ENERGY BURDEN WORK
Summer 2023 – Fall 2024
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Energy Burden Study
This (to be published) work will update estimates of the energy consumptions, energy expenditures, and energy burdens of the population eligible to be served through the US Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and by proxy, those clients actually served by the program. The term energy burden is defined as the percentage of household income spent on home energy expenditures (e.g., heating and cooling, appliances, lighting). WAP provides weatherization services to income-eligible households and is the largest single national residential energy efficiency program operating within the United States. Estimating these energy characteristics for the WAP-eligible population helps to establish the need for WAP and provides data on the program’s effectiveness in meeting its statutory mandate to reduce total residential energy expenditures while prioritizing assistance to targeted households, including high-residential energy users and households with high energy burdens. These estimates also help to characterize the WAP-eligible population’s energy burden, and they provide insight into the potential for reductions in burden as a result of energy savings achieved through WAP. This report updates the analyses previously performed by Three3 and builds upon the work of Joel Eisenberg (2010, 2014, 2020). These estimates, especially those for energy burden, are stratified by household characteristics (i.e., poverty status, housing type, equipment, and fuel types), climate region, and geographic location.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Energy Burden Study
This (to be published) work will update estimates of the energy consumptions, energy expenditures, and energy burdens of the population eligible to be served through the US Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and by proxy, those clients actually served by the program. The term energy burden is defined as the percentage of household income spent on home energy expenditures (e.g., heating and cooling, appliances, lighting). WAP provides weatherization services to income-eligible households and is the largest single national residential energy efficiency program operating within the United States. Estimating these energy characteristics for the WAP-eligible population helps to establish the need for WAP and provides data on the program’s effectiveness in meeting its statutory mandate to reduce total residential energy expenditures while prioritizing assistance to targeted households, including high-residential energy users and households with high energy burdens. These estimates also help to characterize the WAP-eligible population’s energy burden, and they provide insight into the potential for reductions in burden as a result of energy savings achieved through WAP. This report updates the analyses previously performed by Three3 and builds upon the work of Joel Eisenberg (2010, 2014, 2020). These estimates, especially those for energy burden, are stratified by household characteristics (i.e., poverty status, housing type, equipment, and fuel types), climate region, and geographic location.
Massachusetts Non-energy impact studies
2019 – Spring 2020
Commercial & Industrial Non-Energy Impact (NEI) Update Scoping Study
The Massachusetts (MA) Commercial and Industrial (C&I) NEI Scoping Study marked Three3's beginning series of subcontracts with MA to measure NEIs.
Research activities included a gap analysis to identify C&I measures and initiatives that lacked NEIs and to highlight gaps in NEI research; interviews with implementation and evaluation staff from MA Program Administrators (PAs) and one Consultant to the MA Energy Efficiency Advisory Council to identify future programs offerings or measures under consideration that could result in valuable NEIs, current and projected needs for NEI information, and important metrics that could be used to evaluate which NEI research efforts to pursue for C&I programs; and a literature review of potential health and safety NEIs. The final report provided an assessment of the current NEI estimate needs for the C&I energy-efficiency programs, as well as recommending research strategies for each type of NEI need identified and reviewing considerations for research that would be carried out separately in a second phase of the study.
Commercial & Industrial Non-Energy Impact (NEI) Update Scoping Study
The Massachusetts (MA) Commercial and Industrial (C&I) NEI Scoping Study marked Three3's beginning series of subcontracts with MA to measure NEIs.
Research activities included a gap analysis to identify C&I measures and initiatives that lacked NEIs and to highlight gaps in NEI research; interviews with implementation and evaluation staff from MA Program Administrators (PAs) and one Consultant to the MA Energy Efficiency Advisory Council to identify future programs offerings or measures under consideration that could result in valuable NEIs, current and projected needs for NEI information, and important metrics that could be used to evaluate which NEI research efforts to pursue for C&I programs; and a literature review of potential health and safety NEIs. The final report provided an assessment of the current NEI estimate needs for the C&I energy-efficiency programs, as well as recommending research strategies for each type of NEI need identified and reviewing considerations for research that would be carried out separately in a second phase of the study.
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Winter 2021
Residential New Construction NEI Assessment The goals of this study were to use secondary data to identify and propose updates to the monetized NEI values associated with the PAs’ Residential New Homes and Renovations initiative, where possible, and to identify potential health-related NEIs that the PAs did not currently claim, either using academic research and secondary data to monetize them where possible or developing approaches for conducting primary research to monetize them. Summer 2023
Residential Heat Pump NEI Study The primary goals of this study were to use secondary data to identify and propose updates to the monetized NEI values associated with existing heating and cooling equipment and quantify and monetize new participant NEIs that the PAs did not currently claim, particularly health- and safety-related NEIs associated with the PAs’ residential heat pump initiatives. A secondary goal was to identify NEIs that may exist but require primary research or the future availability of new secondary research to monetize them. |
Spring 2023
Residential Gas-to-Induction Stovetop Study The primary goals of this study were to use existing MA studies and other secondary data to assess and adjust the asthma-related NEIs to apply to residential replacements of propane or natural gas stovetops with electric induction stovetops, and to identify, quantify, and monetize any additional new NEIs, primarily those related to health and safety, that the PAs could claim for their residential induction stovetop measures. Winter 2024
NEIs from Battery Storage Provided to Income Eligible Customers Study The overall goal of the study was to identify, assess, and monetize participant resilience NEIs associated with battery storage measures installed in homes occupied by income-eligible and moderate-income households. 
