The Role of Energy Efficiency in Addressing Public Health Challenges

Mary Ayala, Enterprise Community Partners

Cassandra Kubes, ACEEE

Dr. Bruce Tonn, Three3

Paul A. Young, City of Memphis

Addressing Public Health Challenges with Energy Efficiency

2018 SEEA Conference on Energy Efficiency

October 23, 2018

Cassandra Kubes

Research Manager, Health and Environment

aceee.org @ACEEEdc

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit

501(c)(3) founded in 1980. We act as a catalyst to advance energy

efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, & behaviors.

Our research explores economic impacts, financing options, behavior

changes, program design, and utility planning, as well as US national,

state, & local policy.

Our work is made possible by foundation funding, contracts,

government grants, and conference revenue.

Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency

Protect health Improve safety

and comfortSave money Create jobs and

opportunity

Protect the

environment

Health Effects of Fossil Fuel Pollutants

Source: http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/ee-health-1008.pdf

Source: http://aceee.org/research-report/h1801

EE improves health of building occupants

Source: https://e4thefuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Occupant-Health-Benefits-Residential-EE.pdf

Video: Baltimore Breathes Easier with Energy Retrofits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhnjz8lX6n4

ACEEE Resources

• ACEEE Health and Environment Program homepage -http://aceee.org/topics/health-environment

• ACEEE and PSR fact sheet: Energy Efficiency and Health -http://aceee.org/fact-sheet/ee-and-health

• Saving Energy, Saving Lives: The Health Impacts of Avoiding Power Plant Pollution with Energy Efficiency –http://aceee.org/research-report/h1801

• The Next Nexus: Exemplary Programs that Save Energy and Improve Health – http://aceee.org/research-report/h1802

• Mission Attainment: Incorporating Pollution Reductions from Energy Efficiency in State Implementation Plans -http://aceee.org/research-report/h1803

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Thank you

Cassandra Kubes ckubes@aceee.org

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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ENTERPRISE’S APPROACH

Enterprise’s mission is to create opportunity for low- and moderate-income

people through affordable housing in diverse, thriving communities.

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The Prospect of Navigating a

Healthy Future for All

HEALTH AND HOUSING

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Health and Housing Research

Quality, Affordable,

Stable Housing

in Communities of

Opportunity

Improved Chronic

Disease ManagementHIV, Diabetes, Hypertension,

Obesity

Reduction in Infectious

Diseases, Asthma, and

Accidental Injuries

Improved Children’s

HealthPhysical and Mental

Reduction to Exposure

to ToxinsLead-based paint, mold

Decreased Drug and

Substance Use

More Household

Resources Used for Healthcare, Insurance,

Healthy Food, and

Prescriptions

Alternative Living Situations

to those in Abusive or

Overcrowded

Circumstances

Improved Mental HealthDepression, Anxiety, Stress

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NATIONAL TRENDS

Nearly 39 million U.S. households

live in housing they cannot afford

Over 11 million renter households

are severely cost burdened

25% of black households paid more

than half their incomes for housing

in 2015 – nearly twice the 13%

share of white households

Based on conservative estimates,

unstable housing for families with

children will cost $111 billion in

increased health & education

expenses over the next 10 years.

More than $1 trillion is spent every

year on treating avoidable disease

created by conditions of poverty.

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• No single actor, nor even an entire

sector, can sustain well-being for a

whole population.

• The work requires contributions from

virtually every quarter, if only to contend

with the sheer variety of massively

interdependent threats and

opportunities.

• Our partnerships aim to produce a more

intentional coordination, common

measurement, regional cooperation,

and collective impact.

THE IMPERATIVE

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Impacting health inequities experienced by low and moderate-

income populations across the U.S. by addressing housing as a

foundational determinant of health.

OUR EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON…

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Enterprise Green Communities

Enterprise Green Communities is transforming the way

America thinks about, designs, builds, and rehabilitates

affordable housing.

Enterprise Green Communities

certified projects are underway

in 39 states, the District of

Columbia, and Puerto Rico

United States

• 982 Projects Certified

• 63,121 Units

Southeast

• 98 Projects Certified

• 3,840 Units

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Enterprise Green Communities

Location +

Neighborhood Fabric

Site Improvements

Operations, Maintenance

+ Resident Engagement

Integrative Design

Healthy Living

Environment

Energy Efficiency

Water ConservationMaterials

A holistic

approach to

building

a green

community

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Enterprise Green Communities

Healthy Living Environment

Criteria

• 1.2a Resident Health and Wellbeing: Design for Health

• 1.2b Resident Health and Wellbeing: Health Action Plan

Partnerships

• Healthcare Sector

• Healthy Building Experts

• Public Health Sector Experts

Outcomes

• Common measurement tool

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How might we contribute

to a new kind of system?

HEALTH AND HOUSEHOLD

BENEFITS ATTRIBUTABLE TO

WEATHERIZING LOW-INCOME

HOMES

Bruce Tonn

Three3, Inc.

2018 SEEA Conference on

Energy Efficiency

October 23, 2018

OUTLINE

• How Weatherization Can Improve Health

• Non-Energy Impact (NEI)Projects

• Overview

• Summary of Results

• Other Interesting Evaluation Results

How Weatherization Can Yield Health Impacts

Relationships Between Weatherization and Health Benefits

Major Health and Other Non-Energy Impacts Estimation Projects

• Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance

Program. Status – Complete.

• Knoxville Extreme Energy Makeover Program. Status –

Pre-weatherization data collection complete. Preliminary

results from post-weatherization data collection are

available.

• Affordable Multifamily Buildings in the Northeast and

Midwest: Preliminary results from pre-weatherization data

collection are available.

