Full Title: Developing an Energy Performance Modeling Startup Kit
Author(s): Amber Wood
Publisher(s): Department of Energy
Publication Date: October 1, 2012
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America (BA) Program is a research and development program to improve the energy performance of new and existing homes. BA’s ultimate goal is to achieve examples of cost-effective, energy-efficient solutions for all U.S. climate zones. This goal will be met using a whole-house system engineering approach and by uniting segments of the industry that traditionally work independently of one another, including architects, engineers, builders, remodelers, trade contractors, manufacturers, material suppliers, community planners, and mortgage lenders.
As a BA team, the NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership has a significant research focus on high performing existing homes. The goals for this work include addressing technology solutions and whole-house packages, considering implementation tools to foster adoption of BA best practices, and helping to hasten the growth of the energy retrofit market. Technology solutions are important, but one significant gap for existing home energy performance remodeling is business models. In this context the practices of business management, deployment, risk management, and motivation associated with potential growth and profit drive remodeling and hold the promise of a sustainable energy retrofit industry.