Energy and Water Savings in Multifamily Affordable Housing

This report is the initial post-retrofit year analysis of the results of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) Preservation through Smart Rehab program that received $22.5 million of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds for energy and water weatherization upgrades to multifamily affordable housing. PHFA’s funding allocation resulted in upgrades to 8,288 housing units in 109 properties. The first property was completed in December 2010 and the last was completed August 2012. Ninety-one properties had sufficient pre-retrofit and post-retrofit energy data to be included in a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics in 2013. This report provides property characteristics, pre- and post-retrofit energy and water consumption data, and weatherization costs. The authors also present a new model for weather normalization, describe challenges in current utility data collection, and provide recommendations for improving weatherization program procedures. Energy and water use in multifamily housing is not well characterized in the US and this report contributes to ongoing data collection that will improve national understanding.