that make sense in

their specific circumstances (climate, type of home, family size, etc.) and

estimating how they will benefit over time from investing in such upgrades.

There is also a role for educating consumers on the best use of technologies

they already have, ranging from operation of programmable thermostats and

appliances with “energy-saver” user controls, to window management that cuts

direct solar gains during hot weather. On the other side, there are various ways

to improve the cost/benefit picture from the consumer’s standpoint. Examples

include special financing products (possibly with some interest rate relief);

waiver of increased state and local property tax assessments that result from

energy upgrades; income tax credits or waiver of sales tax on energy efficient

products (e.g., Energy Star appliances); and programs to “buy back” old

appliances being upgraded (both as an economic incentive to replace and a

method for ensuring they are actually retired from use).

Leveraging Major Remodeling Work. Many energy efficiency improvements

that are just too costly to warrant implementation on their own become more

economically attractive when performed in conjunction with other

improvements in an existing home. This strategy can effectively cut the

overhead associated with the work and reduce the incremental cost of an

upgrade. When a furnace is being replaced, for instance, on-site technicians can

potentially seal or insulate the duct system at lower cost than if this work was

performed in isolation. The same might apply when ducts are being cleaned, an

emerging service business for existing homes. When siding is replaced, foam

sheathing can be added underneath. When an unfinished basement is

converted to finished space, insulation can be installed behind furred-out walls.

When central air conditioning is added, ducts can be sealed and window

shading treatments added, both reducing the size and cost of the capital

equipment and cutting energy use. The point of sale and the point of purchase

5 OUTREACH STRATEGIES AND TOOLS
also represent opportunities for improvements such as new appliances, coupled

with the possibility of low-cost, long-term financing. This approach is very

powerful because every existing home is destined to pass through points where

major work is required (or refinancing is inevitable) at multiple times during its

“life-cycle.” It can be promoted to consumers as a smart way to upgrade, and to

contractors as a smart way to sell supplemental work.

5.2 Energy Analysis Tools and Databases

Retrofit Opportunity Analysis at the House Level. The LBL “Home Energy

Saver/Energy Advisor” web tool—http://hes.lbl.gov—is a modern example of a

tool that researchers have imagined for many years. The software, developed

with support from EPA Energy Star, allows users to put in basic information

about the structural and energy-related characteristics of a home, and provides

estimates of energy use along with recommendations for upgrades. Similar tools,

sometimes more narrowly focused, have been produced in paper-based forms

and as calculator and PC programs, as well as in other formats. Usability by

homeowners is a big problem because they lack the knowledge or interest to

model in detail, but the LBL program includes numerous defaults that simplify

getting an answer. Customizing recommendations rather than dispensing

generic advice is also a significant challenge.

Regional Model Retrofit Packages. A relatively small set of recommended

upgrades tailored to regional energy usage patterns, construction styles, and

general house vintage could be developed, published, and promoted. This

would help simplify communications with consumers (as well as installing

trades) by identifying improvements that would be appropriate in the most

common cases (e.g., “pre-1970 houses on crawl spaces in the southeastern U.S.

should typically do X, Y, and Z”). The improvements could be whole-house in

nature, or broken out by functional area (e.g., HVAC and ducts/distribution; or

air sealing, insulation, and windows). Energy Star is also reportedly developing

functional packages addressing duct systems and whole-house air sealing. It is

an open question whether the simplicity of this approach outweighs the loss of

accuracy inherent in presenting “universal” solutions.

Characterization of the Housing Stock. Use the HUD/Census American

Housing Survey, the DOE/EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey, and

potentially other data sets to develop a multidimensional profile of the existing

house inventory, including numbers of units, age, geographic location,

foundation type, fuel, equipment, and distribution system type, and other

parameters of interest. The underlying problem is that details about the housing

stock available from any one source rapidly become insufficient as questions for

study become more complicated. The goal is to be able to make “first order”

estimates on numbers of units based on an increasing number of characteristics

that are not addressed in any one source. This is done by superimposing or

merging nominally independent parameters at different levels of aggregation.

Such an approach can be used to develop improved estimates of the energysaving and economic potential and other implications of a whole array of

different kinds of retrofit technologies across the diversity of the existing

housing stock, while avoiding double-counting or internal inconsistencies. It is

a basic tool that could be used in many ways; for example, in developing and

assessing the regional model retrofit packages described earlier in this section.
Much thought and effort have gone into creating this Roadmap, but much,

much more remains to be done. Many parties are interested and involved from

the private sector, and several government agencies also have a stake in moving

forward. Yet the program missions and visions of the future are not necessarily

identical, or even parallel. In this loosely-organized environment, plans can

succeed only to the extent they have inherent merit and are able to serve

multiple, possibly disparate interests.

