Time effects of green buildings on energy use for low-income households: A longitudinal study in the United States

Zhao, Dong; McCoy, Andrew P.; Agee, Philip; Mo, Yunjeong; Reichard, Georg; Paige, Frederick

doi:10.1016/j.scs.2018.05.011

Cited by 33 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Zhao (2018) investigated the time effects of GB policy on energy performance in low-income house units. Due to reduced energy usage in GBs, financial savings came to 648 dollars per year [65].…”

Section: Economic Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Survey of the Status and Challenges of Green Building Development in Various Countries

et al. 2019

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Since the energy crisis in the 1960s, crucial research and activities were spurred to improve energy efficiency and decrease environmental pollution. To deal with the various problems the construction industry are facing, the concept of green buildings (GBs) has been gradually shaped and put forward all over the world, and green building rating systems (GBRSs) have been developed. The concept of GBs covers a wide range of elements, and its definition is constantly updated as the construction industry develops. This paper compares the development of backgrounds and statuses of green building development in various countries. It also presents an overview of the green building development situation within these countries, summarizing two influences for GB development: one external and the other internal. External factors include GB development policy support, economic benefits, and certification schemes. Internal factors are the development and application of GB technology, the level of building management, and how users interact with the GB technology. Currently, 49 worldwide green building standards and application have been sorted out, including 18 standard expert appraisal systems. Moreover, it discusses the research results and lessons learned from green building projects in different countries and summarizes their achievements and challenges. To correctly understand and use green building technology, it is essential to improve the policy and incentive system, improve the professional quality and technical ability of employees and accredited consultants, constantly develop and update the evaluation system, strengthen technological innovation, and integrate design and management. This paper aims to draw a clear roadmap for national standard development, policy formulation, and construction design companies, provide solutions to remove the obstacles, and suggest research direction for future studies.

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Section: Economic Benefitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Survey of the Status and Challenges of Green Building Development in Various Countries

et al. 2019

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“…Nonetheless, costs and benefits of green affordable housing have rarely been investigated, despite the fact that low-income households are often exposed to low quality housing conditions and thus bear disproportionate costs of energy, transport, healthcare, safety, etc. [6,47]. Except for a few recent studies in the EU, available evidence on green building cost premiums is from the gray literature on the commercial sector, thus leaving little information for public and private entities considering green building certifications in the housing sector [8,17].…”

Section: Costs and Benefits Of Green Building And Affordable Housingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…US states have integrated green building with affordable housing programs to achieve multiple environmental objectives, e.g., improving energy efficiency and water conservation, increasing indoor environmental quality, providing safe, healthy, and productive built environments, and promoting sustainable environmental stewardship [5]. Simultaneously, empirical measures have shown that green building increases housing affordability, through energy-efficiency savings that constitute a significant percentage of the annual income of extremely low-, very low-, and low-income families [6]. In the US, the supply of green affordable housing tends to be initiated by a synthesis of public and private sector actions, facilitated by mandates and incentives that address the risks and return of investment concerns of investors, owners, and financiers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green Affordable Housing: Cost-Benefit Analysis for Zoning Incentives

2019

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In the year 2017, about 89% of the total energy consumed in the US was produced using non-renewable energy sources, and about 43% of tenant households were cost burdened. Local governments are in a unique position to facilitate green affordable housing, that could reduce cost burdens, environmental degradation, and environmental injustice. Nonetheless, limited studies have made progress on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, to guide decision-making, particularly in small communities. This study investigates density bonus options for green affordable housing by analyzing construction costs, transaction prices, and spillover effects of green certifications and affordable housing units. The authors employ pooled cross-sectional construction cost and price data from 422 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects and 11,016 Multiple Listing Service (MLS) transactions in Virginia. Using hedonic regression analyses controlling for mediating factors, the study finds that the new construction of market-rate green certified houses is associated with small upfront costs, but large and statistically significant price premiums. In addition, the construction of market-rate green certified houses has large and statistically significant spillover effects on existing non-certified houses. Existing non-certified affordable housing units show small and often insignificant negative price impacts on the transaction prices of surrounding properties. The study concludes that the magnitude of social benefits associated with green building justifies the local provision of voluntary programs for green affordable housing, where housing is expensive relative to its basic cost of production.

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“…As a result, QAPs could either promote or inhibit the application of innovative designs and technologies in low-income developments. Existing literature on the LIHTC program suggests that, among other co-benefits, energy-efficient LIHTC properties have generated considerable financial savings for the occupants [9]. Despite its significance as an opportunity to drive innovative solutions to address environmental sustainability and economic development in low-income housing in the U.S., zero-energy buildings have received little attention in low-income housing literature, policy, and practice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of Zero Energy Multi-Family Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Developments

Yeganeh¹,

Agee²,

Gao³

et al. 2020

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The residential sector in the United States is in need of comprehensive policy-making reforms that concurrently address housing affordability and environmental sustainability. This study investigates the feasibility of state-wide zero-energy affordable housing by analyzing historical data on climate, energy use, and solar system costs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The hypothesis examined is that the net present cost of implementation of rooftop residential solar systems to achieve zero-energy Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) buildings is lower than the discounted present cost of energy of otherwise identical conventional buildings that run without renewable energy generation systems. The authors propose a generalizable framework for analyzing the feasibility of achieving region- or state-wide zero-energy LIHTC developments. To validate the framework, the authors employ a longitudinal sample of monthly energy use data from 2013-2016 obtained from 310 residential units of 15 LIHTC developments across the state. Based on statistical regression analysis, energy simulation, and simulation-based risk analysis, the authors find that the net present value of zero-energy LIHTC investments can be positive with a low risk. The investment value varies often depending on the zero-energy building definition, weather characteristics, retail price of electricity, and incentive rate. This study can help housing policymakers and industry professionals analyze and benchmark the feasibility of innovative zero-energy housing policies and projects.

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Time effects of green buildings on energy use for low-income households: A longitudinal study in the United States

Cited by 33 publications

References 28 publications

A Survey of the Status and Challenges of Green Building Development in Various Countries

A Survey of the Status and Challenges of Green Building Development in Various Countries

Green Affordable Housing: Cost-Benefit Analysis for Zoning Incentives

Feasibility of Zero Energy Multi-Family Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Developments

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