• TVA-led Home Uplift Program. Status – Pre-

weatherization data collection on-going.

Summary of Research Results

• Human Health Improves

• Reductions in asthma

• Reductions in thermal stress

• Household Budgets Improve

• Households can better afford energy bills

• Households less frequently forego buying food to pay energy bills

• Monetary Benefits Outweigh Weatherization Costs

• WAP evaluation found $14,000 of health & household related benefits versus $4800

average job cost

Other Interesting Research Results

• WAP Evaluation Special Studies

• Variation in energy savings is due to household demographic changes

• Households do communicate the benefits of weatherization through their social networks

• Residents of MF Buildings Report Higher Social Community Resilience

• Post-weatherization residents are more likely to help each other and feel like they belong to

a community

• Weatherization Can Increase Building Systems Resilience

• Interviews with property managers suggest that post-wx their buildings are more resilient to

extreme temperatures (>80%), very high wind (>50%), and heavy snow and rain (~40%)

Contact Information

• Bruce Tonn, President, Three3, Inc., 520 W. Summit Hill

Drive, Suite 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902,865-963-3254

btonn@threecubed.org

appropriate to the audience. This will keep it formatted correctly.

Health and Housing Issuesin Memphis, TN

Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance Conference

October 23, 2018, Atlanta, GA

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The City of Memphis is working to identify actionable policies, strategies and resources that local partners can utilize to reduce the negative health impacts of substandard housing on vulnerable populations within the City of Memphis.

This effort will emphasize three key focus areas: lead remediation in homes; reduction in asthma treatment costs; and reduction in energy cost burden for families in the City of Memphis. This aim also includes improving both housing conditions and housing affordability for low income families.

Desired Results

The populations that are most affected by high asthma rates, lead exposure, and energy burden are also impacted by poverty and substandard housing conditions.

The interconnectedness of these challenges creates an environment where a multifaceted approach is called for to address the problems.

Evidence

Key Figures:

• Population: 655,770 (2010 U.S. Census Bureau)

• White: 29.4%

• Black: 63.3%

• Hispanic/Latino: 6.5%

• Other race: 5.8%

• 26.2% Poverty Rate (2016 U.S. Census Bureau American

Community Survey) (Federal Poverty Threshold of $24,250 for Family of 4)

• 46.6% Childhood Poverty Rate – Highest in

Nation (2014 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey)

• Energy Burden: 13.2% of income spent on

energy – Highest in Nation (American Council for an Energy-

Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Report: Lifting the High Energy Burden in

America’s Largest Cities, 2016)

• 31% of all pediatric asthma ER visits statewide

were in Shelby County

• Shelby County has 190,650 pre-1978 housing

units (Year lead paint was banned)

Persons (Dot = 100)

•Black

•White

•Hispanic

•Asian

Memphis MSA Population Distribution By Race2010

• The City has a number of efforts in the pipeline that we believe will be vital in addressing these issues:• Weatherization Program• Enrollment as a Green and Healthy

Homes Initiative Site• Healthy Homes Partnership• Lead Grant• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital CHAMP

Program• Blight Elimination Steering Committee• Memphis 3.0

Opportunities for Impact

The most impactful efforts to move the needle on this work are the Healthy Homes Partnership and the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI).

State of Current City Efforts

Healthy Homes Partnership GHHI

Stre

ngt

hs

Many agencies and stakeholders that impact households are at the table and committed to partnership

Opportunity to gain national best practices to determine how to align various funding streams with varying rules and regs

There are frequent meetings and touch points, which improves overall communication across the spectrum

Dedicated staff person to work across the spectrum to have greatest impact on families served.

We

akn

ess

es

With so many partners, there can be a leadership void unless agencies step up to lead specific issues

Despite efforts, funding opportunities continue to be reduced

• City of Memphis• Shelby County• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital• Habitat for Humanity• Neighborhood Preservation, Inc.• University of Memphis School of

Law• Memphis Area Legal Services• Community Development Council

of Greater Memphis• Over a dozen other HHP members

Key Stakeholders

Existing assets and funding opportunities include:

• Weatherization Funds ($1.5M Annually)

• Lead Hazard Grants ($3.2M available)

• Pay for Success (Potential opportunity to access private capital to be reimbursed by State insurance cost savings)

• National and local philanthropic funding and technical assistance (opportunities for increasing this are emerging)

Assessment of Assets

• The greatest challenge that we have is to find the ability to take these interventions to scale. The volume of the problems that we are attempting to address is vast, so we have to identify sustainable funding solutions to address the challenges.

Key Challenges

• Reduction in hospital admissions (inpatient and ER) for asthma, home injuries, etc.

• Reduction in lead-poisoning cases

• Reduction in energy burden/costs as reflected through lower utility bills;

• Increased resources and capacity to correct unhealthy/unsafe housing conditions, including weatherization, minor home repair, lead paint abatement, asthma-safe interventions, etc.

• Improved housing stability among families assisted (fewer evictions, less transience)

City Indicators

USGBC Continuing Education Credits

Sessions with CEUs are identified in the conference program.

To claim your certificates, please see Conference Concierge Kisha Gresham, outside room 222.

Visit Our Sponsors and Win a Prize!

Visit our sponsor tables and

use #EEFusionSponsors

to share a sponsor highlight.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tour

Complimentary transportation provided by SEEA. Buses will leave

from Georgia Tech Hotel at 4:00 p.m.

SEEA Networking Celebration

Der Biergarten is about a 10-minute walk from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. If you’d prefer to ride, buses will be available to provide transportation

following the stadium tour.

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