A Comparison of Energy Consumption in American Homes by Climate Region

Abstract

The present research analyzes the impact of nine factors related to household demographics, building equipment, and building characteristics towards a home’s total energy consumption while controlling for climate. To do this, we have surveyed single-family owned houses from the 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) dataset and controlled the analysis by Building America climate zones. Our findings are based on descriptive statistics and multiple regression models, and show that for a median-sized home in three of the five climate zones, heating equipment is still the main contributor to a household’s total energy consumed, followed by home size. Social-economic factors and building age were found relevant for some regions, but often contributed less than size and heating equipment towards total energy consumption. Water heater and education were not found to be statistically relevant in any of the regions. Finally, solar power was only found to be a significant factor in one of the regions, positively contributing to a home’s total energy consumed. These findings are helpful for policymakers to evaluate the specificities of climate regions in their jurisdiction, especially guiding homeowners towards more energy-efficient heating equipment and home configurations, such as reduced size.

Thermostat Anchors: Do Temperature Scale Characteristics Affect the Selection of Temperature Setpoints for Residential Homes?

“…A significant factor in the energy balance of residential homes is the energy-saving behaviors of its residents [13,14,38,40]. While energy demands can greatly vary across seasons and geographical locations, heating and cooling determine a large percentage of energy use in households [4][5][6]. One consequential behavior is the selection of temperature setpoints for thermostats [38], which can strongly affect the energy balance of residential homes by determining, under certain conditions, up to 30% of the energy use [17].…”

“…Research has revealed that energy consumption is largely influenced by the climate conditions that the buildings are in [4]. Specifically, outside temperatures [5] and climate zones (i.e., geographical location) [6] significantly affect energy needs and usage. Energy demands and consumption purposes vary greatly across different geographical locations [7].…”

“…Thirdly, the number and type of appliances significantly impact households' energy use [8]. Fourthly, household characteristics such as the number of family members and residents' income are positively correlated with buildings' energy consumption [6].…”

Energy Consumption Analysis and Characterization of the Residential Sector in the US Towards Sustainable Development

“…The study in [17] identified heating equipment type and home size as primary contributors to energy consumption across most climate zones, with variations observed in different regions. Additionally, the influence of on-site solar power generation was found to be limited, suggesting the need for further research and policy considerations [18].…”

A Planning Support System for Monitoring Aging Neighborhoods in Germany

“…Single-family zoning contradicts political goals that aim to increase urban density [6][7][8] and reduce the carbon footprint [9][10][11]. Critics also point to the low energy efficiency of many single-family detached houses [12,13] and the extra costs for roads, sewage, and water infrastructure caused by dispersed settlements [14,15]. Esthetic considerations oppose suburban single-family houses as mass or anonymous architecture [16], which fit poorly into the historically evolved urban fabric.…”