How can we encourage low-energy residential buildings? Improving the energy performance of the built environment embodies both a considerable challenge and a promising business opportunity: indeed, residential buildings account for more than 20% of the end-use energy in the United States. Misalignments of interests and incentives between builders, owners, and residents, an entrenched reluctance for change in the construction business, and a lack of an integrated design process all hinder improvements in energy efficiency in retrofits and new construction. To surmount these economic and social barriers, public education, financial incentives, and common metrics are increasingly seen as essential instruments to drive efficient energy use in residential buildings. This workshop provides a comprehensive discussion of current trends in residential building energy efficiency in the United States. It will introduce the key aspects of energy-efficient residential building design and operation, present potential economic incentives, and explore policy implementation models at the national level, and comparing those to what has been successful internationally. In parallel, the role of local communities to design and put in practice energy efficiency programs, specifically focused in the existing built environment, will be explored. Since new construction has nearly halted due to economic downturn, standards that address retrofit possibilities, though more complex are critical to reduction of energy use nationally. Ultimately, a portfolio approach will be required to incite substantial change, but the form of each approach has yet to be developed. The audience will be welcomed to participate in this discussion of possible paths forward. |