Description
The Electric Heat Affordable Rental Pilot is aimed at reducing cost, energy use, and bill variability for under-resourced renters in the Saint Paul area. Pilot participants have been identified through another research program as having higher than average electric bills and likely are heating their homes with electric resistance heating.
The pilot aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing reliance on resistance electric heat by installing efficient cold climate air source heat pumps (ccASHP), performing envelope measures as needed, and installing heat pump water heaters (HPWH). All recommended work, along with the energy audits used to screen properties, come at no cost to property owners or renters.
Another program objective is to study how installation of high-quality ccASHP and HPWH helps to reduce costs and lower carbon use, while collecting data to assist in building new energy savings algorithms for the Minnesota Technical Reference Manual.
As of the end of December 2024, work on eight 2-4 unit homes has been completed by by the program implementer, Minnesota Center for Energy and the Environment, and data will begin being collected regarding the level of energy savings being realized.