Value-oriented approach to home energy assessment process design

While significant investments have been made to advance energy auditing methods to reduce energy consumption in the residential sector, homeowners are still challenged to take action and realize energy savings on their utility bills. Key challenges facing homeowners in need of energy efficiency improvements were found to be: 1) lack of information, 2) lack of financing, and, 3) lack of skilled workforce (2009 CEQ report). Recent research examining home energy auditing has revealed significant process waste, including audits that do not lead to energy upgrades; distrust between auditors and homeowners; a tendency for audits to lead only to one time improvements as opposed to continuous improvement. In response, variable types of home energy audit practices and strategies are emerging, including standardization of training and rating programs, as well as alternative methods to lower the costs of audits through partial “assessments.” This research takes a value-oriented approach to study the energy audit process of residential homes, and seeks to elevate the effectiveness and efficiency of home energy assessments through process design. The objectives of this research are: 1) To characterize “on-site” value delivery during a 90 minute home energy assessment, 2) to present relationships between building trust and deliver value via a model, and 3) to explore how these trust-value relationships influence homeowners’ decision making to take action in a manner of home improvements. In addition to home energy audit sectors, elevation of value distribution and trust relationship in a productive process, not only enhance distributing characterized value during operation, but also increase identification of linkages between specific tasks and the accumulation of trust leading to action on behalf of participants in the design and construction industry.Non UBCUnreviewedFacultyOthe