Energy savings and emissions reductions associated with increased insulation for new homes in the United States

• Simulation platform accurately characterizes energy consumption for new homes.
• Insulation upgrade to latest energy code produces electricity and fuel savings.
• Linkage between energy and electricity dispatch models yields emissions reductions.
• Energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions.
• Including health and climate benefits reduces payback period for energy efficiency.

Residential energy efficiency measures can influence air pollutant emissions from power plants and residential combustion sources, with corresponding influences on public health and climate change. However, studies to date have not quantified national-scale benefits using models that account for variability in state housing codes and complexities in energy consumption patterns and electricity markets. In this study, we used the energy simulation software EnergyPlus within a high-performance computing platform to estimate the energy savings associated with increased residential insulation for a cohort of 665,000 new homes built in the United States in 2013. We linked hourly electricity savings with state-specific electricity dispatch models and quantified emissions reductions from power plants and residential combustion sources. We estimated reductions of 180 GWh of electricity and 840 million SCF of natural gas per year, among other combustion fuels, resulting in annual emissions reductions of 470,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 1,100,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 770,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides. Our findings indicate that including the monetary value of health and climate benefits significantly reduces the payback period for energy efficiency investments, and our modeling platform allows for rapid comprehensive analyses of the economic and environmental benefits of alternative energy efficiency measures.