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PROJECTS ACROSS THE U.S.
STATE OF VERMONT
Fall 2022 – Fall 2024
Weatherization and Health Initiative Pilot Project
The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) has contracted with Three3 to provide evaluation support services for its innovative weatherization and health initiative (WHI). This pilot project is installing weatherization and asthma trigger reduction measures into the homes of children suffering from uncontrolled asthma. Pilot project partners include Vermont’s Public Service Commission, Vermont’s State weatherization program, two hospitals, and program implementer, NeighborWorks. Three3 has developed a logic diagram and assisted in the development of a household survey, a client satisfaction survey, and questions for process evaluation interviews. Three3 is also conducting those interviews and summarizing the results.
Fall 2022 – Fall 2024
Weatherization and Health Initiative Pilot Project
The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) has contracted with Three3 to provide evaluation support services for its innovative weatherization and health initiative (WHI). This pilot project is installing weatherization and asthma trigger reduction measures into the homes of children suffering from uncontrolled asthma. Pilot project partners include Vermont’s Public Service Commission, Vermont’s State weatherization program, two hospitals, and program implementer, NeighborWorks. Three3 has developed a logic diagram and assisted in the development of a household survey, a client satisfaction survey, and questions for process evaluation interviews. Three3 is also conducting those interviews and summarizing the results.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Fall 2022 – Fall 2025
Weatherization and Healthy Homes Project
Three3 is providing program evaluation support to the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL), Phoenix, Arizona. FSL won a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) weatherization innovation grant to install weatherization and healthy homes measures in this hot and dry region of the U.S. FSL is collaborating with a health insurance provider, Mercy Care, to target homes with residents who have major health issues that could be ameliorated by weatherization, such as asthma and COPD. Funds are also available to improve the conditions of homes that otherwise would have been deferred for weatherization services. Three3 is assisting in the development of a health-based survey and the home environmental assessment. Three3 will also have responsibility for analyzing data from the survey and medical cost records provided by Mercy Care. Bruce Tonn, Erin Rose, and Laura Humphrey are the Three3 staff working on this project.
Fall 2022 – Fall 2025
Weatherization and Healthy Homes Project
Three3 is providing program evaluation support to the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL), Phoenix, Arizona. FSL won a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) weatherization innovation grant to install weatherization and healthy homes measures in this hot and dry region of the U.S. FSL is collaborating with a health insurance provider, Mercy Care, to target homes with residents who have major health issues that could be ameliorated by weatherization, such as asthma and COPD. Funds are also available to improve the conditions of homes that otherwise would have been deferred for weatherization services. Three3 is assisting in the development of a health-based survey and the home environmental assessment. Three3 will also have responsibility for analyzing data from the survey and medical cost records provided by Mercy Care. Bruce Tonn, Erin Rose, and Laura Humphrey are the Three3 staff working on this project.
MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA
Spring 2021 – Winter 2025
Heat-Related Impacts of the Healthy Homes Pilot Program in Maricopa County
These cooling season studies and report summarize results from an on-going, independent evaluation of a Healthy Homes Pilot Program delivered in Maricopa County, Arizona. This Healthy Homes Pilot Program is exclusively an emergency HVAC repair/replacement program provided to eligible households in Maricopa County by the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL). The 2021 cooling season pilot program was funded by Arizona Public Service (APS), PhoenixIDA, and Phoenix Community Development & Investment Corporation (CDIC)–the 2022 and 2023 cooling season pilots were funded by APS only. The current total number of households that completed both the baseline and follow up survey (post-emergency intervention) is 94; 39 in the 2021 sample, 18 in the 2022 sample, and 37 in the 2023 sample. The project has been funded for the 2024 cooling season; the findings will be updated accordingly. To date, the survey data reveal significant benefits for households able to access cooling in Maricopa County, Arizona during hot summer months.
Spring 2021 – Winter 2025
Heat-Related Impacts of the Healthy Homes Pilot Program in Maricopa County
These cooling season studies and report summarize results from an on-going, independent evaluation of a Healthy Homes Pilot Program delivered in Maricopa County, Arizona. This Healthy Homes Pilot Program is exclusively an emergency HVAC repair/replacement program provided to eligible households in Maricopa County by the Foundation for Senior Living (FSL). The 2021 cooling season pilot program was funded by Arizona Public Service (APS), PhoenixIDA, and Phoenix Community Development & Investment Corporation (CDIC)–the 2022 and 2023 cooling season pilots were funded by APS only. The current total number of households that completed both the baseline and follow up survey (post-emergency intervention) is 94; 39 in the 2021 sample, 18 in the 2022 sample, and 37 in the 2023 sample. The project has been funded for the 2024 cooling season; the findings will be updated accordingly. To date, the survey data reveal significant benefits for households able to access cooling in Maricopa County, Arizona during hot summer months.
