Recent Projects
2023
Futures and Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Futures Foundation in Switzerland provided Three3 a grant to explore how potential for contributions from the field futures studies could help achieve and accelerate achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project was composed of two tasks: a literature review, and interviews with about a dozen individuals from the fields of SDGs and futures studies. The literature review identified several reports that provide guidance on how to apply futures studies methods (e.g., trends assessment, scenario writing) to assist with SDG planning and programming. The interviews revealed that the respondents’ organizations do not employ applied futures methods but expressed interest in learning more about the methods. The project also explored whether SDG efforts are anchored by obligations to future generations, since sustainability is timeless concept. The interviews and literature review also suggests this is not the case. To facilitate our exploration of the relationships between notions of obligations to future generations and SDGs, a new term and emergent branch of futures studies, transcendental futures, were coined and proposed, respectively. The project was led by Dr. Bruce Tonn and Dr. Chloe Hill, a colleague based in The Netherlands.
Futures and Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Futures Foundation in Switzerland provided Three3 a grant to explore how potential for contributions from the field futures studies could help achieve and accelerate achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project was composed of two tasks: a literature review, and interviews with about a dozen individuals from the fields of SDGs and futures studies. The literature review identified several reports that provide guidance on how to apply futures studies methods (e.g., trends assessment, scenario writing) to assist with SDG planning and programming. The interviews revealed that the respondents’ organizations do not employ applied futures methods but expressed interest in learning more about the methods. The project also explored whether SDG efforts are anchored by obligations to future generations, since sustainability is timeless concept. The interviews and literature review also suggests this is not the case. To facilitate our exploration of the relationships between notions of obligations to future generations and SDGs, a new term and emergent branch of futures studies, transcendental futures, were coined and proposed, respectively. The project was led by Dr. Bruce Tonn and Dr. Chloe Hill, a colleague based in The Netherlands.
Fall 2020 – Winter 2021
"Low-Income Solar Programs - Customer Experiences Survey "
Groundswell, Three3, and Elevate Energy, Inc. are partnering on survey research for LIFT Solar. LIFT Solar is a group of nonprofit organizations conducting research on behalf of the U.S. Dept. of Energy about the implementation of solar programs that serve low-income households across the country. Groundswell is a non-profit operating out of Washington D.C. that "develops community solar projects and programs that connect solar power with economic empowerment." Elevate Energy, Inc. is a non-profit headquartered in Chicago, IL that "design and implement programs that reduce costs, protect people and the environment, and ensure the benefits of clean and efficient energy use reach those who need them most."
"Low-Income Solar Programs - Customer Experiences Survey "
Groundswell, Three3, and Elevate Energy, Inc. are partnering on survey research for LIFT Solar. LIFT Solar is a group of nonprofit organizations conducting research on behalf of the U.S. Dept. of Energy about the implementation of solar programs that serve low-income households across the country. Groundswell is a non-profit operating out of Washington D.C. that "develops community solar projects and programs that connect solar power with economic empowerment." Elevate Energy, Inc. is a non-profit headquartered in Chicago, IL that "design and implement programs that reduce costs, protect people and the environment, and ensure the benefits of clean and efficient energy use reach those who need them most."
Completed September 2021
Measuring the Non-Energy Impacts of the Massachusetts Utility Program Administrators’ Residential New Construction Energy Efficiency Program. Three3 partnered with the Boston-based NMR Group to update the non-energy impacts (NEIs) assessment for the Massachusetts Utility Program Administrators’ Residential New Construction energy efficiency program. The program had previously evaluated and monetized the benefits of improved thermal comfort and lighting quality as well as reduced noise indoors attributable to the enhanced energy efficiency of new homes built through their program. In this update, the team conducted both jurisdictional and literature reviews for NEIs claimed by other utilities or evidence for the existence of previously unclaimed NEIs. In total, the team explored 14 additional NEIs and recommended further research on 7 NEIs. The team also noted pathways for increasing the NEIs of a residential new construction program, such as increasing the share of all-electric homes and Passive House construction. Download final report here.