What follows is a framework for organizing future work, growing out of five

general activity areas. Each activity area calls for involvement by the public

and private sectors. Brief descriptions and a suggested rationale for pursuing

work in each area are provided.

6.1 Aggressively Promote New Technology 

Through Cooperative R&D

Objective: Harness the expertise and resources of building product

manufacturers to help ensure that a steady stream of new energy-saving

technologies for existing homes will come online into the future.

Description: Sponsor cooperative R&D projects with industry to develop new

energy-saving technologies with an emphasis on ease of retrofit into existing

homes. A competitive solicitation and selection process leading to multiple

cost-shared grants proceeding in parallel would be expedient. The earlier, more

general PATH solicitation for cooperative R&D provides a model and the

technology ideas discussed in this Roadmap provide many suitable, innovative

possibilities for cooperative R&D that could be pursued in this way. It would be

best to view these ideas as illustrative rather than exhaustive; research into

other innovative ideas responsive to the underlying program goals should not

be ruled out at this stage. A competitive solicitation would help to steer R&D

funding into areas that offer the best overall prospects as viewed by industry

and government alike.

Time Frame: Individual cost-shared grant projects would run over a 12- to 24-

month period. The overall process of solicitation-award-performance should be

repeated throughout the life of this initiative.

Rationale: Government-funded energy efficiency technology research has

historically been carried out at a variety of DOE national laboratories, where

the focus has often been more on advancing the basic science and less on

bringing new applications into a commercial environment. The basic research

is important, and has led to some notable successes (such as low-e coatings for

windows), but needs to be complemented with cooperative research with

private sector organizations that will ultimately market the results in order to

maximize impact.

6 FUTURE WORK
6.2 Conduct Evaluations of Retrofit Products, 

Materials, and Systems

Objective: Reduce the uncertainties about performance and other issues

relating to innovative or underutilized energy-saving technologies through 

in-place studies that include original installation, energy and environmental

monitoring, data analysis, and reporting.

Description: Work with remodeling contractors to develop real-world

information about the installed cost, performance and other intended (and

unintended) effects of selected energy-saving technologies for existing homes.

The technologies (which could be products, materials, or systems) should be

chosen to be appropriate to the house design and region where they are to be

studied. They need not be completely new or unknown, but they should at least

be underutilized relative to their market potential. Document the results in

terms of energy performance and other impacts, and disseminate them to

interested audiences including manufacturers, contractors, consumers, and

researchers. Incorporate the new information as appropriate through ongoing

channels of communication to consumers and trade professionals.

Suggested topics for field evaluations that can serve as a starting point for

planning are:

● Conversion of a ventilated crawl space that experiences moisture problems

into conditioned space; and

● Effectiveness of power-line and wireless home control systems with utility

interface in reducing household electricity consumption and cost.

Time Frame: Field evaluations can take anywhere from 12 to 36 months to

plan and execute, but multiple items can be studied in one evaluation project.

Field evaluations should be ongoing through the life of this initiative.

Rationale: New products that look good on paper or in the laboratory can fail

for any number of reasons once they reach the field. Prospective users are welladvised to be skeptical about performance claims, and may also be dissuaded by

fear of unknown consequences. This can dampen consumer demand and make

contractors reluctant to recommend, sell, or install potentially beneficial

products. Well-designed evaluations carried out by researchers independent of

the manufacturer provide credible data to smooth over these concerns and

reassure potential users.

6.3 Introduce Trade Contractor Energy Upgrade 

Training and Credentialing

Objective: Increase market “push” by equipping professional remodelers with

the tools they need to sell and perform energy upgrades, either alone or in

connection with other major remodeling work such as re-roofing, re-siding,

window replacement, kitchen and bath makeovers, or building additions.

Description: Create and implement a curriculum for remodeling professionals

that addresses building energy audit and energy upgrade technologies,

investment analysis, financing options for energy efficiency, and marketing

techniques designed to sell energy upgrades in conjunction with other
remodeling work. The curriculum might stand alone, or could be incorporated

as part of an established professional designation such as the “Certified

Graduate Remodeler” program run by NAHB. Its value requires that steps be

taken to ensure that those who successfully complete the required coursework

are recognized by their peers and clients. The sequence of steps required for this

is as follows:

● Compile existing training resources (there are many), develop climatespecific curricula, set credentialing requirements, and identify instructors.

● Publicize and solicit participants for the first round of training and

certifications.

● Conduct first-round training in each climate region.

● Evaluate the program and make revisions; repeat based on level of interest.

The possibility that such a program could be offered in conjunction with the

EPA Energy Star program for existing homes should be explored. However, in

the interests of achieving broad market impact, it seems unnecessary to develop

or enforce specific energy standards in conjunction with upgrades provided

under this program.

Time Frame: The time period for program development through first-round

training implementation would be approximately 24 months. Continuing

administration and revisions would be ongoing after that point.

