Home Energy Audit & Shared Equity Housing in Meadville, PA

Danielson, Garrett

Home Energy Audit & Shared Equity Housing in Meadville, PA

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/57631

Author(s)

Danielson, Garrett

Date Issued

March 22, 2024

Abstract

Currently, there is a lack of affordable housing across the United States, with around 11 million households per year who are deeply dependent on these kinds of housing options. Housing affordability is affected by the challenge of building energy efficiency. Affordable housing units tend to have lower levels of energy efficiency due to US building codes, building envelope weaknesses, and outdated inefficient heating systems. Energy audits are a proven practice that can help detect areas of building energy loss and help determine optimal energy efficiency improvements at owner budget costs. The following research study encompasses a student-led ASHRAE level three home energy audit on a three story, 134 year old house located on 662 William Street in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Utilizing NREL’s BEopt software modeling application, seventeen individual retrofit upgrades were modeled in parametric mode in order to conclude the most optimal scenario in terms of maximum site energy savings and lowest annualized costs. Scenario four was determined to be the most optimal choice, giving the site energy savings of 76.2% and overall prevent value cost of $69,587. Through an academic literature review, this study also investigated the impact and outcomes that community land trusts have produced in recent years throughout the US. It was found that community land trusts can help residents and communities by creating opportunities to build wealth, increase occupant autonomy, limit gentrification, and improve residents’ mental and physical health. Challenges of community land trusts lie within the exiting stages for residents along with the limitations on higher thresholds of wealth generation for existing occupants.

Major

Environmental Science and Sustainability

Business

Honors

Business and Economics, 2024

Environmental Science and Sustainability, 2024

First Reader(s)

Carbone, Ian A.