Measuring the Non-Energy Impacts of the Massachusetts Utility Program Administrators’ Residential New Construction Energy Efficiency Program. Three3 partnered with the Boston-based NMR Group to update the non-energy impacts (NEIs) assessment for the Massachusetts Utility Program Administrators’ Residential New Construction energy efficiency program. The program had previously evaluated and monetized the benefits of improved thermal comfort and lighting quality as well as reduced noise indoors attributable to the enhanced energy efficiency of new homes built through their program. In this update, the team conducted both jurisdictional and literature reviews for NEIs claimed by other utilities or evidence for the existence of previously unclaimed NEIs. In total, the team explored 14 additional NEIs and recommended further research on 7 NEIs. The team also noted pathways for increasing the NEIs of a residential new construction program, such as increasing the share of all-electric homes and Passive House construction. Download final report here.
Completed Summer 2021
Evaluating the Health, Social, and Building Systems Resilience Benefits of Weatherizing Affordable Multifamily Housing. Phase II of this grant involved survey administration to residents of a large sample of multifamily buildings throughout the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. Through permission with property owners, managers provided access for the study team to conduct in-field visits to both deliver surveys to residents and to capture building characteristics. In-field staff also surveyed property managers to gain insights on observations of health and resilience status of building residents as well as the resilience of the building systems. We collected over 1900 Round 1 surveys across all research groups; Treatment group (pre-weatherization observations from residents in buildings scheduled for weatherization), Control group (observations from residents in buildings not scheduled for weatherization), and Comparison group (observations from residents in previously weatherized buildings). Round 2 of the grant, which includes administering the ~12-month follow up survey to households for both Treatment (weatherized building) and Control (non-weatherized) buildings was initiated Summer 2019. This project was supported by grants awarded to Three3 and Slipstream by The JPB Foundation. Additional funding contributions were made by the Energy Efficiency Program Administrators in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The NMR Group provided support for the Massachusetts portion of the project.
During Phase I of this collaborative planning grant (2017– 2018), Three3 and Slipstream invited close to a hundred subject matter experts in the fields of housing, building systems, public health, social equity and community resilience, worked to develop robust and exploratory research designs to assess the health impacts and resilience benefits—both building systems and social resilience—of improving the energy-efficiency of affordable multifamily (MF) housing. Phase I concluded with identifying weatherization partners in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. for access to affordable housing and introductions to property owners and managers.
Evaluating the Health, Social, and Building Systems Resilience Benefits of Weatherizing Affordable Multifamily Housing. Phase II of this grant involved survey administration to residents of a large sample of multifamily buildings throughout the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. Through permission with property owners, managers provided access for the study team to conduct in-field visits to both deliver surveys to residents and to capture building characteristics. In-field staff also surveyed property managers to gain insights on observations of health and resilience status of building residents as well as the resilience of the building systems. We collected over 1900 Round 1 surveys across all research groups; Treatment group (pre-weatherization observations from residents in buildings scheduled for weatherization), Control group (observations from residents in buildings not scheduled for weatherization), and Comparison group (observations from residents in previously weatherized buildings). Round 2 of the grant, which includes administering the ~12-month follow up survey to households for both Treatment (weatherized building) and Control (non-weatherized) buildings was initiated Summer 2019. This project was supported by grants awarded to Three3 and Slipstream by The JPB Foundation. Additional funding contributions were made by the Energy Efficiency Program Administrators in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The NMR Group provided support for the Massachusetts portion of the project.
During Phase I of this collaborative planning grant (2017– 2018), Three3 and Slipstream invited close to a hundred subject matter experts in the fields of housing, building systems, public health, social equity and community resilience, worked to develop robust and exploratory research designs to assess the health impacts and resilience benefits—both building systems and social resilience—of improving the energy-efficiency of affordable multifamily (MF) housing. Phase I concluded with identifying weatherization partners in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S. for access to affordable housing and introductions to property owners and managers.