Potential Vs Practice: Installation of Retrofit Measures in the Hood River Conservation Project

摘要

Although only half the eligible homes have completed the HRCP process, some conclusions can be drawn concerning penetration of retrofit measures. The following thoughts are based on the 1747 homes that had essentially completed participation in HRCP by the end of May 1985. HRCP and its extensive data collection processes yield valuable and unique information on the reasonable upper limits for a residential retrofit program in the Pacific Northwest. That is, the high level of retrofits included in the project and the substantial financial contribution from BPA minimize the importance of capital cost and existing levels of structure thermal performance, two major obstacles to retrofit in most programs. Removal of these barriers, coupled with the details provided on types and times of barriers, will greatly increase our knowledge of the practical limits of residential retrofit programs. Removal of these barriers is effective in getting recommended measures installed. Almost 90% of the measures recommended by the energy auditors were subsequently installed by the Project. These results demonstrate the feasibility of installing almost all recommended retrofit measures in a program that is well run and that pays for most of the retrofit cost. The conservation potential in existing homes is difficult to define and to determine. Different definitions are feasible depending on how one considers measures that are not applicable, that cannot be installed because of physical limitations, that are already partially or fully in place, or that households do not want installed. 14 refs. (ERA citation 10:046672)