Projects

Reducing Barriers to Energy Security through an Integrated Case Management, Data-driven, Community-based Approach (NSF SCC)

The goal of this Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) project is to explore the efficacy of new social-technological paradigms to reduce residential energy insecurity for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households in three neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan, which is one of the top ten highest energy burdened metros in the US.

To learn more about the project or to receive more information click this link. 

Enhanced Energy Monitoring For Energy Justice in Detroit

This project, in collaboration with Pecan Street Inc, is adding electric submetering to 75 low-to-moderate income (LMI) households in Detroit that are participating in our NSF SCC project.  This project 1) supports the development of the technological methods and tools being developed for the NSF project, which will enable case managers to better guide LMI customers through decisions to reduce their energy insecurity, and 2) augments the Pecan Street Dataport with anonymized LMI customer data such that the entire international research community can study it and characterize the unique challenges and opportunities facing LMI customers.

Detroit Communities Reducing Energy and Water (D-CREW)

The burden of temperature-associated mortality and hospital visits is significant, but temperature's effects on non-emergency health outcomes is less clear. This burden is potentially greater in low-income households unable to afford efficient heating and cooling. We examined short-term associations between indoor temperatures and cognitive function and daytime sleepiness in low-income residents of Detroit, Michigan. Apparent temperature (AT, based on temperature and humidity) was recorded hourly in 34 participant homes between July 2019-March 2020.

Weatherization and Health Effects (WHE) 

Indoor temperatures may impact sleep quality and short-term cognitive function, and high utility bills may exacerbate the psychosocial stress of financial worry. The goal of this project is to characterize and monetize the health impacts of low-cost and high-cost weatherization measures, which may improve the health of older adults through improvements in sleep, cognitive function, and financial worry as well as community-wide reductions in air pollution exposure.

A special thank you to our funders who make our work possible: