Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
8-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Energy Science and Engineering
Major Professor
Joshua R. New
Committee Members
Hongyu N. Zhou, Joshua S. Fu, Chien-Fei Chen
Abstract
The transition to more energy-efficient residential buildings, particularly in low-income households, requires innovative methodologies and tools to address the complexities of energy conservation. This thesis aims to enhance the effectiveness of residential energy audits by developing a comprehensive multi-criteria framework, demonstrating its application with existing energy audit software, and establishing a systematic methodology for evaluating the lifetimes of energy conservation measures (ECMs). The study's first objective was to develop a holistic framework that integrates over 50 factors under 14 criteria, addressing energy and non-energy considerations such as health, safety, and socio-economic impacts. The framework provides a structured approach for evaluating energy audit software, equipping stakeholders with tools to select solutions that align with the specific needs of low-income households. The second objective involved applying the framework’s utility to three widely used energy audit software tools – REM/RATE, Weatherization Assistant, and TREAT. The comparative analysis highlighted each tool’s strengths and limitations, such as REM/RATE’s strong alignment with renewable energy modeling and WA’s superior scalability features, while identifying opportunities for improvement in user-friendliness and sustainability modules. The third objective focused on developing a methodology for systematically and repeatably assessing ECM lifetimes across diverse measure types. This methodology integrates statistical techniques, manufacturer data, and field testing to produce reliable lifetime estimates. It also addresses long-term economic analyses, emphasizing the challenges of uncertainty in evaluating ECMs with lifetimes exceeding 30 years. This thesis contributes to advancing residential energy efficiency by offering tools and methodologies to streamline energy audits, enhance decision-making, and maximize the benefits of energy conservation for low-income households. The findings have implications for software developers, program administrators, and policymakers, providing actionable insights to improve energy audit processes and achieve equitable energy savings at scale.
Recommended Citation
Amoo, Charles N., "Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs: A Multicriteria Framework for Energy Audit Software and Evaluation Methodologies for Energy Conservation Measures. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2025.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/12649
Included in
Other Engineering Commons, Risk Analysis Commons, Software Engineering Commons, Statistical Models Commons, Survival Analysis Commons