Health

Energy efficiency as a public health strategy.

Reducing energy waste across buildings, industry, and transportation is one of the most powerful—and underused—tools for improving public health. Strengthening a building envelope and upgrading heating and cooling systems can block wildfire smoke and maintain safe indoor temperatures year-round. Reducing energy consumption from industrial facilities protects nearby communities from elevated air pollution and its associated health risks. Promoting public transit and active transportation, such as walking or bicycling, reduces vehicle emissions and improves physical fitness. Together, these interventions contribute to healthier, more resilient communities.

Much of ACEEE’s health research centers on healthy homes, where energy inefficiency disproportionately burdens low-income households and communities of color. These households typically live in older, inefficient homes that consume substantial energy and expose residents to health and safety hazards. To help these underserved households access the benefits of energy efficiency, ACEEE studies weatherization programs and the health and safety repair programs (i.e., weatherization readiness programs) that make such upgrades possible. This work is central to ACEEE’s broader equity mission: improving the programs and policies that reach those who need them most.