Overview:

Summary: Weatherization protects a building and its interior from natural elements including sunlight and associated heat by cleaning, repairing, replacing mechanical systems and components, building shell materials, and electrical and water appliances.

Implementation: Provide financial assistance to eligible households to weatherize their homes through grants or reimbursements.

Considerations for Use: This intervention can be piloted with an initial amount of funding to build government and workforce capacity. Older and less-maintaned buildings benefit greatly from weatherization upgrades. Low-income residents can also benefit from lower energy bills as a result of weatherization.

• Policy Levers: The mechanism municipalities can use to actualize the intervention. These policy levers will likely be used in combination with each other.
  
  
  Funding and FinancingThe allocation of public or philanthropic funding or private financing to implement projects, including risk transfer mechanisms.
• Trigger Points: Opportunities for municipalities to implement risk reduction and preparedness interventions based on the policy lever, building on the United Nations Environment Programme triggers used in the Beating the Heat handbook (2021).
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
• Intervention Type:
  Buildings and Built Form
• Sectors:
  Buildings, Informal Settlements

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Property owners, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Energy savings

Case Studies:

• CA Low Income Weatherization Program (UCLA, Pg 68)
• US Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program (UCLA, Pg 68)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City, National, Region, State/Province
• Authority and Governance:
  City government, National government, State/provincial government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Medium-term (3-9 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government, Property owners and managers
• Funding Sources:
  Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Medium
• Public Good:
  Medium
• GHG Reduction:
  High
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Increase property values, Save on utilities