Homes and Buildings

The policy tools that have made buildings more efficient over decades—including appliance and equipment standards, building energy codes, and federal weatherization programs—are under growing pressure. Protecting and strengthening these tools while expanding access to efficiency, electrification, and resilience investments is at the core of ACEEE’s buildings work.

 Our approach combines independent research, direct policy engagement, and hands-on technical assistance to help federal, state, and local policymakers, utilities, and other stakeholders advance more efficient, affordable, and resilient buildings. We support states and cities in adopting and implementing updated building energy codes, track building policy progress across the country, advocate for federal funding for home energy upgrades and electrification, and work directly with state energy offices and utility program administrators to improve the design and reach of retrofit and incentive programs.

Our work is organized around four key areas that improve building efficiency, affordability, and resilience:

• Building Codes and Standards: We help states and cities adopt and implement updated building energy codes and support policies that improve the efficiency of new construction and renovations and spur retrofits of existing buildings. We also advance appliance and equipment standards that establish minimum efficiency requirements for products used in homes and buildings.
• Existing Building Efficiency and Electrification: We work with states, utilities, and other partners to improve retrofit and incentive programs that reduce energy use, lower bills, and accelerate adoption of high-efficiency equipment and electrification technologies in existing homes and commercial buildings.
• Building Energy Equity and Affordability: We research and advance policies and programs that expand access to energy efficiency, weatherization, and electrification investments for low-income households and underserved communities, helping reduce energy costs, improve housing conditions, and train the next generation of the energy efficiency workforce.
• Grid-Interactive and Resilient Buildings: We advance strategies that enable buildings to respond to grid conditions through flexible technologies and efficient equipment, reducing peak demand, supporting reliability, and enabling greater integration of renewable energy. As electricity demand grows from large loads such as data centers, we also work to ensure these facilities operate efficiently and that other buildings can help free up grid capacity.”