Residential energy efficiency interventions: A meta-analysis of effectiveness studies

Area of Science:

• Energy Policy
• Environmental Science
• Building Science

Background:

• The residential sector contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Residential Energy Efficiency Interventions (REEI) are crucial for climate change mitigation.
• Engineering models often overestimate the real-world impact of REEIs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effectiveness of REEIs on energy consumption, affordability, CO2 emissions, and air quality.
• To assess the impact of various REEIs, including lighting, insulation, heat pumps, and bundled measures.
• To identify variations in REEI effectiveness across different studies and contexts.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic search across 42 databases and grey literature sources.
• Included randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies evaluating REEI impacts globally.
• Performed meta-analyses and subgroup analyses on data from 16 eligible studies.

Main Results:

• Lighting interventions showed a significant reduction in electricity consumption.
• Attic/loft insulation had a small, statistically insignificant average impact, but significant reductions were found in specific contexts.
• Bundled REEIs demonstrated a significant overall reduction in energy consumption, particularly in studies with low-income households.

Conclusions:

• Installing REEIs can lead to significant energy savings.
• The effectiveness of REEIs is highly dependent on implementation details and local context.
• Further high-quality impact evaluations are needed in diverse geographical and socio-economic settings.