4 Comments

1. 
   user-626934 | Apr 30, 2009 12:51pm | #1

   Links for Energy Star studies?
   Martin,

   Any chance you (or Blasnik/Hassel) can provide links to the studies referenced above? I'd love to dig into the details of the studies.

   Thanks for the summary of a proposed changes.

   -John

2. GBA Editor
   Martin Holladay | May 01, 2009 05:43am | #2

   Here's a link
   John,
   I just got back from the conference, so I haven't had time to organize all of my materials. But here is a link to the Powerpoint slides that Michael Blasnik used for an earlier version of his presentation:
   http://www.affordablecomfort.org/images/Events/48/Courses/1239/P&P2_Blasnik_EnergyPerformanceScoring.pdf

   This version does not include any reference to the Phoenix or Houston studies.

   Here's some information on the Phoenix study from a story in the October 2006 issue of Energy Design Update:

   PHOENIX, AZ -- A recent study shows that Energy Star homes in Phoenix use more energy than homes without an Energy Star label. Researchers conducting the Phoenix Home Energy Efficiency Study found that 3,336 homes categorized as “baseline” homes used an average of 14,107 kWh per year, while 2,979 Energy Star homes used an average 15,831 kWh per year, or 12% more energy. The reason: recently built Energy Star homes are, on average, larger than the studied “baseline” homes. The study, funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Arizona Public Service, and Southwest Gas, was conducted by Colby Swanson, an energy expert employed by Advanced Energy Corporation of Raleigh, North Carolina. According to “Measuring Public Benefit from Energy Efficient Homes,” the study’s final report, “It … appears that the increasing size of the average home, a trend the entire country is experiencing (and the subsequent increasing energy use), offsets to a large degree the savings achieved through improvements in home energy efficiency.”

   Eventually, the Powerpoint slides from Blasnik and Hassel's presentation should become available. I'll post the link when it shows up on the ACI Web site.

3. 
   Paul Eldrenkamp | May 12, 2009 02:02pm | #3

   Energy Star and 80% greenhouse gas reduction by 2050?
   Houses built this year will only be about 40 years old in 2050, the year by which the Obama administration would like us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. In other words, houses built today will play a key role in our climate policy for the next several decades.

   If the EPA wanted to help make sure that the administration actually stood a chance of positioning the US to meet that 80% reduction goal, it would set the Energy Star standard at a HERS of 20 or so, and would structure the rebates to be at least partly based on actual performance rather than modeled performance.

   Just to be clear: I am not so naive as to think something like this would ever actually happen.

4. 
   Gall | Oct 07, 2009 04:28pm | #4

   I would really like to
   I would really like to believe that there will be 80% greenhouse gas reduction by 2050 but I have my reasons to remain skeptical on this one. Although we should all know by now what to do to stop global warming there is still a large number of people that don't do anything about it. It's seems to be more difficult to fight ignorance than global warming. I recently replaced my appliances with new energy star and I don't plan to stop here, perhaps my new electricity bills will convince some of my neighbors to do the same.