Jane S. Peters Advising

Over the past 30 years energy efficiency programs have typically did not document the range of nonenergy benefits, in large measure because the cost benefit regimes adopted by many public utility commissions did not give credit for these benefits because it was considered too difficult to count these nonenergy benefits and after all energy efficiency was very cost effective. This attitude, however, has left enormous opportunities untouched. Low income programs find too many homes with structural problems that need to be fixed before energy efficiency upgrades can be done, and the average residential energy efficiency program misses many of the remaining opportunities because the homes that still need upgrades are either rentals or owned by people who cannot make the upfront investment in the upgrade and need substantial financial help to do so.

Today, as so many of us work from home, the need for healthy homes is more evident than ever. And the fact that many homes have yet to have full upgrades that ensure they are healthy and energy efficient is a call to action to both start counting the health benefits of healthy energy efficient homes and to ensure that after we return to the field that all houses new and existing, and especially those of the vulnerable moderate and low income households, get those full upgrades.

The health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic provides a strong case for increased investment in healthy homes. Those with chronic health conditions are most vulnerable and those with respiratory problems even more at risk. Energy efficiency is a solution that enhances public health preparedness and may mitigate health impacts of future pandemic events. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) healthy and energy efficient homes “improve indoor air quality; reduce exposure to heat waves and extreme cold; prevent vector and pest infestations; prevent home injuries; improve safe drinking-water and sanitation access; avoid use of toxic and hazardous construction materials…”[1] these co-benefits also help mitigate the effects of climate change and help ensure that households are able to function more effectively in the everyday world.

When we move into the post COVID-19 world, we need to get people working again. While some construction has continued, most activities are currently suspended to reduce viral transfer. At the end of 2019, the construction industry had yet to fully recover from the housing bubble and Great Recession of 2008-09. After suffering its largest job losses post World War II, the construction industry saw strong growth as the result of the ARRA investments, but several challenges kept construction from returning to pre-2008 level. One was a shortage of workers, and the second insufficient investment in housing.

Addressing the housing shortage and the need to increase workers skills are opportunities that should be part of how we address the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthy homes are homes that have good indoor air quality, likely all electric heating and cooling systems, use no toxic building materials, are weatherproof, and comfortable. Investing in building new healthy homes and retrofitting moderate and low-income homes to be healthy and energy efficient will help everyone weather future pandemics both because the homes are heathy and because they are less costly to operate.

Evaluations already underway show the substantial indirect benefits of taking health into consideration when running energy programs and evaluating their outcomes. These outcomes generate enough benefits to offset the added effort to address health and safety factors that limit many low-income weatherization projects making projects more cost effective as well as beneficial to customers. Non-energy impacts are important and going forward health impacts should become an integral part of energy program delivery and energy program evaluation.



The recovery efforts should include funding for healthy energy efficient homes and commercial buildings for all. The outcomes can be measured, and the result will be good for the climate and good for households and businesses across America

  [1] World Health Organization. 2011. Health in the Green Economy: Health co-benefits of climate change mitigation – Housing sector.   pp.VI. http://extranet.who.int/iris/restricted/bitstream/handle/10665/70913/9789241502917_eng.pdf;jsessionid=CA98A5BF0F9EB0B4EB4DAAD313EFE2B6?sequence=1