DCSEU Low-income Decarbonization Pilot now Affordable Home Electrification Program
UPDATED: 11/13/2023
Project Name: Low-income Decarbonization Pilot (LIDP)
Project Leader(s): DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), a brand of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC).
Partner(s): DC Department of Energy and Environment (contractor administrator)
Stage of Completion: Completed
Construction Type: Existing Buildings
Building Type: Single-family & one 4-unit building
Total Number of Units Targeted: 15-20
Total Number of Units Completed: 10
Tenant Structure: Homeowners or renters of single-family dwellings, or renters in low-rise multifamily buildings with four or fewer units.
Target Audience: Naturally occurring affordable housing, particularly, low-income households with income equal to or below 80% AMI. Participants must also be DC residents
Full/Partial Electrification:
Mixed - full & partial
The 4-unit building was full electrification
6 single-family homes were partial (stoves not electrified either due to homeowner or contractor refusal due to inability to wire without an attic, also timing impacted willingness to electrify stoves)
Existing Heating Fuel Type: Natural gas
End Uses Electrified: Space heating and cooling, water heating, cooking appliances (only in 4-unit building)
Specific electric appliances installed: Air source heat pump, heat pump water heater, electric range or cooktop (only in 4-unit building)
Total Project Funding
Budget $550,000
Spent $346,448
Amount or % of Project Cost Covered per unit: 100%
Source of Funding: DC Department of Energy and Environment via Sustainable Energy Trust Fund (SETF). The SETF is financed by a surcharge on all electric and natural gas utility ratepayers in the District of Columbia.
Motivation for electrification: The District of Columbia, DOEE, and DCSEU all have an interest in beneficial electrification and sourcing all electricity from renewable generation. The goal of the LIDP was to obtain data on the total costs, benefits, challenges, resident impact, and cost-effectiveness of beneficial electrification from installing highly-efficient electric appliances and energy efficiency measures in income-qualified homes on a pilot basis. The DCSEU Pilot Team sought to derive best practices to guide building owners and other interested stakeholders considering beneficial electrification.
Additional Measures Implemented:
Weatherization improvements, air sealing and insulation measures, electric panel upgrades
Solar was important to reduce utility bill increases experienced by electrification. Through the Solar for All Program, DCSEU worked to integrate solar on all the participating homes. If the roof was not suitable for solar PV, the resident was enrolled in the DOEE Solar for All Community Solar program, offsetting the minimum that would be produced annually on the rooftop from solar PV.
Workforce Development/Green Jobs Component:
Any contract over $1M with the District government has a Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) component. This means 30% of funds must be spent with district based businesses.
Through SETF funding there is a large workforce development component, separate from the project. Trainings, externships, etc.
Through the pilot, contractors were also provided with an opportunity to gain familiarity with gas to electric retrofits.
Source:
Links to additional resources:
DCSEU Affordable Home Electrification (new program page)