The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHIHA) worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program to integrate energy efficiency measures into the refurbishment process that each unit normally goes through between occupancies. Many PHAs including PHIHA have skilled maintenance staff who can be trained to implement basic and cost-effective energy efficiency measures. Working with PHIHA, the Building America team Advanced Residential Integrated Solutions Collaborative (ARIES) developed an energy-efficiency turnover protocol and trained and coached PHIHA staff in its application. PHIHA then integrated the protocol into its normal operations with periodic follow-up testing and inspections by ARIES.

Working with PHIHA, the Building America team Advanced Residential Integrated Solutions Collaborative (ARIES) developed an energy-efficiency turnover protocol and trained and coached PHIHA staff in its application. PHIHA then integrated the protocol into its normal operations with periodic follow-up testing and inspections by ARIES. By integrating this process into every turnover process, PHIHA could retrofit many of its 14,000-plus housing units each year. ARIES trained PHIHA staff to implement energy-efficiency measures using an illustrated guideline and checklist. All activities in the checklist are intended to be low-cost, be achievable by in-house staff with readily available tools and materials, and fit within the time available during unit turnover.