R a t i o n a l e : Making wise energy upgrades requires research, analysis, and

information. Some consumers are motivated to learn enough to make these

choices by themselves, but many are indifferent or lack the skills to deal with

the complexities. Remodeling contractors are in a position to reach out to

these groups and simplify the consumer’s decision-making process. They are

also well equipped to sell the benefits of energy improvements, and motivated

to find ways to perform them more efficiently as they are in the home to

perform other work.

6.4 Consumer Outreach and Incentives

Objective: Take steps to raise awareness of home energy use and new (and old)

conservation opportunities in the minds of consumers, and sustain this

heightened awareness over time. Also, work to improve the underlying

incentives and make the economics more favorable where feasible.

D e s c r i p t i o n : Multiple activities fall under this broad heading, as discussed below.

● Information, analysis tools, and guidance should be made available on

demand both to the do-it-yourselfer and to the homeowner who is researching

or planning to contract for improvements. This is not a new or unrecognized

need, but it is a continuing one. Extensive materials on energy efficiency in

homes are available from multiple sources. For example, the DOE Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network has about 50 fact sheets available

on its website at www. e r e n . d o e . g o v / c o n s u m e r i n f o / f a c t s h e e t . h t m l . The

California Energy Commission has consumer information at

www.consumerenergycenter.org. EPA Energy Star offers access to a whole
suite of tools for existing homes in the “home improvement toolbox” at

www.epa.gov/hhiptool/remodel.html. Government housing publications for

consumers, including many on energy efficiency, are available online

through the federal Consumer Information Center at

www.pueblo.gsa.gov/housing.htm.

● Outreach to the media can take several forms. One that has been used

successfully is technology award programs, for example a Popular Science

contest where the most interesting and promising new products and systems

are publicized directly to consumers, along with information about the

companies that produce them. A similar program that focuses on the latest

retrofit products could have broad appeal. Other strategies commonly used

in this area are background articles aimed at a general readership and

distributed over the wire services, where they can appear in newspapers and

magazines all over the country.

● Financial incentives to motivate action are the next logical way to reach

out to consumers, after information and education have had a chance to

work. There is controversy extending back to the 1970s over whether

incentives going beyond the value of energy savings are necessary, how

effective they really are, and what to do about “free riders” who cash in on

incentives for doing what they would already do without them. It is silly to

doubt that incentives will motivate consumers to act, but it is essential to

consider whether the results are worth the cost. Incentives from the

government could take the form of federal or state deductions, credits, or

rebates on income, property, or sales taxes. However, all incentives need not

originate with government. Incentives coordinated through lending

institutions could involve easy access to and/or below-market-rate financing.

Incentives from utilities could involve lump sum payments or a lower

marginal cost of energy. Financial or utility incentives might require pressure

from regulatory agencies. Before developing specific proposals, a study

identifying options and reviewing experience is a must. The study should

ideally be performed in conjunction with utilities and lenders.

Time Frame: Outreach must be ongoing over the life of the program, possibly

with the level of activity varying inversely with energy prices. Pieces of this

activity, such as the promotion of Energy Star appliances and building products

in the media and through “big box” retailers, are already underway.

Rationale: Consumer energy awareness rises and falls with energy costs,

national crises, the weather, and other factors. This awareness can lead to

action (energy upgrades) either through do-it-yourself work, which occurs

extensively in existing homes, or through professional jobs. Outreach, in the

form of a stream of messages directed at homeowners over time, will help focus

attention and raise interest in making improvements now rather than waiting.

These messages become even more important when energy prices are stable. As

noted above, large amounts of information are readily available, so it is

important to avoid duplicative or redundant work creating new materials when

existing ones are adequate. Policy options that make investments in energy

efficiency more favorable to the consumer can also tip the decision about when

and how to act, especially on big-ticket purchases.
6.5 Supporting Activities

Several types of activities that could be very helpful do not easily fall under the

earlier headings. Four specific activities are identified in this section.

● Better characterization of energy-related aspects of the housing stock, as

described in the Section above, would help focus resources and provide a

more scientific basis for projecting impacts of specific measures.

● More research aimed at measuring the capitalized value of energy

efficiency in homes could provide a reliable answer to this largely ignored

but critical question. Homeowners are understandably reluctant to invest in

measures with longer paybacks because they are unsure whether they can

recoup their expenditures at resale. A recent (as yet unpublished) review of

the studies dealing with this question shows they are flawed in many ways

and are largely inconclusive.

● Focus groups with the three key groups (consumers, manufacturers, and

contractors) would help confirm current thinking or identify better ways to

approach each of these groups and achieve maximum effectiveness.

● Reconvening the constituencies involved in this roadmapping work to date

on approximately an annual basis would provide an excellent way to review

where roadmapping has led and solicit expert input on additional strategies,

needs, and opportunities.



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